[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 62 (Friday, March 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22119-22120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06685]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economic Development Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Indigenous Communities Survey

AGENCY: Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before May 28, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
via email to the Networks Team, Economic Development Administration, 
Department of Commerce, at [email protected] or [email protected]). 
Please reference ``Indigenous Community Survey'' in the subject line of 
your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to the Bryan Borlik, Economic Development Administration, Department of 
Commerce, at [email protected] or 202-482-3901.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Economic Development Administration (EDA) leads the Federal 
economic development agenda by promoting innovation and 
competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in 
the worldwide economy. Guided by the basic principle that sustainable 
economic development should be driven locally, EDA works directly with 
communities and regions to help them build the capacity for economic 
development based on local business conditions and needs. The Public 
Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA) (42 U.S.C. 3121 et 
seq.) is EDA's organic authority and is the primary legal authority 
under which EDA awards financial assistance. Under PWEDA, EDA provides 
financial assistance to both rural and urban distressed communities by 
fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, and productivity through 
investments in infrastructure development, workforce development, 
capacity building, and business development to attract private capital 
investments and new and better jobs to regions experiencing economic 
distress. Further information on EDA programs and financial assistance 
opportunities can be found at www.eda.gov.
    To effectively administer and monitor its economic development 
assistance programs, EDA collects certain information from applications 
for, and recipients of, EDA investment assistance. The purpose of this 
notice is to seek comments from the public and other Federal agencies 
on a request for a new information collection by an EDA grantee. This 
grantee will collect information about the economic development needs, 
planning, and priorities of Indigenous communities. Findings from the 
survey will inform EDA's work with Indigenous communities and will 
support other agencies, organizations, and communities in better 
planning, funding, and implementing economic development activities.
    To that end, the grantee will conduct an electronic data collection 
survey. A subset of the recipients (20) will also be engaged in phone 
interviews to better understand the experiences and decision-making 
processes when evaluating opportunities for economic development 
funding. EDA is particularly interested in public comment on how the 
proposed data collection will support the assessment of program 
effectiveness, or if alternative information should be considered.

II. Method of Collection

    Data will be collected electronically and via phone interviews.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None: new information collection.
    Form Number(s): None: new information collection.
    Type of Review: Regular submission: new information collection.
    Affected Public: This survey will specifically target EDA 
applicants for projects that are indigenous and indigenous serving. 
Entities may include (i) District Organization of an EDA-designated 
Economic Development District (EDD); (ii) Indian Tribe or a consortium 
of Indian Tribes; (iii) State,

[[Page 22120]]

county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a 
special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic 
or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political 
subdivisions; (iv) institution of higher education or a consortium of 
institutions of higher education; or (v) public or private non-profit 
organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a 
general purpose political subdivision of a State.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: A total of 150 respondents for the 
electronic survey and a subset of 20 for the phone interviews.
    Estimated Time per Response: Half an hour (30 minutes) for the 
electronic survey and 1 hour for each phone interview.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 75 hours for the electronic 
survey and 20 hours for the phone interviews.

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                                                                                                        Total
                                                          Number of     Hours per      Number of      estimated
             Type of respondent (annual)                 respondents     response    responses per       time
                                                                         (hours)     year (annual)     (hours)
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EDA Grant Applicants.................................             150           .5                1           75
Subset of Grant Applicants...........................              20            1                1           20
                                                      ----------------------------------------------------------
    Total............................................             170  ...........  ...............           95
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    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5,985 (cost assumes 
application of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics September 2023 mean 
hourly employer costs for employee compensation for professional and 
related occupations of $63.00).
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: The Public Works and Economic Development Act of 
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.).

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary of 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-06685 Filed 3-28-24; 8:45 am]
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