[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 8 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1936-1938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00430]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7090-N-01]


30 Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Generic 
Solution for Solicitation for HUD's Competitive Discretionary Funding 
Opportunity Announcements, OMB Control No.: 2501-NEW

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, Chief Data Officer, 
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 an additional 30 days of 
public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: February 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Interested 
persons are also invited to submit comments regarding this proposal and 
comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number 
and should be sent to: Anna Guido, Clearance Officer, REE, Department 
of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 8210, 
Washington, DC 20410-5000; email [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Pollard, Reports Management 
Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 
SW, Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410; email [email protected] or 
telephone 202-402-3400 (this is not a toll-free number). HUD welcomes 
and is prepared to receive calls from

[[Page 1937]]

individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as individuals 
with speech or communication disabilities. To learn more about how to 
make an accessible telephone call, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs. Copies of 
available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Pollard.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.
    The Federal Register notice that solicited public comment on the 
information collection for a period of 60 days was published on October 
6, 2023 at 88 FR 69647.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Proposal: Generic Solution for Solicitation for 
Competitive Discretionary Funding Opportunity Announcements.
    Type of Request: New Information Collection Request.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2501-NEW.
    Additional OMB control numbers applicable to government-wide 
standardized forms are also noted in this collection. As the burden is 
accounted for in those separate collections, it is not included in this 
calculation.

SF 424, OMB Control No. 4040-0004
SF 424-A, OMB Control No. 4040-0006
SF 424-B, OMB Control No. 4040-0007
SF 424-C, OMB Control No. 4040-0008
SF 424 D, OMB Control No. 4040-0009
SF LLL, OMB Control No. 4040-0013
Lobbying Form, OMB Control No. 4040-0013
Projects Abstract Summary, OMB Control No. 4040-0019

    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: HUD 
is required by 2 CFR 200.204 to publicly announce the availability of 
discretionary awards that are competed. To ensure grants and 
cooperative agreements are awarded to applicants best suited to perform 
the functions of the awards, applicants are generally required to 
perform two pre-award steps, the submission of the application and the 
negotiation of the individual award terms. The first part of HUD's 
funding applications consists of submitting the Standard Form 424 (SF-
424), ``Application for Federal Assistance'' along with mandatory and 
optional standard government-wide and HUD forms. The burden associated 
with these government-wide forms are reflected in separate OMB-
sponsored government-wide information collections and are not reflected 
in this collection.
    After the applicants have been selected as part of an objective 
competition process, HUD usually requires negotiation between HUD and 
the selected applicant to determine the terms of the award. A technical 
proposal (or technical submission) is required during the negotiation 
process. The technical proposal demonstrates the selected applicant's 
capabilities in accordance with the application or statement of work 
submitted with the application and/or selection criteria and other 
related information as specified in the funding announcement.
    The provisions of 2 CFR 200.207 instruct Federal agencies to comply 
with the requirements of 5 CFR part 1320, ``Controlling Paperwork 
Burdens on the Public,'' with regard to all forms or collection of 
additional information used by HUD in place of or as a supplement to 
the SF-424 series.
    Respondents: Applicants for HUD's competitively funded financial 
assistance programs.
    Information Collection/Form Number: SF 424 (4040-0004); SF-424B 
(4040-0007); SF-424D (4040-0009); SF 424A (4040-0006); SF-424C (4040-
0008); SF LLL (4040-0013); Lobbying Form (4040-0013); Project Abstract 
Summary (4040-0019); HUD-424B; HUD-424CB (2501-0017); HUD-424CBW (2501-
0017); HUD-424M (2501-0017); HUD-2880 (2501-0017); HUD-50070; Rural 
Partners Network (RPN) Community Networks (CN) Certification Form and 
Instructions; HUD 50153 (2501-0033); HUD 2991; HUD 2993; and Program 
specific requirements and rating factors (narrative and other 
attachments).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: HUD bases the following estimates 
on historical experience. HUD's average of 45 funding announcements per 
fiscal year will fall under this generic request, plus an expected 
average of 10 NOFOs derived from supplemental funding enacted outside 
of the regular appropriations process. Additionally, the Department 
projects that it will receive approximately 30,000 applications 
annually.
    Frequency of Response: Refer to Table 1.
    Responses per Annum: Refer to Table 1.
    Average Burden Hours per Response: HUD estimates it takes an 
average of 60 working hours to prepare and submit an application in 
grants.gov in response to a funding announcement. For applications 
submitted through esnaps.gov, HUD estimates it takes an average of 100 
working hours, including completing the registration in esnaps.hud.gov, 
preparing and submitting an application and technical submission, and 
proper storage of records.
    Total Estimated Burdens: For purposes of this information 
collection request, the HUD has used the average hourly earnings of a 
Project Management Specialist ($48.85 per hour) to monetize the value 
of respondent time. Therefore, the burden for these reporting 
activities is as follows using average response times:

30,000 applications * 160 hours * 1.2 frequency = 5,760,000 hours

5,760,000 hours * $48.85 = $281,376,000

                                                        Table 1--Estimated Burden for Respondents
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                                                                                              Burden hour                  Hourly cost
       Information collection (OMB control No.)         Number of    Frequency    Responses       per       Annual burden      per         Annual cost
                                                       respondents  of response   per annum     response        hours        response
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SF 424 (4040-0004)...................................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
SF-424B (4040-0007)..................................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
SF-424D (4040-0009)..................................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
SF 424A (4040-0006)..................................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
SF-424C (4040-0008)..................................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
SF LLL (4040-0013)...................................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
Lobbying Form (4040-0013)............................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
Project Abstract Summary (4040-0019).................            0            0  ...........            0               0            0                 0
HUD-424B.............................................       30,000          1.2       36,000          0.5      $18,000.00       $48.85       $879,300.00
HUD-424CB............................................        1,375          1.2        1,650            3        4,950.00        48.85        241,807.50
HUD-424CBW...........................................        1,375          1.2        1,650            3        4,950.00        48.85        241,807.50
HUD-424M.............................................          250          1.2          300          0.5          150.00        48.85          7,327.50
HUD-2880.............................................       30,000          1.2       36,000            2       72,000.00        48.85      3,517,200.00

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HUD-50070............................................       30,000          1.2       36,000         0.25        9,000.00        48.85        439,650.00
Rural Partners Certification.........................          800          1.2          960         0.50          480.00        48.85         23,448.00
HUD 50153............................................          800          1.2          960         0.25          240.00        48.85         11,724.00
HUD 2991.............................................       30,000          1.2       36,000            3      108,000.00        48.85      5,275,800.00
HUD 2993.............................................       30,000          1.2       36,000         0.25        9,000.00        48.85        439,650.00
Program specific requirements and rating factors            30,000          1.2       36,000          140    5,040,000.00        48.85    246,204,000.00
 (narrative and other attachments)...................
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    HUD bases the following estimates on historical experience. HUD 
estimates it takes an average of 30 working hours for HUD to complete 
its pre-award activities associated with competitive applications, 
including parts 1 and 2 of the pre-award process. This includes 
activities related to proper storage of related records. For purposes 
of this information collection request, HUD has used a GS 13 step 5 
rate ($51.25 per hour) to monetize the value of HUD time. Therefore, 
the burden for pre-award activities is as follows using average 
response times:

30,000 applications * 30 hours * 1.2 frequency = 1,080,000 hours

1,080,000 hours * $51.25 = $55,350,000

    If the Department incurs any unique start-up or operational and 
maintenance costs with the collection of information covered by this 
ICR, HUD will include them on the request to OMB.

B. Solicitation of Public Comment

    This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affecting agencies concerning the proposed collection of information 
to: (1) Evaluate 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) 
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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. (5) ways to minimize the burden of 
the collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

C. Authority

    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as 
amended.

Colette Pollard,
Department Reports Management Officer, Office of Policy Development and 
Research, Chief Data Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-00430 Filed 1-10-24; 8:45 am]
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