[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79157-79158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30615]



[[Page 79157]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to 
OMB

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of submission of requests.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, this notice 
announces the Bureau of Indian Affairs is submitting three information 
collections to the Office of Management and Budget for renewal. The 
collections are the Student Transportation Form, 1076-0134; Data 
Elements for Student Enrollment in Bureau-funded schools, 1076-0122; 
and Application for Admission to Haskell Indian Nations University 
(HINU) and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), 1076-0114. 
We are requesting a renewal of clearance and requesting comments on 
this information collection. These collections help fulfill the trust 
responsibility of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and 
support the educational efforts for Native American students from 
elementary through post-secondary.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before January 23, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the information collection to the 
Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at the Office of 
Management and Budget, by facsimile to (202) 395-6566 or you may send 
an e-mail to [email protected]. Please send copies of comments 
to Kevin Skenandore, Acting Director, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), 
1849 C Street NW., MS-3609/MIB, Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glenn Allison, (202) 208-3628 or Chris 
Redman, (405) 2605-6051 x305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

Student Transportation Form

    The student transportation regulations in 25 CFR Part 39, subpart 
G, contain the program eligibility and criteria that govern the 
allocation of transportation funds. Information collected from the 
schools will be used to determine the rate per mile. The information 
collection is needed to provide transportation mileage for Bureau-
funded schools, which will receive an allocation of transportation 
funds.

Data Elements for Students in Bureau-funded Schools

    The information is collected by school registrars to determine the 
student's eligibility for enrollment in a Bureau-funded school, and if 
eligible, is shared with appropriate school officials to identify the 
student's base and supplemental educational and/or residential program 
needs. The information is compiled into a national database by the 
Bureau of Indian Education to facilitate budget requests and the 
allocation of congressionally appropriated funds.

Application for Admission to HINU and SIPI

    The BIE provides the admission forms for HINU and SIPI, which are 
used to determine eligibility of American Indian and Alaska Native 
students for educational services at these two institutions. These 
forms are utilized pursuant to the Blood Quantum Act, Public Law 99-
228; the Snyder Act, chapter 115, Public Law 67-85; and the Indian 
Appropriations of the 48th Congress, chapter 180, page 91, For Support 
of Schools, July 4, 1884.

 II. Request for Comments

    A 60-day notice requesting comments was published on September 10, 
2008 (Vol. 73, FR 52671). There were no comments received regarding 
that notice. You are invited to comment on the following items to the 
Desk Officer at OMB at the citation in ADDRESSES section.
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary 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 (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;
    (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.
    We may not conduct or sponsor, and you need not respond to, a 
collection of information, unless there is a valid Office of Management 
and Budget control number.
    Comments submitted will become a matter of public record. 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. All comments from representatives of businesses or 
organizations will be made public in their entirety.
    The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, has up to 60 days to make a decision but may 
decide after 30 days. Therefore, in order for your comments to have the 
greatest impact, they should be sent during the 30-day comment period.

III. Data

1.

    Title: Student Transportation Form, Subpart G, 25 CFR 39.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0134.
    Type of review: Renewal.
    Brief Description of collection: This collection provides pertinent 
data concerning the schools' bus transportation mileage and related 
long distance travel mileage to determine funding for school 
transportation.
    Respondents: Contract and Grant Schools; Bureau-operated schools. 
About 121 tribal school administrators annually gather the necessary 
information during student count week.
    Number of Respondents: 121.
    Estimated Time per Response: At an average of 6 hours each 121 
reporting schools = 726 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: 726 hours.

2.

    Title: Data Elements for Student Enrollment in Bureau-funded 
Schools.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0122.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Description: This annual collection provides data about students 
that impacts placement, special needs assessment, and funding for 
individuals, and it assists schools in developing a plan for the school 
year.
    Total Number of Respondents: 48,000
    Total Number of Annual Responses: 48,000.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 15 minutes for each response = 12,000.

3.

    Title: Applications for Admission to Haskell Indian Nations 
University and to Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.

[[Page 79158]]

    OMB Control Number: 1076-0114.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Description: These eligibility application forms are voluntary for 
students but are mandatory in determining a student's eligibility for 
educational services.
    Total Number of Respondents: 4,000.
    Total Number of Annual Responses: 4,000.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 30 minutes per application x (number of 
HINU applications) and 30 minutes per application x (number of SIPI 
applications) = 2000 total burden hours.
    Filing fee: $10 per application for HINU; fee for SIPI included in 
school cost but we have estimated a $10 fee per completed application. 
We estimate the total filing fee to be $16,500.00. SIPI has a number of 
applications which are never completed; therefore, their filing fee is 
not $3,000, as it would be otherwise. Dormitory fees may also apply.

    Dated: December 17, 2008
Sanjeev Bhagowalia,
Chief Information Officer--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-30615 Filed 12-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-6W-P