[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 39452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16146]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
24 CFR Chapter IX
[Docket No. FR-5650-N-01]
Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of
1996: Notice of Intent To Initiate Negotiated Rulemaking
AGENCY: Office of Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing,
HUD.
ACTION: Notice of intent to initiate Negotiated Rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: This document announces HUD's intention to initiate Negotiated
Rulemaking under the Negotiated Rulemaking Act for the purpose of
developing regulatory changes to the funding formula for the Indian
Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program authorized under the Native American
Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). This
document provides background information on the NAHASDA program and
describes the steps in the negotiated rulemaking process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rodger J. Boyd, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Native American Programs, Office of Public and Indian
Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street
SW., Room 4126, Washington, DC 20410-5000, telephone at 202-401-7914
(this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech
impediments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free
Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act
of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.) (NAHASDA) changed the way that housing
assistance is provided to Native Americans. NAHASDA eliminated several
separate assistance programs and replaced them with a single block
grant program, known as the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program.
The regulations governing the IHBG formula allocation are codified in
subpart D of part 1000 of HUD's regulations in title 24 of the Code of
Federal Regulations. In accordance with section 106 of NAHASDA, HUD
developed the regulations with active tribal participation and using
the procedures of the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990 (5 U.S.C. 561-
570).
Under the IHBG program, HUD makes assistance available to eligible
Indian tribes for affordable housing activities. The amount of
assistance made available to each Indian tribe is determined using a
formula that was developed as part of the NAHASDA negotiated rulemaking
process. Based on the amount of funding appropriated for the IHBG
program, HUD calculates the annual grant for each Indian tribe and
provides this information to the Indian tribes. An Indian Housing Plan
for the Indian tribe is then submitted to HUD. If the Indian Housing
Plan is found to be in compliance with statutory and regulatory
requirements, the grant is made.
Through this document, HUD announces its intent to initiate
Negotiated Rulemaking to review the IHBG formula as required by program
regulations. This document also provides an overview of the next steps
in the negotiated rulemaking process.
II. Negotiated Rulemaking
The basic concept of negotiated rulemaking is to have the agency
that is developing a regulation bring together representatives of
affected interests for face-to-face negotiations. The give-and-take of
the negotiation process is expected to foster constructive, creative
and acceptable solutions to difficult problems.
Section 564 of the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990 requires that
an agency publish document(s) in the Federal Register to do the
following: announce its intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking
committee; to solicit nominations for selection to the committee; to
provide a list of the proposed committee membership, and to provide
certain other information regarding the formation of the committee. HUD
intends to publish such documents in the near future.
Dated: June 26, 2012.
Sandra Henriquez,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 2012-16146 Filed 7-2-12; 8:45 am]
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