[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 185 (Wednesday, September 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59816-59817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20998]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7028-N-07; OMB Control No.: 2577-0292]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Emergency 
Waivers Reporting

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian 
Housing, PIH, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment 
from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. 
The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: November 23, 2020.

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, Reports 
Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
451 7th Street SW, Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone 202-
402-3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or email at 
[email protected] for a copy of the proposed forms or other 
available information. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may 
access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay 
Service at (800) 877-8339.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dacia Rogers, Office of Policy, 
Programs and Legislative Initiatives, PIH, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, (Room 3178), Washington, DC 
20410; telephone 202-708-3000, extension 3374, (this is not a toll-free 
number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this 
number via TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. 
Rogers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Emergency Waivers Reporting.
    OMB Approval Number: 2577-0292.

[[Page 59817]]

    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Form Numbers: HUD-5883, HUD-5884, HUD-5885.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
purpose of this notice is to solicit public comment on the proposed 
Emergency Waivers Reporting.
    In response to the national COVID-19 emergency, the Coronavirus 
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was enacted on March 
27, 2020. The Act gives the Department the ability to waive regulatory 
and statutory provisions that apply to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs). 
Specifically, the CARES Act allows the Secretary of HUD to ``waive, or 
specify alternative requirements for, any provision of any statute or 
regulation (except for requirements related to fair housing, 
nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment). . . . upon a 
finding by the Secretary that any such waivers or alternative 
requirements are necessary for the safe and effective administration of 
these funds . . . to prevent, prepare for, and respond to 
coronavirus.''
    HUD issued a notice detailing the waivers available in response to 
the COVID-19 crisis, posted on April 10, 2020, as PIH Notice 2020-05. 
This notice states: PHAs are required to keep written documentation 
that record which waivers the PHA applied to their programs(s) and the 
effective dates.
    In response to presidentially declared Major Disaster Declarations 
(MDDs), FR-6050-N-04 is: Relief from HUD Public Housing and Section 8 
Requirements Available During CY2020 and CY2021 to Public Housing 
Agencies to Assist with Recovery and Relief Efforts. This notice lists 
the specific waivers and relief options available for use by PHAs.
    No respondent is mandated to use a waiver but use of the waivers is 
encouraged by HUD in response to specific emergencies to reduce burdens 
and administrative requirements. The notice announcing the availability 
of waivers becomes the checklist which respondents use to note 
responses as to which waivers they elected to use and their start date.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
responses, and hours of response:

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                                             Number of     Frequency of    Responses per    Burden hour   Annual  burden                   Total annual
         Information collection             respondents      response          annum       per  response       hours        Hourly cost        cost
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HUD-5883................................           3,800               1           3,800               1           3,800           36.86        $140,068
HUD-5884................................             300               1             300               1             300           36.86          11,058
HUD-5885................................           1,000               1           1,000               1           1,000           36.86          36,860
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    Total...............................           5,100  ..............           5,100  ..............           5,100           36.86         187,986
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B. Solicitation of Public Comment

    This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected parties concerning the collection of information described in 
Section A on the following:
    (1) 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) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) Ways to 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.
    HUD encourages interested parties to submit comment in response to 
these questions

C. Authority

    Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35.

    Dated: September 18, 2020.
Merrie Nichols-Dixon,
Director, Office of Policy, Programs and Legislative Initiatives.
[FR Doc. 2020-20998 Filed 9-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P