[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 76 (Monday, April 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19567-19568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9807]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4849-N-04]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Requested; 
Maintenance Wage Rate Recommendation, Certification, and Survey

AGENCY: Office of Departmental Operations and Coordination, Office of 
Labor Relations, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department 
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comments Due Date: June 20, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Wayne Eddins, Reports Management 
Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, 
SW., L'Enfant Plaza Building, Room 800a, Washington, DC 20410 or 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jade Banks, Senior Policy Advisor, 
Office of Labor Relations, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
451 Seventh Street, Southwest, Washington, DC 20410 or 
[email protected], (202) 708-0370 (this is not a toll-free number) 
for copies of the proposed forms and other available information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended).
    This Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affecting agencies concerning the proposed collection of information 
to: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) 
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the

[[Page 19568]]

burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond; 
including through the use of appropriate automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    This Notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Maintenance Wage Rate Recommendation, 
Certification and Survey.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: None.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: 
Public housing agencies (PHAs) and Tribally-Designated Housing Entities 
(TDHEs) are required to ensure that maintenance laborers and mechanics 
are paid no less than prevailing wages that are determined or adopted 
by HUD (section 12(a), U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended; section 
104(b), Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act 
of 1996, as amended). Except that, TDHEs may, at their discretion, 
implement tribally-determined prevailing maintenance wage rates which 
would apply in place of HUD-determined or -adopted wage rates.
    HUD determines or adopts a schedule of prevailing maintenance wage 
rates for each PHA and TDHE (except for those TDHEs that implement 
tribally-determined prevailing wage rates), annually, coinciding with 
the agency's fiscal year. In order to ensure that the wage rates are 
reflective of current economic conditions, HUD requests each PHA and 
TDHE to submit a recommendation of prevailing wage rates for HUD 
consideration. PHA and TDHE recommendations may be based on a wide 
variety of economic indicators including, at the discretion of the PHA 
or TDHE, the results of a wage survey that the PHA or TDHE may conduct 
of maintenance employers in their operating jurisdiction. In addition, 
HUD may conduct a maintenance wage rate survey in the absence of a PHA/
TDHE recommendation or to evaluate a recommendation that has been 
provided by a PHA or TDHE.
    In order to assist PHAs and TDHEs to submit prevailing wage 
recommendations and, if they choose, to conduct and evaluate the 
results of a maintenance wage survey, and to assist HUD personnel in 
the conduct and evaluation of a maintenance wage survey, HUD proposes 
to institute three forms: a Maintenance Wage Rate Recommendation and 
Certification; a Maintenance Wage Rate Survey Summary; and a Survey of 
Maintenance Wage Rates. PHA or TDHE submission of a recommendation is 
highly encouraged by HUD. In the absence of an agency recommendation, 
HUD will issue a prevailing wage rate schedule based upon its own 
actions which may include a maintenance wage survey conducted by HUD. 
Participation in any maintenance wage survey conducted by a PHA, TDHE 
or HUD, is voluntary on the part of maintenance employers. Maintenance 
wage rate recommendations, survey summaries and survey responses must 
be retained by PHAs, TDHEs and HUD to document compliance with the 
statutory labor standards provisions.
    Agency form numbers, if applicable: To be assigned.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response:

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                                                                                  Amount of time    Total time
                              Item                                   Number of       required     required/annum
                                                                    respondents       (hours)         (hours)
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Maintenance Wage Rate Recommendation............................           3,240               4          12,960
Survey Summary..................................................           1,640               4           6,560
Survey Form Agency Evaluation...................................          41,000               8         328,000
Survey Form Employer Response...................................          41,000               4         164,000
Record Keeping..................................................           3,240               1           3,240
                                                                 -----------------
    Total Annual Burden.........................................  ..............  ..............         514,760
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    Status of the proposed information collection: Existing collection 
in use without an OMB control number.

    Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: April 9, 2003.
Frank L. Davis,
Director, Office Departmental Operations and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 03-9807 Filed 4-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-18-P