[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 9, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19240-19241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7413]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Proposed Information Collection Under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act, Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is seeking comments on the 
renewal of OMB 1076-0094, Law and Order on Indian Reservations which 
concerns marriage and dissolution of marriage in a Court of Indian 
Offenses. This collection will expire in August 2008.

DATES: Submit comments on or before June 9, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Joseph Little, 1001 Indian School Road, 
Albuquerque, NM 87104. You may contact Mr. Little at 505-563-3833.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may request further information or 
obtain copies of the proposed information collection request from Mr. 
Joseph Little. You may contact Mr. Little at 505-563-3833.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, must 
collect personal information to carry out the requirements of Title 25, 
section 11.600(c) Marriage, and Title 25, section 11.606(c) Dissolution 
of Marriage. Information is collected by the Clerk of the Court of 
Indian Offenses in order for the Court to issue a marriage license or 
dissolve a marriage. The information is collected on a one-age 
application requesting only the basic information necessary for the 
Court to properly dispose of the matter.

II. Method of Collection

    The information is collected on a one-page application for the 
marriage license or for a dissolution of marriage.

III. Information Collected

    Courts of Indian Offenses (CFR Courts) have been established on 
certain Indian Reservations under the authority vested in the Secretary 
of the Interior by 5 U.S.C. 301, 25 U.S.C. 2 and 9, and 25 U.S.C. 13 
which authorize appropriations for ``Indian judges.'' See Tillet v. 
Hodel, 730 F. Supp. 381 (W.D. Okla. 1990), aff'd 931 F.2d 636 (10th 
Cir. 1991), United States v. Clapox, 13 Sawy. 349, 35 F. 575 (D. Ore. 
1888). The CFR Courts provide adequate machinery for the administration 
of justice for Indian tribes in those areas where tribes retain 
jurisdiction over Indians and that are exclusive of state jurisdiction 
but where tribal courts have not been established to exercise that 
jurisdiction.
    Accordingly, CFR Courts exercise jurisdiction under part 11 of 
Title 25 of the Code for Federal Regulations. Domestic relations are 
governed by 25 CFR 11.600, which authorizes the CFR Court to conduct 
marriages and dissolve marriages. In order to be married in a CFR 
Court, a marriage license must be obtained (25 CFR 11.600, 601). To 
comply with this requirement, an applicant must respond to the 
following six questions found at 25 CFR 11.600(c):
    (c) A marriage license application shall include the following 
information;
    (1) Name, sex, occupation, address, social security number, and 
date and place of birth for each party to the proposed marriage;
    (2) If either party was previously married, his or her name, and 
the date, place, and court in which the marriage was dissolved or 
declared invalid or the date and place of death of the former spouse;
    (3) Name and address of the parents or guardian of each party;
    (4) Whether the parties are related to each other and, if so, their 
relationship;
    (5) The name and date of birth of any child of which both parties 
are parents, born before the making of the application, unless their 
parental rights and the parent and child relationship with respect to 
the child have been terminated; and
    (6) A certificate of the results of any medical examination 
required by either applicable tribal ordinances, or the laws of the 
State in which the Indian country under the jurisdiction of the Court 
of Indian Offenses is located.
    For the purposes of Sec.  11.600, Marriage, information about the 
Social Security Number is requested to confirm identity. Previous 
marriage information is requested to avoid multiple simultaneous 
marriages, and to ensure that any pre-existing legal relationships are 
dissolved. Information on consanguinity is requested to avoid conflict 
with state or tribal laws against marriages between parties who are 
related by blood as defined in such laws. Medical examination 
information may be requested if required under the laws of the state in 
which the Court of Indian Offenses is located.
    To comply with the requirement for dissolution of marriage, an 
applicant must respond to the following six questions found at 25 CFR 
11.606(c):
    (1) The age, occupation, and length of residence within the Indian 
country under the jurisdiction of the court for each party;
    (2) The date of the marriage and the place at which it was 
registered;
    (3) That jurisdictional requirements are met an that the marriage 
is irretrievably broken in that either (i) the parties have lived 
separate and apart for a period of more than 180 days next preceding 
the commencement of the proceeding or (ii) there is a serious marital 
discord adversely affecting the attitude of one or both of the parties 
toward the marriage, and there is no reasonable prospect of 
reconciliation;
    (4) The names, age, and addresses of all living children of the 
marriage and whether the wife is pregnant;
    (5) Any arrangement as to support, custody, and visitation of the 
children and maintenance of a spouse; and
    (6) The relief sought.
    For the purposes of Sec.  11.606, Dissolution proceedings, 
information on occupation and residency is necessary to establish court 
jurisdiction. Information on the status of the parties, whether they 
have lived apart 180 days or if there is serious marital discord 
warranting dissolution, is necessary for the court to determine if 
dissolution is proper. Information on the children of the marriage, 
their ages and whether the wife is pregnant is necessary for the court 
to determine the appropriate level of support that may be required from 
the non-custodial parent.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use of the 
information: The information is submitted in order to obtain or retain 
a benefit, namely, the issuance of a marriage license or a decree of 
dissolution of marriage from the Court of Indian Offenses.
    Affected entities: Indian applicants that are under the 
jurisdiction of one of the 24 established Courts of Indian Offenses.
    Estimated number of respondents: Approximately 260 applications for 
a marriage license or petition for dissolution of marriage will be 
filed in the 24 Courts of Indian Offenses annually.
    Proposed frequency of responses: On occasion as needed.
    Burden: The average burden of submitting a marriage license or 
petition for dissolution of marriage is 15 minutes per application. The 
total annual burden is estimated to be 65 hours.
    Estimated cost: There are no costs to consider, except estimated 
costs of $100. per court annually, for the material, supplies, and 
staff time required by the Court of Indian Offenses.

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IV. Request for Comments

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs requests your comments on this 
collection concerning: (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.
    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. The OMB Control Number for this 
collection is 1076-0094.
    Please note that all comments received will be available for public 
review 2 weeks after comment period closes. Before including your 
address, phone number, e-mail address or other personally identifiable 
information, be advised that your entire comment--including your 
personally identifiable information--may be made public at any time. 
While you may request that we withhold your personally identifiable 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We do 
not consider anonymous comments. All comments from representatives of 
businesses or organizations will be made public in their entirety. We 
may withhold comments from review for other reasons.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0094.
    Type of review: Renewal.
    Title: Title 25 CFR 11, Subpart F, Law & Order on Indian 
Reservations.
    Brief Description of collection: This collection is required to 
obtain a benefit, namely either a marriage license or a dissolution of 
marriage. Details of information are contained in Section III 
Information Collected.
    Respondents: Persons who reside on land under the jurisdiction of a 
Court of Indian Offenses.
    Number of Respondents: 260.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: 65 hours.
    Total Annual Cost to Respondents: Negligible.

    Dated: March 28, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E8-7413 Filed 4-8-08; 8:45 am]
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