[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 104 (Tuesday, May 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 32506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11611]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; RESTORE Act Grants

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to comment on revisions to an 
existing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995. The Office of the Fiscal Assistant Secretary, within the 
Department of the Treasury, is soliciting comments concerning the 
application, reports, and recordkeeping for the Direct Component and 
the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Programs under the Resources 
and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived 
Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act). The 
information collections contained in this final rule are being added to 
the information collection for RESTORE Act grants, including Treasury's 
final rule titled Regulation Regarding Nondiscrimination on the Basis 
of Race, Color, or National Origin in Programs or Activities Receiving 
Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of the Treasury, which 
implements Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 1, 2022 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the burden estimate, or any other 
aspect of the information collection, including suggestions for 
reducing the burden, by electronic mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Bridget Cotti-Rausch at 202-923-0467 in the 
Office of Gulf Coast Restoration, by electronic mail to 
[email protected], or viewing the entire information collection 
request at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-markets-financial-institutions-and-fiscal-service/restore-act.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Application, Reports, and Recordkeeping for the Direct 
Component and the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program under 
the RESTORE Act.
    OMB Control Number: 1505-0250.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Description: The Department of the Treasury administers the Direct 
Component and the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program 
authorized under the RESTORE Act. Treasury awards grants for these two 
programs from proceeds in connection with administrative and civil 
penalties paid after July 6, 2012, under the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act relating to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and deposited 
into the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund. Direct Component grants are 
awarded to the States of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, 
and 23 Florida counties and 20 Louisiana parishes. Centers of 
Excellence grants are awarded to the States of Alabama, Florida, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The information collection for both 
programs identifies the eligible recipients; describes proposed 
activities; determines an appropriate amount of funding; ensures 
compliance with the RESTORE Act, Treasury's regulations, and Federal 
laws and policies on grants; tracks grantee progress; and reports on 
the effectiveness of the programs.
    Treasury's transition of both RESTORE Act programs to a new online 
grants management system will provide the benefit of conversion to more 
interactive forms, like web-based forms or editable PDFs. The 
collection has been updated to provide for this transition. Non-
substantive changes for conversion to digital materials include the 
addition of fields for uploading optional or required supporting 
documentation and some general reformatting to improve the applicant's 
experience. Treasury has also made several substantive changes to the 
content of the collection, including: (1) A consolidation of 
application questions across forms to reduce requests for duplicative 
information; (2) updates to the RESTORE Act Environmental Compliance 
Form to provide applicants with the option to provide additional 
details regarding their determination of the applicability of federal, 
state, tribal, and local environmental laws to reduce the overall 
Treasury application review and processing time; and 3) the inclusion 
of the optional RESTORE Act Permission to Commence with Construction 
Checklist to aid the applicant in preparing a complete and compliant 
request for permission to commence with construction.
    The revised application, reporting forms, and supplemental 
information may be obtained on Treasury's RESTORE Act website at 
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-markets-financial-institutions-and-fiscal-service/restore-act.
    Form: None.
    Affected Public: State and Local Governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 52.
    Frequency of Response: On Occasion.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 550.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10.9 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,979.
    Request for Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management 
and Budget approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
through the use of technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up 
costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services 
required to provide information.
    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

Spencer W. Clark,
Treasury PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-11611 Filed 5-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-25-P