[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71922-71923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19755]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[256A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900; OMB Control Number 1076-0131]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Indian Child 
Welfare Quarterly and Annual Report

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are proposing to renew an 
information collection with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 4, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) should be sent within 30 days of 
publication of this notice to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs (OIRA) through https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRA/icrPublicCommentRequest?ref_nbr=202405-1076-008 or by visiting https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain and selecting ``Currently under 
Review--Open for Public Comments'' and then scrolling down to the 
``Department of the Interior.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Steven Mullen, Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action--Indian 
Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1001 Indian School Road NW, 
Suite 229, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104; [email protected]; (202) 924-
2650. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. You may also 
view the ICR at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/Forward?SearchTarget=PRA&textfield=1076-0131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we 
provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an 
opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection 
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
June 21, 2024 (89 FR 52076). No comments were received.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are 
especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the

[[Page 71923]]

agency, including whether or not the information will have practical 
utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. 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 can 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.
    Abstract: The BIA is seeking to revise the information collection 
conducted under 25 CFR 23, related to the Indian Child Welfare Act 
(ICWA). The BIA uses the information to determine the extent of service 
needs in local Indian communities, assess ICWA program effectiveness, 
and provide date for the annual program budget justification. The 
aggregated report is not considered confidential. The form must be 
completed by Federally recognized Tribes that operate child protection 
programs. Submission of this information by Federally recognized Tribes 
allows the BIA to consolidate and review selected data on Indian child 
welfare cases. The data is useful on a local level, to the Tribes and 
Tribal entities that collect it, for case management purposes. The data 
are useful on a nationwide basis for planning and budget purposes. We 
are proposing to revise the consolidated caseload form into two forms 
respectfully--Part A form, and Part B form--to facilitate the 
appropriate Tribal officials filling out each. In addition, we have 
attempted to make the forms more user-friendly by making the following 
changes:
     Improving the form language and instructions.
     Utilizing Plain English standards and limiting the use of 
technical terms and/or jargoon.
     Provide annual narrative guidance by adding 10 questions 
to the form.
     Clearly label State and Tribal data in the instructions 
and titles.
     Clearly define the difference between ICWA cases and Child 
Protection.
     Clearly define form submission dates, signatures, and 
certification roles of preparer and BIA Regional Social Worker.
    Title of Collection: Indian Child Welfare Quarterly and Annual 
Report.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0131.
    Form Number: Part A, Part B.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Federally recognized Tribes or Tribal 
entities that are operating programs for Tribes.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 565 per year, on 
average.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,260 per year, on 
average.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Approximately 30 minutes 
for Part A--ICWA Data; approximately 30 minutes for Part B--Tribal 
Child Abuse and Neglect Data.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,130 per year on 
average.
    Respondent's Obligation: A response is required to obtain a 
benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Four times per year for the Part A--ICWA 
Data; if applicable, four times per year for Part B--Tribal Child Abuse 
Neglect Data.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $0.

Authority

    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 OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Steven Mullen,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs 
and Collaborative Action--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-19755 Filed 9-3-24; 8:45 am]
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