[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 84 (Wednesday, April 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23489-23490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9526]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Submission of Paperwork Reduction Act Request to Office of 
Management and Budget

AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Information Collection Request 
for Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Form 4432, Verification of Indian 
Preference for Employment in the BIA and the Indian Health Service 
(IHS), OMB Control Number 1076-0160, has been submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The BIA is now seeking comments on the 
subject proposal.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted by May 30, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent directly to the Desk Officer 
for the Department of the Interior, by facsimile at (202) 395-6566 or 
you may send an e-mail to: [email protected]. Send a copy of 
your comments to Daisy West, Chief, Division of Tribal Government 
Services, Office of Indian Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Mail Stop 4513-MIB, 
Washington, DC 20240; telephone (202) 513-7641.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Colliflower, (202) 513-7627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A 60-day notice for public comments was 
published in the Federal Register on January 29, 2008. No comments were 
received on the workload burden or the form itself (OMB Control No. 
1076-0160) during this public comment period.

I. Abstract

    The purpose of the Indian Preference Form is to encourage qualified 
Indians to seek employment with the BIA and the IHS by offering 
preferential treatment to qualified candidates of Indian heritage. BIA 
collects information under the proposed regulations to ensure 
compliance with Indian preference hiring requirements. The information 
collection relates only to individuals applying for employment with the 
BIA and the IHS. The tribe's involvement is limited to verifying 
membership information submitted by the applicant. The collection of 
information allows certain persons who are of Indian descent to receive 
preference when appointments are made to vacancies in positions with 
the BIA and IHS as well as in any unit that has been transferred intact 
from the BIA to a Bureau or office within the Department of the 
Interior or the Department of Health and Human Services and that 
continues to perform the functions formerly performed as part of the 
BIA and IHS. You are eligible for preference if (a) You are a member of 
a federally recognized Indian tribe; (b) you are a descendant of a 
member and you were residing within the present boundaries of any 
Indian reservation on June 1, 1934; (c) you are an Alaska Native; or 
(d) you possess one-half degree Indian blood derived from tribes that 
are indigenous to the United States. The information is submitted in 
order to retain a benefit, namely, preference in employment with the 
BIA and IHS.

II. Request for Comments

    The Department of the Interior invites comments on:

[[Page 23490]]

    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the BIA, indicating whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the BIA's estimate of the burden (including the 
hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information, including 
the validity of the methodology and assumption used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    The Office of Management and Budget has up to 60 days to approve or 
disapprove the information collection but may respond after 30 days; 
therefore, comments submitted in response to this notice should be 
submitted to OMB within 30 days in order to assure their maximum 
consideration. Our practice is to make comments, including names and 
home addresses of respondents, available for public review during 
regular business hours. 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.
    Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person 
is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless a 
currently valid OMB control number is displayed. You may request copies 
of the information collection forms and our submission to OMB from the 
person listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

III. Data

    Title: Verification of Indian Preference for Employment in the BIA 
and IHS, 25 CFR 5.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Description of respondents: Qualified Indians who are seeking 
preference in employment with the BIA and IHS. Approximately a total of 
5,000 applications for preference in employment are received annually 
by the BIA field offices.
    Frequency: On occasion as needed.
    Estimated completion time: The average burden of submitting an 
Indian Preference Form is 30 minutes including time for reviewing 
instructions, searching data sources and assembling the information 
needed.
    Total Annual Burden: 5,000 x \1/2\ hour = 2,500 hours.
    Estimated cost: There are no costs to consider, except postage and 
the cost of duplicating the original verification form. The form will 
be used by an applicant to seek documentation of Indian descent or 
membership from either a tribal official or the BIA.

    Dated: April 25, 2008.
Sanjeev ``Sonny'' Bhagowalia,
Chief Information Officer--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-9526 Filed 4-29-08; 8:45 am]
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