[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 201 (Monday, October 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63253-63254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26448]



[[Page 63253]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians

[15XD0120AF.DT21200000.DST000000.T7AC00.241A]


Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: OMB Control Number 
1035-0003, Application To Withdraw Tribal Funds From Trust Status

AGENCY: Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Special Trustee for American 
Indians, Department of the Interior, announces the proposed renewal of 
a public information collection required by The American Indian Trust 
Fund Management Reform Act of 1994, ``Application to Withdraw Tribal 
Funds from Trust Status, 25 CFR 1200,'' OMB Control No. 1035-0003, and 
that it is seeking comments on its provisions. After public review, the 
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians will submit the 
information collection to Office of Management and Budget for renewal.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by December 
18, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send your written comments to the Office of the Special 
Trustee, Office of External Affairs, Attn: Roberson D. Becenti, 4400 
Masthead St. NE., Room 259A, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109. You may 
also email comments to [email protected]. Individuals 
providing comments should reference OMB control number 1035-0003, 
``Application to Withdraw Tribal Funds from Trust Status, 25 CFR 
1200.''

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 renewal of information collection.
    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)). This 
notice identifies an information collection activity that the Office of 
the Special Trustee for American Indians is submitting to OMB for 
renewal.
    Public Law 103-412, The American Indian Trust Fund Management 
Reform Act of 1994, allows Indian tribes on a voluntary basis to take 
their funds out of trust status within the Department of the Interior 
(and the Federal Government) in order to manage such funds on their 
own. 25 CFR part 1200, subpart B, Sec. 1200.13, ``How does a tribe 
apply to withdraw funds?'' describes the requirements for application 
for withdrawal. The Act covers all tribal trust funds including 
judgment funds as well as some settlements funds, but excludes funds 
held in Individual Indian Money accounts. Both the Act and the 
regulations state that upon withdrawal of the funds, the Department of 
the Interior (and the Federal Government) have no further liability for 
such funds. Accompanying their application for withdrawal of trust 
funds, tribes are required to submit a Management Plan for managing the 
funds being withdrawn, to protect the funds once they are out of trust 
status.
    This information collection allows the Office of the Special 
Trustee to collect the tribes' applications for withdrawal of funds 
held in trust by the Department of the Interior. If this information 
were not collected, the Office of the Special Trustee would not be able 
to comply with the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 
1994, and tribes would not be able to withdraw funds held for them in 
trust by the Department of the Interior.

II. Data

    (1) Title: Application to Withdraw Tribal Funds from Trust Status, 
25 CFR
    1200.
    OMB Control Number: 1035-0003.
    Current Expiration Date: January 31, 2016.
    Type of Review: Information Collection Renewal.
    Affected Entities: Tribal Governments.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: One respondent on average, 
every three years.
    Frequency of responses: Once per tribe per trust fund withdrawal 
application.
    (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden:
    Total annual reporting per response: 750 hours.
    Total number of estimated responses: 1.
    Total annual reporting: 750 hours.
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: The 
statutorily required information is needed to provide a vehicle for 
tribes to withdraw funds from accounts held in trust for them by the 
United States Government.

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.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review. Before including Personally Identifiable Information (PII), 
such as your address, phone number, email address, or other personal 
information in your comments(s), you should be aware that your entire 
comment (including PII) may be made available to the public at any 
time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold PII from public 
view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. If you wish to 
view any comments received, you may do so by scheduling an appointment 
with the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians by using 
the contact information in the ADDRESSES section above. A valid picture 
identification is required for entry into the Department of the 
Interior.

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    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.

    Dated: October 8, 2015.
David Beeksma,
Director, Office of External Affairs, Office of the Special Trustee for 
American Indians.
[FR Doc. 2015-26448 Filed 10-16-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 43134-63-P