[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 241 (Friday, December 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74491-74492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30203]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR 5604-N-15]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request 
Community Development Block Grant Recovery (CDBG-R) Program

AGENCY: Office of Community Planning and Development, 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: February 12, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Colette Pollard, Departmental 
Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 4160, Washington, DC 20410; 
telephone: 202-708-3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or email Ms. 
Pollard for a copy of the proposed form and other available 
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Johnson, Director, Entitlement 
Communities Division, Office of Block Grant Assistance, 451 7th Street 
SW., Room 7282, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-1577 (this is 
not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is submitting 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: Community Development Block Grant Recovery 
(CDBG-R) Program.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2506-0184.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: This 
request identifies the estimated reporting burden associated with the 
reporting of CDBG-R assisted activities as they are completed and 
closing out the CDBG-R program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment 
Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) appropriated $1 Billion in Community 
Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to states and local governments 
that received CDBG funding in Fiscal Year 2008 to carry out, on an 
expedited basis, eligible activities under the CDBG program. The 
purpose of the CDBG-R funding was to stimulate the economy through 
measures that modernized the Nation's infrastructure, improved energy 
efficiency, and expanded educational opportunities and access to health 
care. All CDBG-R funds were required to be expended by September 30, 
2012. Any CDBG-R funds remaining after that date were recaptured by HUD 
and returned to Treasury.
    The Recovery Act did not specify a requirement regarding the date 
for completion of CDBG-R assisted activities, although grantees were 
required to give preference to activities that could be started and 
completed expeditiously. While the CDBG-R expenditure deadline has 
passed, all CDBG-R assisted activities have not been completed. New 
activities were added over time when grantees amended their 2008 
substantial amendments to add such activities because previously 
identified activities came in under budget, were identified as 
imprudent, or did not meet the purposes of the Recovery Act. Once CDBG-
R assisted activities meet a national objective and are physically 
complete, grantees may proceed in closing out their CDBG-R programs. 
Grantees must complete their final reports in federalreporting.gov 
before closing out their CDBG-R grants. HUD expects grantees to be 
ready to begin closing out their grants by March 31, 2013.
    Once final reports are completed in federalreporting.gov, grantees 
may begin the process of closing out their CDBG-R grants. This process 
requires grantees to submit their final federalreporting.gov report and 
prepare and submit a CDBG-R Program Grantee Closeout Certification, a 
CDBG-R closeout checklist, Grant Closeout Agreement, and a Federal 
Financial Report (SF 425) to local HUD Field Offices.
    The Recovery Act requires that not later than 10 days after the end 
of each calendar quarter, each recipient that received recovery funds 
from a federal agency shall submit a report to that agency that 
contains: (1) The total amount of recovery funds received from that 
agency; (2) the amount of recovery funds received that were expended or 
obligated to projects or activities; and (3) a detailed list of all 
projects or activities for which recovery funds were expended or 
obligated, including (A) the name of the project or activity; (B) a 
description of the project or activity; (C) an evaluation of the 
completion status of the project or activity; (D) an estimate of the 
number of jobs created and the number of jobs retained by the project 
or activity; and (E) for infrastructure investments made by State and 
local governments, the purpose, total cost, and rationale of the agency 
for funding the infrastructure investment with funds made available 
under the Recovery Act

[[Page 74492]]

and name of the person to contact at the agency if there are concerns 
with the infrastructure investment.
    An update of the status of activities identified here must be 
reported quarterly in federalreporting.gov. In addition, not later than 
30 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter, each agency 
that made Recovery Act funds available to any recipient shall make the 
information in reports submitted publicly available by posting the 
information on a Web site. Grantees that have ongoing CDBG-R assisted 
activities are required to continue reporting quarterly on those 
activities until they are completed.
    Information must be submitted using HUD's IDIS system and in 
federalreporting.gov. Pursuant to Section 1512 of the Recovery Act, 
CDBG-R grantees must enter the data into IDIS on a quarterly basis for 
generation of reports by HUD or other entities. In addition, grantees 
are required to submit reports in federalreporting.gov on a quarterly 
basis. Grantees will report in IDIS and federalreporting.gov for CDBG-R 
assisted activities, recordkeeping requirements, and reporting 
requirements.
    The Recovery Act imposes additional reporting requirements 
including, but not limited to, information on the environmental review 
process, the expected completion of the activity, the type of activity, 
and the location of the activity.
    Agency form numbers, if applicable: Not applicable.
    Members of affected public: Grant recipients (metropolitan cities 
and urban counties) participating in the CDBG-R Entitlement Program.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: The number of respondents was 1,167. 
However, some grantees have completed all CDBG-R assisted activities 
and have closed out their CDBG-R program grants. The remaining 
estimated number of respondents carrying out CDBG-R assisted activities 
and/or closing out their CDBG-R programs is 200. The proposed frequency 
of the response to the collection is quarterly. The total estimated 
burden is 25,600 hours.
    Status of the proposed information collection: This submission is a 
revision of a currently approved collection. The current OMB approval 
expires on January 31, 2013.

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

    Dated: December 7, 2012.
Mark Johnston,
Assistant Secretary (Acting).
[FR Doc. 2012-30203 Filed 12-13-12; 8:45 am]
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