[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 168 (Friday, August 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51600-51601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20679]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[DR.5A211.IA000413]


Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Federal 
Acknowledgment of Tribes

AGENCY: 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 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs is submitting to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the collection of information 
for Federal Acknowledgment of Tribes. This information collection is 
currently authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0104, which expires 
August 31, 2014.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
September 29, 2014.

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 R. Lee Fleming, Director, Office of Federal 
Acknowledgment, Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, 1951 Constitution 
Avenue NW., MS-34B SIB, Washington, DC 20240; facsimile: (202) 219-
3008; email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  R. Lee Fleming, (202) 513-7650.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs held listening sessions in 
July and August 2013 and consultation sessions in July and August 2014 
to receive feedback on ways to improve the Department's process for 
acknowledging an Indian tribe, as set forth in 25 CFR 83. The Assistant 
Secretary is currently in the process of revising the process for 
acknowledging an Indian tribe; however, this request for extension for 
this information collection request does not include the suggestions 
and feedback from the listening sessions and consultations. To not 
stall or delay potential petitioners that may want to submit this 
information, the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs is requesting an 
extension of the approval for the information collection conducted 
under 25 CFR 83.
    The information collection is conducted under 25 CFR 83, to 
establish whether a petitioning group has the characteristics necessary 
to be acknowledged as having a government-to-government relationship 
with the United States. Federal recognition makes the group eligible 
for benefits from the Federal Government. Approval for this collection 
expires August 31, 2014. Three forms are used as part of this 
information collection.

II. Request for Comments

    The Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs requests your comments on 
this collection concerning: (a) The necessity of this information 
collection 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 (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.
    Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section. Before 
including your address, phone number, email address or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1076-0104.
    Title: Documented Petitions for Federal Acknowledgment as an Indian 
Tribe, 25 CFR 83.
    Brief Description of Collection: Submission of this information 
allows Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) to review applications 
for the Federal acknowledgment of a group as an Indian tribe. The 
acknowledgment

[[Page 51601]]

regulations at 25 CFR 83 contain seven criteria that unrecognized 
groups seeking Federal acknowledgment as Indian tribes must demonstrate 
that they meet. Information collected from petitioning groups under 
these regulations provides anthropological, genealogical and historical 
data used by the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs to establish 
whether a petitioning group has the characteristics necessary to be 
acknowledged as having a government-to-government relationship with the 
United States. Respondents are not required to retain copies of the 
information submitted to OFA but will probably maintain copies for 
their own use; therefore, there is no recordkeeping requirement 
included in this information collection.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of currently approved 
collection.
    Respondents: Groups petitioning for Federal acknowledgment as 
Indian tribes.
    Number of Respondents: 10 per year, on average.
    Number of Responses: 10 per year, on average.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2,075 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 20,750 hours.

    Dated: August 26, 2014.
Philip Brinkley,
Assistant Director for Information Resources.
[FR Doc. 2014-20679 Filed 8-28-14; 8:45 am]
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