[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2727-2728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1111]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Notice of Submission of Information Collection to the Office of 
Management and Budget

AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior and Indian Health Service, 
Health and Human Services.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service are 
submitting the information collection, titled ``Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act Contracts'' to the Office of 
Management and Budget for renewal. The information collection, 
1076-0136, is used to process contracts, grants or cooperative 
agreements for award by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian 
Health Service as authorized by the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act. The Act was amended and is set forth in 25 
CFR part 900. This proposed information collection project was 
published in the Federal Register (68 FR 37016, June 20, 2003) and 
allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comment was received in 
response to the notice. The purpose of this notice is to allow 30 days 
for public comment to be submitted to OMB. The Department of the 
Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services invite you to 
submit comments to the OMB on the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
February 19, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the information collection to the 
Desk Officer for Department of the Interior, by facsimile at (202) 395-
6566 or you may send an e-mail to: [email protected].
    Please send copy of comments to Lena Mills, Office of Tribal 
Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C 
Street, NW., MS 320 SIB, Washington, DC 20240. You may telefax comments 
on this information collection to (202) 208-5113. You may also hand-
deliver written comments or view comments at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may request further information or 
obtain copies of the information collection request submission from 
Lena Mills, Office of Tribal Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., MS 320 SIB, Washington, 
DC 20240, or (202) 513-7612.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Representatives of the Department of the 
Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services and Tribes 
developed a joint rule, 25 CFR part 900, to implement section 107 of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as amended, 
Title I, Public Law 103-413, the Indian Self-Determination Contract 
Reform Act of 1994. Section 107(a)(2)(A)(ii) of the Indian Self-
Determination Contract Reform Act requires the joint rule to permit 
contracts and grants be awarded to Indian Tribes without the 
unnecessary burden or confusion associated with two sets of rules and 
information collection requirements when legislation treats this as a 
single program covering two separate agencies. The Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and the Indian Health Service estimate that the base burden 
hours established for this Information Collection Request, OMB 1076-
0136, will be reduced overall by approximately 20 percent. The 
reduction in the number of base burden hours established for 
information collection requirements of 25 CFR part 900 is a result of 
the three following factors:
    (1) More Tribes are contracting under 25 CFR 900.8 which permits 
Tribes to contract several programs under a single contract;
    (2) The number of self-governance Tribes has increased. Self-
governance Tribes may combine all programs under a single self-
governance compact;
    (3) The majority of contracts awarded are for renewal, which take 
considerably less time to complete than new contracts and therefore 
substantially reduces the burden under subpart C.
    The information requirements for this joint rule represent 
significant differences from other agencies in several respects. Both 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service let 
contracts for multiple programs whereas other agencies usually award 
single grants to Tribes. Under the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act, as amended, and the Indian Self-Determination 
Contract Reform Act of 1994, Tribes are entitled to contract and may 
renew contracts annually where other agencies provide grants on a 
discretionary/competitive basis.
    The proposal and other supporting documentation identified in this 
information collection is used by the Department of the Interior and 
the Department of Health and Human Services to determine applicant 
eligibility, evaluate applicant capabilities, protect the service 
population, safeguard Federal funds and other resources, and permit the 
Federal agencies to administer and evaluate contract programs. Tribal 
governments or Tribal organizations provide the information by 
submitting Public Law 93-638 contract or grant proposals to the 
appropriate Federal agency. No third-party notification or public 
disclosure burden is associated with this collection.
    Request for Comments: The Bureau of Indian Affairs, DOI and Indian 
Health Service, DHHS requests you to send your comments on this 
collection to the locations listed in the ADDRESSES section.
    Your comments should address: (a) The necessity of the information 
collection for the proper performance of the agencies, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the agencies' estimate of the burden (hours and cost) of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c)

[[Page 2728]]

ways we could enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways we could minimize the burden 
of the collection of the information on the respondents, such as 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    Please note that an agency may not sponsor nor request, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number. It is our policy to make all comments 
available to the public for review at the location listed in the 
ADDRESSES section, room 320-South Interior Building, during the hours 
of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, 
except for legal holidays. If you wish to have your name and/or address 
withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comments. We will honor your request according to the requirements of 
the law. All comments from organizations or representatives will be 
available for review. We may withhold comments from review for other 
reasons.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0136.
    Title: Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
Contracts.
    Brief Description of Collection: A Tribe or Tribal organization may 
be required to respond from 1 to 12 times per year, depending upon the 
number of programs they contract from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and 
Indian Health Service. Each response may vary in its length. In 
addition, each Subpart concerns different parts of the contracting 
process. For example, Subpart C relates to the content provisions of 
the initial contract proposal. The burden associated with this would 
not be used when contracts are renewed. Subpart F describes minimum 
standards for the management systems used by Indian Tribes or Tribal 
organizations under these contracts. Subpart G addresses the 
negotiability of all reporting and data requirements in the contract.
    Type of review: Renewal.
    Respondents: 550.
    Total annual burden to respondents: 191,174 hours.
    Time per response: Varies from 10 hours to 50 hours.
    Total number of responses: 5,507.

    Dated: January 6, 2004.
Aurene M. Martin,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, Department of the 
Interior.
    Dated: November 20, 2003.
Robert G. McSwain,
Acting Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 04-1111 Filed 1-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-4J-P