[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8054-8055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2535]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood 
Information Collection (CDIB), Submission

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of submission of information collection.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is submitting to OMB an 
information collection from persons seeking proof of American Indian or 
Alaska Native blood for reinstatement, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. The information collected under OMB Control No. 1076-
0153 will be used to document an applicant's Indian

[[Page 8055]]

ancestry and degree of Indian or Alaska Native blood. CDIBs are used by 
individuals applying for BIA programs and services available to Indians 
because they are Indian.

DATES: Submit comments on or before March 13, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments on the information collection to the Desk 
Officer for the Department of the Interior either by facsimile at 202-
395-6566 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Please submit copy 
of comments to Iris Drew, Office of Indian Services, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 1001 Indian School Road, NW., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104. 
Fax number: (505) 563-3060.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Iris Drew, Tribal Relations 
Specialist, Tribal Government Services, (505) 563-3530.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This collection was originally approved and 
assigned OMB Control No. 1076-0153 when it was submitted with a 
proposed rulemaking, 25 CFR part 70, which was published in the Federal 
Register on April 18, 2000 (66 FR 20775). The proposed rulemaking was 
not finalized due to various reasons. We are in the process of revising 
the proposed rulemaking for processing applications for Certificates of 
Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood (CDIB). A request for comments 
on this information collection request appeared in the Federal Register 
(72 FR 61366) on October 30, 2007. One comment was received during or 
before the close of the public comment period of December 31, 2007.
    Comment: We received one comment regarding (1) who needs to fill 
out the form? Is it to be used only for new recognition applications or 
for all enrolled persons; (2) does this establish a new ``blood'' 
requirement, i.e., \1/8\ or \1/4\?; and (3) do not reinvent Enrollment 
for those who have already done it but have reasonable requirements for 
new enrollees or those denied.
    Response: (1) Most of the individuals who fill out the form are 
non-enrolled Indians who wish to document their Indian or Alaska native 
ancestry. Non-enrolled persons with one-quarter (\1/4\) or more degree 
Indian blood may be eligible to receive various services provided to 
Indians and Alaska Natives by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Other 
Federal Agencies will accept a CDIB as proof of Indian ancestry. In 
general, enrolled tribal members who can show proof of tribal 
membership do not need a CDIB to demonstrate eligibility for services.
    (2) Minimum Indian blood degree requirements are established by 
Congress through federal statute or by tribes and Alaska Native 
villages through tribal law. The Certificate Degree of Indian or Alaska 
Native Blood does not establish a new ``blood'' requirement. Rather, 
CDIBs are used by individuals who want to document their Indian or 
Alaska native ancestry and degree of Indian blood. CDIBs do not 
establish membership in any Indian or Alaska Native tribe.
    (3) A CDIB is not an enrollment document. Tribes determine their 
own membership and the BIA does not enroll tribal members.
    Request for Comments: The Bureau of Indian Affairs requested 
comments about the proposed collection to evaluate:
    (a) The accuracy of the burden hours, including validity of the 
methodology used and assumptions made;
    (b) The necessity of the information for proper performance of the 
bureau functions, including its practical utility;
    (c) The quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and
    (d) Suggestions to reduce the burden including use of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology.
    The public is advised that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, 
and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
that does not display a valid OMB clearance number. For example, this 
collection is listed by OMB as control No. 1076-0153, and it expired 
11/30/07. The response is voluntary to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Please submit your comments to the persons listed in the ADDRESSES 
section. Please note that comments, names and addresses of 
commentators, are open for public review. Be aware that your name and 
address may be available to the public on the OMB Web site. We cannot 
guarantee that your personal information will be safeguarded.
    Your comments should address: (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 through the use of automated collection techniques 
or other forms of information technology.
    OMB has up to 60 days to make a decision on the submission for 
renewal, but may make the decision after 30 days. Therefore, to receive 
the best consideration of your comments, you should submit them closer 
to 30 days than 60 days.
    OMB Approval Number: 1076-0153.
    Title: Request for Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native 
Blood, 25 CFR part 70.
    Brief Description of Collection: Submission of this information is 
voluntary. However, not providing information may result in a 
determination that an individual is not eligible to receive program 
services based upon his/her status as an American Indian or Alaska 
Native. The information to be collected includes: Certificates of birth 
and death, probate determinations, court orders, affidavits, Federal or 
Tribal census records and Social Security records.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement.
    Respondents: Individual Indians who may be eligible to receive 
program services based upon their status and/or degree of Indian or 
Alaska Native blood.
    Number of Respondents: 154,980.
    Estimated Time per Response: The reporting and record keeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.5 
hours for each response for an estimate 154,980 requests per year or 
232,470 hours, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching 
existing data sources and gathering needed data. Thus, the estimated 
total annual reporting and record keeping burden for this entire 
collection is estimated to be 232,470 hours.
    Frequency of Response: All information and documentation is to be 
collected once from each requester.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: 232,470 hours.
    Total Annual Cost to Respondents: $6,199,200.

    Dated: February 6, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E8-2535 Filed 2-11-08; 8:45 am]
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