[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73656-73657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30662]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Probate of Indian 
Estates

AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of submission to OMB.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs is submitting to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) a request for renewal for the collection of information 
titled ``Probate of Indian Estates, Except for Members of the Osage 
Nation and the Five Civilized Tribes.'' The information collection is 
currently authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0169, which expires 
November 30, 2011.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 29, 2011.

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) 395-5806 or you may send 
an email to: [email protected]. Please send a copy of your 
comments to Charlene Toledo, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Director, 
Special Projects, BIA Division of Probate Services, 2600 N Central Ave 
STE MS102, Phoenix, AZ 85004; email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlene Toledo, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Director, Special Projects, at (505) 563-3371. You may review 
the ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to 
review Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Secretary of the Interior probates the estates of individual 
Indians owning trust or restricted property in accordance with 25 
U.S.C. 372, 373. In order to compile the probate file, the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA) must obtain information regarding the deceased 
from individuals and the tribe. This renewal does not make any 
adjustments to the estimated burden hours or otherwise change the 
approved information collection.

II. Request for Comments

    The BIA requests that you send your comments on this collection to 
the location listed in the ADDRESSES section. Your comments should 
address: (a) The necessity of the information collection for the proper 
performance of the agencies, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden 
(hours and cost) of the collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways we could 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways we could minimize the burden of the collection 
of the information on the respondents, such as through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Please note that an agency may not sponsor or conduct, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number. Approval for this collection expires 
November 30, 2011. Response to the information collection is required 
to obtain a benefit.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section during the hours 
of 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday except for legal 
holidays. Before including your address, phone number, email 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.

[[Page 73657]]

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1076-0169.
    Title: Probate of Indian Estates, Except for Members of the Osage 
Nation and the Five Civilized Tribes, 25 CFR part 15.
    Brief Description of Collection: This part contains the procedures 
that the Secretary of the Interior follows to initiate the probate of 
the trust estate for a deceased person who owns an interest in trust or 
restricted property. The Secretary must perform the information 
collection requests in this part to obtain the information necessary to 
compile an accurate and complete probate file. This file will be 
forwarded to the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) for disposition. 
Responses to these information collection requests are required to 
create a probate file for the decedent'e estate so that OHA can 
determine the heirs of the decedent and order distribution of the trust 
assets in the decedent's estate.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of a currently approved 
collection.
    Respondents: Indians, businesses, and tribal authorities.
    Number of Respondents: 64,915.
    Frequency of Collection: One per respondent each year with the 
exception of tribes that may be required to provide enrollment 
information on an average of approximately 10 times/year.
    Description of Respondents: Indians, businesses, and tribal 
authorities.
    Estimated Hours per Response: Ranges from 0.5 hour to 45.5 hour 
(see table below).
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 76,685.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,037,493.

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                                                                     Number of
            CFR Section                  Description of info       responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                        collection requirement          yr           response          hours
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15.9...............................  File affidavit to self-               1,000             0.5             500
                                      prove will, codicil, or
                                      revocation.
15.9...............................  File supporting affidavit             2,000             0.5           1,000
                                      to self-prove will,
                                      codicil, or revocation.
15.104.............................  Reporting req.- death                 5,850               5          29,250
                                      certificate.
15.105.............................  Provide probate documents..          21,235            45.5         966,193
15.203.............................  Provide tribal information            5,650               2          11,300
                                      for probate file.
15.301.............................  Reporting funeral expenses.           5,850               2          11,700
15.305.............................  Provide info on creditor             35,100             0.5          17,550
                                      claim (6 per probate).
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  ...........................          76,685  ..............       1,037,493
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    Dated: November 10, 2011.
Alvin Foster,
Assistant Director for Information Resources.
[FR Doc. 2011-30662 Filed 11-28-11; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 4310-4J-P