[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 63 (Friday, April 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16826-16827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7436]



[[Page 16826]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Proposed Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of Acquisition and Property 
Management.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary of the Department of 
the Interior announces the proposed extension of an information 
collection required by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular 
A-45 (Revised): ``Private Rental Survey,'' OMB Control No. 1084-0033, 
and that it is seeking comments on its provisions. After public review, 
the Office of the Secretary will submit the information collection to 
OMB for review and approval.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by June 1, 
2010.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed 
information collection should be sent to the Office of the Secretary 
Information Collection Budget Officer, Rachel Drucker, 1951 
Constitution Avenue, NW., MS 116 SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or by e-
mail to [email protected]. Individuals providing comments should 
reference OMB control number 1084-0033, ``Private Rental Survey.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instrument, please write or e-mail Lavera Hamidi, 
Mail Stop 2607, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR 1320, 
which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), 
require that interested members of the public and affected agencies 
have an opportunity to comment on information collection and 
recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)). This notice identifies 
an information collection activity that the Office of the Secretary 
will submit to OMB for extension or re-approval.
    Public Law 88-459 authorizes Federal agencies to provide housing 
for Government employees under specified circumstances. In compliance 
with OMB Circular A-45 (Revised), Rental and Construction of Government 
Quarters, a review of private rental market housing rates is required 
at least once every 5 years to ensure that the rental, utility charges, 
and charges for related services to occupants of Government Furnished 
Housing (GFH) are comparable to corresponding charges in the private 
sector. To avoid unnecessary duplication and inconsistent rental rates, 
the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, National 
Business Center, conducts housing surveys in support of employee 
housing management programs for the Departments of the Interior (DOI), 
Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation, 
Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs. In this survey, two 
collection forms are used: OS-2000, covering ``Houses--Apartments--
Mobile Homes'' and OS-2001, covering ``Trailer Spaces.''
    This collection of information provides data that helps DOI and the 
other Federal agencies to manage GFH in accordance with the 
requirements of OMB Circular A-45 (Revised). If this information were 
not collected from the public, DOI and the other Federal agencies 
required to provide GFH would be required to use professional 
appraisals of open market rental costs for GFH, again, in accordance 
with OMB Circular A-45.

II. Data

    (1) Title: Private Rental Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 1084-0033.
    Current Expiration Date: 07/31/2010.
    Type of Review: Information Collection: Renewal.
    Affected Entities: Individuals or households, Businesses and other 
for-profit institutions.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: OS-2000: 3,841; OS-2001: 
200; Total: 4,041.
    Frequency of response: Ranges from 1 to 2.1 per respondent every 
fourth year.

    Note: Three or four of 15 total survey regions are surveyed 
every year. Therefore each respondent may be potentially be surveyed 
every fourth year, if an individual respondent lives in the same 
unit, or if an individual business is a significant rental property 
owner or rental property manager in the community.

    (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden.
    Estimated burden per response: OS-2000: 12 minutes; OS-2001: 10 
minutes.
    Total annual reporting: OS-2000: 768 hours; OS-2001: 33 hours, 
Total: 801 hours.
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: This 
information collection provides the data that enables DOI to determine 
open market rental costs for GFH. These rates, in turn, enable DOI and 
other Federal agencies to set GFH rental rates in accordance with the 
requirements of OMB Circular A-45 (Revised).

III. Request for Comments

    The Department of the Interior invites comments on:
    (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 of the 
collection and the validity of the methodology and assumptions 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.
    Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize 
technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able 
to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to 
complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or 
otherwise disclose the information.
    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 Office of Management and Budget control number.
    All written comments will be available for public inspection in the 
Main Interior Building, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC, during 
normal business hours, excluding legal holidays. For an appointment to 
inspect comments, please contact Rachel Drucker by telephone on (202) 
208-3568, or by e-mail at [email protected], to make an 
appointment. A valid picture identification is required for entry into 
the Department of the Interior.


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    Dated: March 29, 2010.
Debra E. Sonderman,
Director, Office of Acquisition and Property Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-7436 Filed 4-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-RK-P