[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 85 (Thursday, May 1, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24081-24082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9529]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Information Collection Activities, Submission to the Office of 
Management and Budget

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Information Collection Request 
for the 25 CFR part 256, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau 
of Indian Affairs (BIA) Housing Improvement Program, OMB Control 
 1076-0084, is being submitted to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget for 
reinstatement. The collection expired during the renewal process.

DATES: Submit comments on or before June 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments 
regarding this proposal to the Desk Officer of the Department of the 
Interior by facsimile to 202-395-6566. You may also send comments by e-
mail to: [email protected].
    Copies of comments should refer to the proposal by name and/ or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to Les Jensen, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., MS-4513-MIB, 
Washington, DC 20240. Telephone 907-586-7397.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the collection of 
information form or requests for additional information should be 
directed to Les Jensen, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of 
Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., MS-4513-MIB, Washington, DC 20240. 
Telephone 907-586-7397.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The information is needed to establish an applicant's eligibility 
to receive services under the Housing Improvement Program and to 
establish the priority order in which eligible applicants may receive 
services under the program. A Federal Register notice requesting 
comments was published on October 30, 2007 (72 FR61365). No comments 
were received.

II. Method of Collection

    The housing regulations at 25 CFR part 256 contain the program 
eligibility and selection criteria (Sec. Sec.  256.6, 256.8, 256.9, 
256.10, 256.13, 256.14), which must be met by prospective applicants 
seeking program services. Information collected from applicants under 
these regulations provides eligibility and selection data used by the 
local servicing housing office to establish whether an applicant is 
eligible to receive services. The local servicing housing office may be 
a tribal housing office under a Public Law 93-638, Indian Self-
Determination contract or a Self-Governance annual funding agreement, 
or part of the BIA. Additionally, the data is used by the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs to establish whether a request for waiver of 
a specific housing regulation is in the best interest of the applicant 
and the Federal Government.

III. Data

    (1) Title of the Collection of Information: Department of the 
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Housing Improvement Program, 25 CFR 
Part 256.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0084.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement of an information collection.
    (2) Summary of the Collection of Information: The collection of 
information provides pertinent data concerning an applicant's 
eligibility to receive services under the Housing Improvement Program 
and includes:
    A. Applicant Information including: Name, current address, 
telephone number, date of birth, Social Security Number, tribe, roll 
number, reservation, marital status, name of spouse, date of birth of 
spouse, tribe of spouse, and roll number of spouse.
    B. Family Information including: Name, date of birth, relationship 
to applicant, and tribe/roll number.
    C. Income Information: Earned and unearned income.
    D. Housing Information including: Location of the house to be 
repaired, constructed, or purchased; description of housing assistance 
for which applying; knowledge of receipt of prior Housing Improvement 
Program assistance, amount, to whom and when; ownership or rental; 
availability of electricity and name of electric company; type of sewer 
system; water source; number of bedrooms; size of house; and bathroom 
facilities.
    E. Land Information including: Landowner; legal status of land; or 
type of interest in land.
    F. General Information including: Prior receipt of services under 
the Housing Improvement Program and description of such; ownership of 
other housing and description of such; identification of Housing and 
Urban Development funded house and current status of project; 
identification of other sources of housing assistance for which the 
applicant has applied and been denied assistance if applying for a new 
housing unit or purchase of an existing standard unit; and advisement 
and description of any severe health problem, handicap or permanent 
disability.
    G. Applicant Certification including: Signature of applicant and 
date, and signature of spouse and date.
    (3) Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of 
the Information: Submission of this information is required in order to

[[Page 24082]]

receive services under the Housing Improvement Program. The information 
is collected to determine applicant eligibility for services and 
applicant priority order to receive services under the program.
    (4) Description of Affected Entities: Individual members of 
federally recognized Indian tribes who are living within a designated 
tribal or legally defined service area. Lack of funding drives our 
number of respondents which we will estimate as one (1) to keep the 
information collection current.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,000.
    Proposed Frequency of Response: Annually or less frequently, 
depending on length of waiting list, funding availability and dynamics 
of service population.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 8,000.
    Estimated Time per Application: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,000 hours.

IV. Request for Comments

    We specifically request your comments concerning the following:
    1. Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the BIA, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    2. The accuracy of the BIA's estimate of the burden to collect the 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used;
    3. The quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and,
    4. How to minimize the burden of the information collection on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; the comments will also become a matter of public record.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The comments, names and addresses 
of commenters will be available for public view during regular business 
hours. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in 
your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We may 
withhold comments for other reasons, but we will not consider anonymous 
comments. The complete comments for businesses or organizations will be 
made public, including the representative's name.
    OMB is required to respond to this request within 60 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register, but may respond 
after 30 days; therefore, your comments should be submitted to OMB 
within 30 days to assure maximum consideration.

    Dated: April 25, 2008.
Sanjeev ``Sonny'' Bhagowalia,
Chief Information Officer--Indian Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E8-9529 Filed 4-30-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-4J-P