[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 102 (Thursday, May 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30485-30486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-12838]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[OMB Control Number 1035-0NEW; 15XD0120AF DST000000.54FY DT11100000]


Proposed Collection of Information Collection: Tribal Evaluation 
of Indian Trust Programs Compacted by Tribes

AGENCY: Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, Office of 
Trust Review & Audit, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of Trust Review & Audit, Office of the Special Trustee for 
American Indians, Department of the Interior announces the proposed 
collection of information and seeks public comments on the provisions 
thereof.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by July 27, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Send your written comments to Nolan Solomon, Office of

[[Page 30486]]

the Special Trustee for American Indians, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, 4400 Masthead Street NE., Albuquerque, NM 87109, fax 505-816-
1380, or by electronic mail to [email protected]. Please 
mention that your comments concern the ``OMB ID 1035-0NEW--Tribal 
Evaluation of Indian Trust Programs Compacted by Tribes''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, any explanatory information and related forms, see 
the contact information provided in the ADDRESSES section above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This notice is for collection of information and public comment.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 
1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and 
affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)).
    Under 25 CFR 1000.355, the Secretary's designated representative 
will conduct trust evaluations for each self-governance tribe that has 
an annual funding agreement. The end result is the issuance of a 
report, which is required by 25 CFR 1000.365. Currently, Department of 
the Interior, Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, 
Office of Trust Review & Audit (OTRA), conducts an on-site review of 
trust operations where a tribe has compacted a trust program. During 
that review, under current methodology, interviews are conducted and 
documents are requested on site. Information collected is then brought 
back to the Albuquerque office and analyzed. A draft report is written 
and provided to the tribe for comment where applicable, comments 
received back are incorporated into the report, and a final report is 
issued to the tribe. The purpose of this notice is to inform tribes and 
solicit comment that the method of collecting the information to 
conduct that annual evaluation is changing to an electronic method. 
Each year, tribes that compact trust programs will be asked to conduct 
an online assessment where they respond to questions, upload 
documentation, and provide a certification upon completion that answers 
provided are true and complete to the best of their knowledge. The 
information received will then be analyzed by OTRA, and a draft and or 
a final report will be issued. Pending the responses provided, 
additional information may be requested. An on-site inspection will 
still occur, however, it may be less often than annually.
    This notice of proposed information collection is being published 
by the Office of Trust Review & Audit, Office of the Special Trustee 
for American Indians, Department of the Interior,

II. Data

    Title: Tribal Evaluation of Indian Trust Programs Compacted by 
Tribes.
    OMB Control Number: 1035-0NEW.
    Current Expiration Date: Not Applicable.
    Type of Review: New Information Collection.
    Affected Entities: Tribes that have an annual funding agreement in 
place to compact Indian trust programs.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 111.
    Frequency of responses: Once per fiscal or calendar year (year the 
respective tribe operates under).
    (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden:
    Total annual reporting per program: 6 hours.
    Total number of estimated responses: 111 tribes with an estimated 
average of 7 compacted programs each.
    Total annual reporting: 4,662 hours.
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: The need 
and use of the information is to comply with 25 CFR 1000.355. The CFR 
requires an annual review of each Tribe that has an annual funding 
agreement in place. Information electronically received will be used to 
conduct an initial review of all these compacted tribes on an annual 
basis. After the information is received and analyzed, an on-site 
review will occur as needed, based on risk. When an on-site review does 
occur, it will involve less time on-site than occurs with the current 
on-site reviews, as much of the documentation will have been submitted 
electronically. We are converting from collecting the information 
manually to collecting the information electronically as it is more 
efficient.

III. Request for Comments

    The Departments invite comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agencies, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agencies' estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information and the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    ``Burden'' means the total time, effort, and financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and use 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able 
to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, and 
to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit 
or otherwise disclose the information.
    All written comments, with names and addresses, will be available 
for public inspection. If you wish us to withhold your personal 
information, you must prominently state at the beginning of your 
comment what personal information you want us to withhold. We will 
honor your request to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to view 
any comments received, you may do so by scheduling an appointment with 
the Office of Trust Review & Audit, Office of the Special Trustee for 
American Indians, by calling (505) 816-1257. A valid picture 
identification is required for entry into the Department of the 
Interior.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.

Nolan Solomon,
Management & Program Analyst, Program Management, Office of the Special 
Trustee for American Indians.
[FR Doc. 2015-12838 Filed 5-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4334-63-P