[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 249 (Thursday, December 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78212-78213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9907]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Submission of Information Collection to the Office of Management 
and Budget

AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior and Indian Health 
Services, Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service are 
submitting the information collection, titled ``Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act Programs, 25 CFR 900'' to 
the Office of Management and Budget for renewal. The information 
collection, OMB Control 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, as amended. 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 
January 29, 2007.

[[Page 78213]]


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 a copy of your comments to Terry Parks, Office of 
Indian Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, 
1849 C Street NW., Mail Stop 4513-MIB, 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 
Terry Parks, (202) 513-7625.

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 remain the same. The number of base burden hours established 
for information collection requirements of 25 CFR Part 900 remained 
stationary even though some tribes are contracting under 25 CFR 900.8 
which permits tribes to contract several programs under a single 
contract. The complexity of the reports has offset the contracting 
multiple programs burden hours, therefore the burden hours estimates 
have remained stationary.
    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 and Indian Health Service 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) 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.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0136.
    Title: Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Contracts, 25 CFR 900.
    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 provisions of the contents 
for 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 number of responses: 5267.
    Time per response: Varies from 10 to 50 hours, with an average of 
45 hours per response.
    Total Annual burden to Respondents: 219,782 hours.

    Dated: December 21, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, Department of the 
Interior.
    Dated: October 25, 2006.
Robert G. McSwain,
Deputy Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human 
Services.
[FR Doc. 06-9907 Filed 12-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-4J-P