[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21571-21572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8997]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Proposed Information Collection Activities, Request for Comments

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Information Collection Request 
for the Housing Assistance Application requires renewal. The proposed 
information collection requirement, with no appreciable changes, 
described below will be submitted to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget for review after a 
public comment period as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The 
Bureau is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Submit comments on or before June 21, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments 
regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name 
and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to Frank Joseph, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1951 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., MS-355B-SIB, Washington, DC 20240. Telephone (202) 513-7620.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the collection of 
information form or requests for additional information should be 
directed to Frank Joseph, (202) 513-7620.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The information is needed to establish an applicant's eligibility 
to receive services under the Housing Improvement Program and to 
establish the priority order in which eligible applicants may receive 
services under the program.

II. Method of Collection

    The housing regulations at 25 CFR part 256 contain the program 
eligibility and selection criteria (Sec. Sec.  256.6, 256.8, 256.9, 
256.10, 256.13, 256.14), which must be met by prospective applicants 
seeking program services. Information collected from applicants under 
these regulations provides eligibility and selection data used by the 
local servicing housing office to establish whether an applicant is 
eligible to receive services. The local servicing housing office may be 
a tribal housing office under a Public Law 93-638, Indian Self-
Determination contract or a Self-Governance annual funding agreement, 
or part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Additionally, the data is used 
by the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs to establish whether a 
request for waiver of a specific housing regulation is in the best 
interest of the applicant and the Federal Government.

III. Data

    (1) Title of the Collection of Information: Department of the 
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Housing Assistance Application.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0084.
    Expiration Date: October 31, 2004.
    Type of Review: Renewal of a currently-approved information 
collection.
    (2) Summary of the Collection of Information: The collection of 
information provides pertinent data concerning an applicant's 
eligibility to receive services under the Housing Improvement Program 
and includes:
    A. Applicant Information including: Name, current address, 
telephone number, date of birth, Social Security Number, Tribe, Roll 
Number, Reservation, marital status, name of spouse, date of birth of 
spouse, Tribe of spouse, and Roll Number of Spouse.
    B. Family Information including: Name, date of birth, relationship 
to applicant, and Tribe/Roll Number.
    C. Income Information: Earned and unearned income.
    D. Housing Information including: Location of the house to be 
repaired, constructed, or purchased. Description of housing assistance 
for which applying; Knowledge of receipt of prior Housing Improvement 
Program assistance, amount, to whom and when; ownership or rental; 
availability of electricity and name of electric company; type of sewer 
system; water

[[Page 21572]]

source; number of bedrooms; size of house; and bathroom facilities.
    E. Land Information including: Landowner; legal status of land; or 
type of interest in land.
    F. General Information including: Prior receipt of services under 
the Housing Improvement Program and description of such; Ownership of 
other housing and description of such; Identification of Housing and 
Urban Development funded house and current status of project; 
Identification of other sources of housing assistance for which the 
applicant has applied and been denied assistance if applying for a new 
housing unit or purchase of an existing standard unit; and advisement 
and description of any severe health problem, handicap or permanent 
disability.
    G. Applicant Certification including: Signature of applicant and 
date, and signature of spouse and date.
    (3) Description of the need for the information and proposed use of 
the information: Submission of this information is required in order to 
receive services under the Housing Improvement Program. The information 
is collected to determine applicant eligibility for services and 
applicant priority order to receive services under the program.
    (4) Description of Likely Respondents, including the estimated 
number of likely respondents, and proposed frequency of response to the 
collection of information: Description of Affected Entities: Individual 
members of federally recognized Indian tribes who are living within a 
designated tribal or legally defined service area.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3500.
    Proposed Frequency of Response: Annually or less frequently, 
depending on length of waiting list, funding availability and dynamics 
of service population.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 3500.
    Estimated Time per Application: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,500 hours.
    Estimated record keeping burden per application: The record keeping 
burden for tribes submitting eligible applicant data and not having or 
receiving funds to administer the program is estimated to average 1 
hour per application, including the time for reviewing the application, 
determining applicant eligibility, priority ranking and summarizing 
data for submission.
    Estimated Total Salary Record Keeping Burden and Cost: 3500 hours x 
$25.00 per hour = $87,500.

IV. Request for Comments

    We specifically request your comments concerning the following:
    (1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the BIA, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of the BIA's estimate of the burden to collect the 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used;
    (3) The quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and,
    (4) How to minimize the burden of the information collection on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; the comments will also become a matter of public record. 
All written comments will be available for public inspection in Room 
335B of the South Interior Building, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The comments, names and addresses 
of commenters will be available for public view during regular business 
hours. If you wish us to withhold this information, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will honor your 
request to the extent allowable by law.

    Dated: April 14, 2004.
David W. Anderson,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 04-8997 Filed 4-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-4J-P