30dayFRnotice

4310-4J-P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service

AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior and Indian Health Services, Health and Human Services

ACTION: Notice of Submission of Information Collection to the Office of Management and Budget

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service are submitting the information collection, titled “Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Programs, 25 CFR 900” to the Office of Management and Budget for renewal. The information collection, OMB Control # 1076-0136, is used to process contracts, grants or cooperative agreements for award by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service as authorized by the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The Act was amended and is set forth in 25 CFR Part 900. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services invite you to submit comments to the OMB on the information collection described below.

DATE: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before [Insert date 30 days after date of publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER].

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the information collection to the Desk Officer for Department of the Interior, by facsimile at (202) 395- 6566 or you may send an e-mail to: [email protected]

Please send copy of comments to Terry Parks, Office of Indian Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, MS 4513 I SIB, Washington, DC 20240. You may telefax comments on this information collection to (202) 208-5113. You may also hand deliver written comments or view comments at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may request further information or obtain copies of the information collection request submission from Terry Parks, Office of Indian Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, MS 4513 SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or (202) 513-7625. .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Representatives of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services and Tribes developed a joint rule, 25 CFR Part 900, to implement section 107 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as amended, Title I, Public Law 103-413, the Indian Self-Determination Contract Reform Act of 1994. Section 107 (a) (2) (A) (ii) of the Indian Self-Determination Contract Reform Act requires the joint rule to permit contracts and grants be awarded to Indian tribes without the unnecessary burden or confusion associated with two sets of rules and information collection requirements when legislation treats this as a single program covering two separate agencies. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service estimate that the base burden hours established for this Information Collection Request, OMB 1076-0136, will be slightly increased even though we removed one section which was a federal responsibility. The number of burden information collection reports of 25 CFR Part 900 decreased slightly because some tribes are contracting under 25 CFR 900.8 which permits tribes to contract several programs under a single contract. The complexity of the reports has offset the contracting multiple programs burden hours, therefore the burden hours estimates increased slightly.

The information requirements for this joint rule represent significant differences from other agencies in several respects. Both the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service let contracts for multiple programs whereas other agencies usually award single grants to tribes. Under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as amended, and the Indian Self-Determination Contract Reform Act of 1994, tribes are entitled to contract and may renew contracts annually where other agencies provide grants on a discretionary/competitive basis.

The proposal and other supporting documentation identified in this information collection is used by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services to determine applicant eligibility, evaluate applicant capabilities, protect the service population, safeguard Federal funds and other resources, and permit the Federal agencies to administer and evaluate contract programs. Tribal governments or tribal organizations provide the information by submitting Public Law 93-638 contract or grant proposals to the appropriate Federal agency. No third party notification or public disclosure burden is associated with this collection.

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: The Bureau of Indian Affairs, DOI and Indian Health Services, DHHS requests you to send your comments on this collection to the locations listed in the ADDRESSES section.

Your comments should address: (a) the necessity of the information collection for the proper performance of the agencies, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agencies’ estimate of the burden (hours and cost) of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways we could enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways we could minimize the burden of the collection of the information on the respondents, such as through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Please note that an agency may not sponsor nor request, and an individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it has a valid OMB Control Number.

It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section, room 4513-Main Interior Building, during the hours of 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday except for legal holidays. If you wish to have your name and/ or address withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. We will honor your request according to the requirements of the law. All comments from organizations or representatives will be available for review. We may withhold comments from review for other reasons.

OMB Control Number: 1076-0136

Title: “Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Contracts, 25 CFR 900.”

Brief Description of collection: A Tribe or Tribal organization may be required to respond from 1 to 12 times per year, depending upon the number of programs they contract from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service. Each response may vary in its length. In addition, each Subpart concerns different parts of the contracting process. For example, Subpart C relates to provisions of the contents for the initial contract proposal. The burden associated with this would not be used when contracts are renewed. Subpart F describes minimum standards for the management systems used by Indian tribes or tribal organizations under these contracts. Subpart G addresses the negotiability of all reporting and data requirements in the contract.

Type of review: Renewal

Respondents: 550

Total Annual burden to Respondents: 219,792 hours

Time per response: Varies from 10 to 50 hours, with an average of 45 hours per response.

Total number of responses: 5267

Date: ________________________ Date: _____________________________

______________________________ ___________________________________

Michael D. Olsen Robert G. McSwain

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Deputy Director of

Department of the Interior Indian Health Services

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