[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23328-23329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10044]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5487-N-12]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; 
Indian Community Development Block Grant Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian 
Housing, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department 
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comments due date: June 27, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name/or OMB 
Control number and should be sent to: Colette Pollard, Departmental 
Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 4160, Washington, DC 20410-5000; 
telephone (202) 402-3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or by e-mail 
to [email protected]. Persons with hearing or speech impairments 
may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal 
Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. (Other than the HUD USER 
information line and TTY numbers, telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arlette Mussington, Office of Policy, 
Programs and Legislative Initiatives, PIH, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., (L'Enfant Plaza, Room 2206), 
Washington, DC 20410; telephone 202-402-4109, (this is not a toll-free 
number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended). This Notice 
is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected agencies 
concerning the proposed collection of information to (1) evaluate 
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (2) evaluate the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (3) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission 
of responses.
    This Notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Indian Community Development Block Grant 
Information Collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2577-0191.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Title 
I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, which 
authorizes Community Development Block Grants, requires that grants for 
Indian Tribes be awarded on a competitive basis. The purpose of the 
Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program is to develop 
viable Indian and Alaska Native communities by creating decent housing, 
suitable living environments and economic opportunities primarily for 
low- and moderate-income persons. Consistent with this objective, not 
less than 70 percent of the expenditures are to benefit low and 
moderate-income persons. The law specifies four criteria or options 
that are considered to meet this objective. The four options or 
criteria are: Area benefit; limited clientele; housing; job creation/
retention. Eligible applicants include Federally recognized Tribes, 
which include Alaska Native communities, and Bureau of Indian Affairs 
or Indian Health Service determined Tribally authorized Tribal 
organizations.
    The ICDBG program regulations can be found at 24 CFR 1003. The 
ICDBG program for Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages requires 
eligible applicants to submit information to enable HUD to select the 
best projects for funding during annual competitions. Additionally, the 
requirements are essential for HUD in monitoring grants to ensure that 
grantees are making proper use of Federal dollars.
    ICDBG applicants must submit a complete application package which 
includes an Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), Supplement 
Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (SF-424 SUPP), 
Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report (HUD-2880), Implementation 
Schedule (HUD-4125), Cost Summary (HUD-4123) and a Program Outcome 
Logic Model (HUD-96010). If the applicant has a waiver of the 
electronic submission requirement and is submitting a paper 
application, an Acknowledgement of Application Receipt (HUD-2993) must 
also be submitted. If the applicant is a Tribal organization, a 
resolution from the Tribe stating that the Tribal organization is 
submitting an application on behalf of the Tribe must also be included 
in the application package.
    Section 105 of the 1974 Housing and Community Development Act (42 
U.S.C. 5305) was amended by section 588 of

[[Page 23329]]

the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 creating a new 
subsection (h) entitled, ``Prohibition on Use of Assistance for 
Employment Relocation Activities.'' This subsection prohibits the use 
of Community Development Block Grant funds to facilitate the relocation 
of for-profit businesses from one labor market to another if the 
relocation is likely to result in significant job loss. HUD's 
regulations for the ICDBG program were amended to add Sec.  1003.209, 
Prohibition on use of assistance from employment relocation activities, 
and revise Sec.  1003.505, Records to be maintained, to include the 
statement, ``This includes establishing and maintaining records 
demonstrating that the recipient has made the determinations required 
as a condition of eligibility of certain activities, including as 
prescribed in Sec.  1003.209.''
    The ICDBG regulations at Sec.  1003.209 prohibit certain job 
relocation activities that results in disinvestment in low and moderate 
income Tribal communities. ICDBG recipients are prohibited from using 
ICDBG funds to facilitate the relocation of for-profit businesses from 
one ``identified service area'' as defined in Sec.  1003.4, to another 
if the relocation is likely to result in significant job loss. To show 
compliance with the statute and regulations, ICDBG recipients that 
provide ICDBG assistance to a business must require and obtain, as a 
condition of the assistance, a certification from the assisted business 
that it has no plans to relocate jobs. If the assistance results in 
business relocation, the agreement must provide that the business will 
reimburse the ICDBG recipient for any assistance provided to, or 
expended on behalf of the business.
    ICDBG recipients are required to submit a quarterly Federal 
Financial Report (SF-425) that provides a snapshot of the grant funds 
drawn from the recipient's line of credit. The reports are used to 
monitor cash transfers to the recipients and obtain expenditure data 
from the recipients. (Title 24 CFR 1003.501(16))
    The government-wide administrative requirements for grants and 
cooperative agreements to State, local, and Federally recognized Indian 
Tribal governments codified by HUD at 24 CFR part 85 require that 
grantees and sub-grantees ``take all necessary affirmative steps to 
assure that minority firms, women's business enterprises, and labor 
surplus area firms are used when possible'' (Sec.  85.36(e)). 
Consistent with these regulations, Sec.  1003.506(b) requires that 
ICDBG grantees report on these activities on an annual basis, with 
Contract and Subcontract Activity reports being due to HUD on October 
10 of each year (HUD-2516).
    At the end of each one-year period and at grant closeout the 
recipient is required to submit a narrative status and evaluation 
report that describes: (1) Progress on completing approved activities; 
(2) a breakdown of major project activity or category expenditures; and 
(3) an assessment of program effectiveness at grant closeout. 
Recipients are also to report on program outputs and outcomes through 
the Program Outcome Logic Model (HUD-96010). (Title 24 CFR 1003.506)
    The information collected will allow HUD to accurately audit the 
program.
    Agency form number: SF-424, HUD-2880, HUD-2993, SF-424-SUPP, HUD-
96010, HUD-2994-A, HUD-4123, HUD-4125, SF-425, HUD-2516, narrative 
status and evaluation report.
    Members of affected public: Native American Tribes, Alaska Native 
communities and corporations, and Tribal organizations.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents: The Estimated 
number of respondents is 225 annually with one response per respondent. 
The average number for each response is 40 hours, for a total reporting 
burden of 10,095 hours.
    Status of the proposed information collection: Revision of 
currently approved collection.

    Authority:  Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: April 19, 2011.
Deborah Hernandez,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 2011-10044 Filed 4-25-11; 8:45 am]
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