[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9023-9024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3497]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Submission of Information Collection for Probate to the Office of 
Management and Budget

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Submission to Office of Management and Budget for 
renewal.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are 
submitting to the Office of Management and Budget the information 
collection found in the general Probate of Indian Decedents' Estates, 
Except for Member of the Five Civilized Tribes regulations. The purpose 
of this data collection is to ensure that Probate regulations are 
administered for the benefit of individual Indians and any persons 
having claims against an Indian decedent's estate.

DATES: Comments on this proposed information collection must be 
received by March 30, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior by e-mail to [email protected]. or by 
facsimile to (202) 395-6566.
    Send a copy of the comments to Bill Titchwy, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs Western Regional Office, Division of Probate, 400 N. Fifth 
Street, 10th Floor, Two Arizona Center, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Comments may 
also be telefaxed to (602) 379-4005. We cannot accept E-mail comments 
at this time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Titchwy, 602-379-4002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information provided through collection 
requirements is used by the Department of the Interior, BIA, to 
determine heirs and divide any funds held by the BIA for an Indian 
decedent and to divide the decedent's trust and restricted real

[[Page 9024]]

property. The information is particularly used by the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs in:
    (a) Instructing an individual in starting the probate process;
    (b) Preparing a probate package for review;
    (c) Filing claims;
    (d) Disbursing assets; and
    (e) Filing appeals for adverse decisions.

Request for Comments

    A notice requesting comments was published in the Federal Register 
November 1, 2006 (71 FR 64391). No comments were received. The Bureau 
of Indian Affairs now requests your comments on this collection be sent 
to the Desk Officer for the Department of Interior at the Office of 
Management and Budget. Please address the following:
    (a) The necessity of this information collection for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's 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 facilitating use of automation 
for collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that an agency may not sponsor or request, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number.
    OMB has 60 days in which to make a decision about this collection 
but may act after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure maximum consideration 
of your comments, please send close to the 30 days after publication.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0156.
    Type of Review: Renewal.
    Title: Probate of Indian Estates, Except for Members of the Five 
Civilized Tribes, 25 CFR 15.
    Brief Description of Collection: Information is collected through 
the probate process when BIA learns of a decedent's death from a 
neighbor, friend, or any other interested person who provides a copy of 
decedent's obituary notice from a local newspaper or when BIA receives 
an affidavit of death prepared by someone who knows about the decedent. 
BIA also requires other documents to process the probate package. An 
interested party must inform BIA if any of the documents or information 
identified are not available.
    Respondents: Possible respondents include: Individual tribal 
members, individual non-Indians, individual tribal member-owned 
businesses, non-Indian owned businesses, tribal governments, and land 
owners who are seeking a benefit.
    Number of Responses: 208,073 annually.
    Annual hours: 1,129,157.
    Estimated Time per Response: Varies from 1/2 to 44.25 hours.
    Frequency of Response: As required.

    Dated: February 23, 2007.
Grayford Payne,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E7-3497 Filed 2-27-07; 8:45 am]
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