Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 2015 / Proposed Rules 13 

(ii) This record is maintained in 

accordance with § 86.3(b). 

(3) They are moved from the farm of 

origin for veterinary medical 

examination or treatment and returned 

to the farm of origin without change in 

ownership. 

(4) They are moved directly from one 

State through another State and back to 

the original State. 

(5) They are moved as a commuter 

herd with a copy of the commuter herd 

agreement or other document as agreed 

to by the States or Tribes involved in the 

movement. 

(6) Additionally, cattle and bison may 

be moved between shipping and 

receiving States or Tribes with 

documentation other than an ICVI, e.g., 

a brand inspection certificate, as agreed 

upon by animal health officials in the 

shipping and receiving States or Tribes. 

(7) The official identification number 

of cattle or bison must be recorded on 

the ICVI or alternate documentation 

unless: 

(i) The cattle or bison are moved from 

an approved livestock marketing facility 

directly to a recognized slaughtering 

establishment; or 

(ii) The cattle or bison are sexually 

intact cattle or bison under 18 months 

of age or steers or spayed heifers; Except 

that: This exception does not apply to 

sexually intact dairy cattle of any age or 

to cattle or bison used for rodeo, 

exhibition, or recreational purposes. 

* * * * * 

Done in Washington, DC, this 29th day of 

December 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30752 Filed 12–31–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

25 CFR Part 256 

[K00103 12/13 A3A10; 134D0102DR– 

DS5A300000–DR.5A311.IA000113; BIA– 

2014–0004] 

RIN 1076–AF22 

Housing Improvement Program 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs 

is proposing to amend its regulations 

governing its Housing Improvement 

Program, which is a safety-net program 

that provides grants for repairing, 

renovating, or replacing existing 

housing and for providing new housing. 

This proposed rule is an important part 

of the Tiwahe initiative, which is 

designed to promote the stability and 

security of Indian families. The 

proposed rule would align the program 

with other Federal requirements, allow 

leveraging of housing funds to increase 

the number of families served and 

projects funded, and expedite 

processing of waiting lists for housing 

assistance. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before March 6, 2015. See the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this document for dates of tribal 

consultations. Comments on the 

information collections contained in 

this proposed regulation are separate 

from those on the substance of the rule. 

Comments on the information collection 

burden should be received by February 

2, 2015 to ensure consideration, but 

must be received no later than March 6, 

2015. The dates of tribal consultations 

are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this document. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

—Federal rulemaking portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. The rule is 

listed under the agency name ‘‘Bureau 

of Indian Affairs.’’ The rule has been 

assigned Docket ID: BIA–2014–0004. 

—Mail or hand delivery: Elizabeth K. 

Appel, Director, Office of Regulatory 

Affairs & Collaborative Action, Indian 

Affairs, U.S. Department of the 

Interior, 1849 C St. NW., Mail Stop 

3642–MIB, Washington, DC 20240. 

Comments on the Paperwork 

Reduction Act information collections 

contained in this rule are separate from 

comments on the substance of the rule. 

Please submit comments on the 

information collection requirements in 

this rule to the Desk Officer for the 

Department of the Interior by email at 

OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or by 

facsimile at (202) 395–5806. Please also 

send a copy of your comments to 

consultation@bia.gov. 

Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this document 

for information on tribal consultation 

sessions. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Les Jensen, Division of Housing 

Assistance, Bureau of Indian Affairs at 

(907) 586–7397. Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service at 1 (800) 877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday 

through Friday, excluding Federal 

holidays. You may also view the 

information collection request as 

submitted to OMB at www.reginfo.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Housing Improvement Program 

(HIP) is a safety-net program that 

provides grants for the cost of services 

to repair, renovate, or replace existing 

housing and provide new housing for 

eligible members of federally recognized 

Indian tribes. The BIA administers the 

HIP under the regulations at 25 CFR part 

256. The BIA distributes HIP funding 

based on a priority ranking derived from 

a point system to identify those 

individuals and families most in need of 

housing assistance. Funding is restricted 

to individuals and families that reside 

in the tribe’s service area. In Fical Year 

(FY) 2014, the HIP will serve 

approximately 140 recipients. These 

recipients are individuals and families 

with extremely low incomes. 

II. Changes Proposed Rule Would Make 

This proposed rule would update 

various provisions to align the HIP with 

other Federal program requirements, 

allow leveraging of housing funds to 

increase the number of families served 

and projects funded, and provide tribes 

with flexibility to better address lengthy 

waiting lists of tribal members awaiting 

housing assistance. 

Categories of Assistance and Funding 

Limits 

Currently, the HIP provides funding 

for four categories of housing needs: 

• Category A—for repair of existing 

homes 

• Category B—for renovation of 

existing homes 

• Category C–1—for construction of 

replacement homes 

• Category C–2—for new housing. 

For each category, there is a monetary 

limit on the amount of funding a 

recipient may receive. The proposed 

rule would increase the limit for 

Category A funding from $2,500 to 

$7,500 and increase the limit for 

Category B funding from $35,000 to 

$60,000. The original limits are 

inadequate, given the average costs of 

repair and renovation. These limit 

increases will better reflect the actual 

costs of repair and renovation. The 

proposed rule would also add a new 

category of housing need for down 

payment assistance. 

Ranking Factors 

Currently, priority ranking is based on 

total numeric value (points) received 

under the ranking factors. The ranking 

factors are based on the applicant’s 

annual household income, whether 

there is an aged person living in the 

house, whether there is a disabled 


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14 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 2015 / Proposed Rules 

person living in the house, and family 

size. There are a certain number of 

points available for each of the ranking 

factors. Each applicant receives a certain 

number of points under each of the 

ranking factors. The proposed rule 

would update the current ranking 

factors, as shown in the table below. 

Ranking factor Proposed rule change Reason for change 

Annual Household Income ... Increase the income guidelines from 125 percent to 

150 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.

Those within 150 percent of the poverty level would be 

eligible, allowing the HIP to assist the very needy, in 

addition to the extremely needy. 

Age ....................................... Increase the age requirement from 55 years old to 62 

years old.

Align with the social security age for retirement. 

Age (continued) .................... Add one point for every year above 62 years old, and 

set a maximum of 15 points (currently, there is no 

maximum).

To provide tribes with flexibility to better address 

lengthy waiting lists of tribal members awaiting housing assistance. 

Disability ............................... Reduce the number of applicants to one per household 

and decrease the maximum number of points available for this category to 10 points (currently, the 

maximum is 20 points).

To provide tribes with flexibility to better address 

lengthy waiting lists of tribal members awaiting housing assistance. 

Family Size .......................... To provide that one dependent gets three points, and 

each additional dependent gets 3 points. Increase 

points for 5 or more dependents to a maximum of 15 

points (currently, the maximum for 6 or more dependents is 5).

To provide tribes with flexibility to better address 

lengthy waiting lists of tribal members awaiting housing assistance. 

The proposed rule would add new 

ranking factors for homelessness, 

overcrowding, and dilapidated 

housing—each with a maximum of 10 

points. These additional ranking factors 

are intended to better prioritize 

applicants who are homeless or in 

overcrowded or dilapidated housing 

conditions, by specifically examining 

whether these factors are present. 

Payback Agreements 

Under the HIP, the recipient may be 

required to enter a ‘‘payback agreement’’ 

which provides that the recipient will 

have to pay back the entire amount of 

funding received or a portion thereof if 

the recipient sells the home within a 

certain period of time. If the payback 

period expires, no payback is required 

and the money is considered a grant. 

Currently, for Category B, the payback 

period is 5 years. So, for example, a 

family that receives HIP funding for a 

home must repay the funding if the 

family sells the home within 5 years of 

receiving the funding. The proposed 

rule would lengthen the Category B 

payback period to 10 years. So, for 

example, a family that receives HIP 

funding for a home must repay the 

funding if the family sells the home 

within 10 years. Category C payback 

period remains the same, 20 years. 

Four-Year Application Period 

The proposed rule would also 

increase the time for consideration of an 

application to 4 years. Currently an 

application expires after one year, 

requiring an applicant who does not 

receive assistance under the HIP to 

reapply annually until assistance is 

received. The proposed rule would 

place each application in the 

application pool for four years, so an 

applicant need only apply once every 4 

years until assistance is received. 

Land Ownership Requirements 

HIP funding applicants must provide 

proof of land ownership before the grant 

award. The proposed rule would allow 

the applicant to provide proof of a 

homesite lease or proof that the 

applicant can obtain the land, even by 

lease, rather than requiring ownership. 

A certificate of title is required if and 

when the applicant becomes the owner 

of the home. 

Square-Footage Limits 

The proposed rule would also 

increase square-footage limits to allow 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

requirements to be met, when 

applicable, and clarify when ADA 

requirements apply. The following table 

shows the increases in square footage 

the proposed rule would make. 

Number of 

bedrooms in 

house 

Current and 

proposed square 

footages 

(SF) 

Total 

increase 

2 bedrooms 900 sf to 1,000 sf 100 sf. 

3 bedrooms 1,050 sf to 1,200 

sf.

50 sf. 

4 bedrooms 1,305 sf to 1,400 

sf.

95 sf. 

Other Changes 

The proposed rule would also make 

other revisions to update the regulations 

to address past implementation issues 

and better reflect current housing needs. 

Together, these proposed rule changes 

would allow for HIP assistance to 

families with very low income (rather 

than just families with extremely low 

income) and allow tribes to better 

address the large waiting lists they are 

experiencing. The changes would allow 

down-payment assistance for families 

that can obtain a mortgage loan from 

other Federal programs. 

III. Tribal Consultations 

The Department will be hosting 

consultation sessions with Indian tribes 

on this proposed rule; details on the 

times and locations will be posted at the 

following Web site when they become 

available: http://www.bia.gov/

WhoWeAre/AS-IA/ORM/HIP/index.htm. 

• Wednesday, February 4, 2015, at 

the National American Indian Housing 

Council legislative conference, at the 

Mayflower Renaissance Hotel, 1127 

Connecticut Ave. NW., Washington, DC 

(please check Web site for time). 

• Wednesday, February 11, 2015, in 

Anchorage, AK (please check Web site 

for details). 

• Wednesday, February 18, 2015, by 

teleconference (please check Web site 

for details). 

• Sunday, February 22, 2015, prior to 

the National Congress of American 

Indian Executive Council Winter 

Session, Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street 

NW., Washington, DC (please check 

Web site to confirm date and for time). 

IV. Procedural Matters 

A. Regulatory Planning and Review 

(E.O. 12866) 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 provides 

that the Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) will 

review all significant rules. OIRA has 

determined that this rule is not 

significant. E.O. 13563 reaffirms the 

principles of E.O. 12866 while calling 


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for improvements in the nation’s 

regulatory system to promote 

predictability, to reduce uncertainty, 

and to use the best, most innovative, 

and least burdensome tools for 

achieving regulatory ends. The E.O. 

directs agencies to consider regulatory 

approaches that reduce burdens and 

maintain flexibility and freedom of 

choice for the public where these 

approaches are relevant, feasible, and 

consistent with regulatory objectives. 

E.O. 13563 emphasizes further that 

regulations must be based on the best 

available science and that the 

rulemaking process must allow for 

public participation and an open 

exchange of ideas. We have developed 

this rule in a manner consistent with 

these requirements. 

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Department certifies that this rule 

will not have a significant economic 

effect on a substantial number of small 

entities under the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). It does not 

change current funding requirements or 

regulate small entities. 

C. Small Business Regulatory 

Enforcement Fairness Act 

This rule is not a major rule under 5 

U.S.C. 804(2), the Small Business 

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. It 

will not result in the expenditure by 

State, local, or tribal governments, in the 

aggregate, or by the private sector of 

$100 million or more in any one year. 

Nor will this rule have significant 

adverse effects on competition, 

employment, investment, productivity, 

innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based 

enterprises to compete with foreignbased enterprises. Funding for the HIP 

comes from the Federal Government 

budget. 

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

This rule does not impose an 

unfunded mandate on State, local, or 

tribal governments or the private sector 

of more than $100 million per year. The 

rule does not have a significant or 

unique effect on State, local, or tribal 

governments or the private sector. A 

statement containing the information 

required by the Unfunded Mandates 

Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is not 

required. 

E. Takings (E.O. 12630) 

Under the criteria in Executive Order 

12630, this proposed rule does not affect 

individual property rights protected by 

the Fifth Amendment nor does it 

involves a compensable ‘‘taking.’’ A 

takings implication assessment is not 

required. 

F. Federalism (E.O. 13132) 

Under the criteria in Executive Order 

13132, this proposed rule has no 

substantial direct effect on the States, on 

the relationship between the national 

government and the States, or on the 

distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. This rule updates 

the implementation requirements for the 

HIP, which is a Federal program. 

G. Civil Justice Reform (E.O. 12988) 

This proposed rule complies with the 

requirements of Executive Order 12988. 

Specifically, this rule has been reviewed 

to eliminate errors and ambiguity and 

written to minimize litigation; and is 

written in clear language and contains 

clear legal standards. 

H. Consultation With Indian Tribes 

(E.O. 13175) 

In accordance with the President’s 

memorandum of April 29, 1994, 

‘‘Government-to-Government Relations 

with Native American Tribal 

Governments,’’ Executive Order 13175 

(59 FR 22951, November 6, 2000), and 

512 DM 2, we have held several 

listening sessions with representatives 

of federally recognized tribes 

throughout the development of this 

proposed rule. In 2010, BIA staff 

implementing the HIP program opened 

a dialogue with Indian tribes because 

tribes indicated that the program as 

structured was not allowing them to 

make progress on their waiting lists of 

members with housing needs. The BIA 

has since held several listening sessions 

and has incorporated comments 

received during those listening sessions 

into this proposed rule. In addition, we 

are hosting tribal consultation sessions, 

as listed above, in Section III. 

I. Paperwork Reduction Act 

The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 

44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., prohibits a 

Federal agency from conducting or 

sponsoring a collection of information 

that requires OMB approval, unless 

such approval has been obtained and 

the collection request displays a 

currently valid OMB control number. 

Nor is any person required to respond 

to an information collection request that 

has not complied with the PRA. In 

accordance with 44 U.S.C. 3507(d), BIA 

has submitted the information 

collection and recordkeeping 

requirements of this proposed rule to 

OMB for review and approval. The 

following describes the information 

collection requirements in each section 

of the proposed rule. The information 

collection requirements differ from 

those in the current rule in that 

applicants need only submit a full 

application form every four years, but 

applicants must provide an update (in 

any format) annually if any information 

on the application changes. The 

application form associated with this 

information collection is also being 

updated. The revisions result in a net 

decrease of 4,000 hours because a full 

application is now required only once 

every four years, and applicants must 

only provide annual updates. 

Title: Housing Improvement Program, 

25 CFR part 256. 

OMB Control Number: New. 

Type of Review: New. 

Requested Expiration Date: Three 

years from the approval date. 

Summary: This information collection 

requires individuals and families that 

are seeking funding assistance for 

repair, renovation, or replacement of 

existing homes or new housing, to 

provide certain information to establish 

their eligibility for the HIP administered 

by BIA. This information collection is 

currently authorized by OMB Control 

Number 1076–0084. This new 

information collection request is a 

placeholder to accommodate revisions 

to the application form. There are 

changes to the total annual responses, 

burden hours, and cost burden. If this 

new information collection is approved, 

BIA will request a transfer of the 

existing OMB Control Number 1076– 

0084 to this information collection. 

Frequency of Collection: On occasion. 

Description of Respondents: Indian 

tribal members. 

Total Annual Responses: 10,000. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,000. 

Total Annual Non-Hour Cost Burden: 

$20,000. 

The Department invites comments on 

the information collection requirements 

of this proposed rule. You may submit 

comments to the OMB Desk Officer for 

the Department of the Interior by email 

at OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or by 

facsimile at (202) 395–5806. Please also 

send a copy of your comments to BIA 

at the location specified under the 

heading ADDRESSES. 

You can receive a copy of BIA’s 

submission to OMB, including the 

revised form, by contacting the person 

listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section, or by requesting the 

information from the Indian Affairs 

Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs & 

Collaborative Action, 1849 C Street 

NW., MS–3642, Washington, DC 20240. 

You may also view the information 

collection request as submitted to OMB 

at www.reginfo.gov. 

Comments on the information 

collection requirements should address: 


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16 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 2015 / Proposed Rules 

(1) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the HIP, including the 

practical utility of the information to 

BIA; (2) the accuracy of BIA’s burden 

estimates; (3) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information collected; and (4) ways to 

minimize the burden of collection of 

information on the respondents, 

including the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

J. National Environmental Policy Act 

This proposed rule does not 

constitute a major Federal action 

significantly affecting the quality of the 

human environment. 

K. Effects on the Energy Supply (E.O. 

13211) 

This proposed rule is not a significant 

energy action under the definition in 

Executive Order 13211. A Statement of 

Energy Effects is not required. 

L. Clarity of This Regulation 

We are required by Executive Orders 

12866 and 12988 and by the 

Presidential Memorandum of June 1, 

1998, to write all rules in plain 

language. This means that each rule we 

publish must: 

(a) Be logically organized; 

(b) Use the active voice to address 

readers directly; 

(c) Use clear language rather than 

jargon; 

(d) Be divided into short sections and 

sentences; and 

(e) Use lists and tables wherever 

possible. 

If you believe that we have not met 

these requirements, send us comments 

by one of the methods listed in the 

‘‘COMMENTS’’ section. To better help 

us revise the rule, your comments 

should be as specific as possible. For 

example, you should tell us which 

sections or paragraphs are unclearly 

written, which sections or sentences are 

too long, the sections where you believe 

lists or tables would be useful, etc. 

M. Public Availability of Comments 

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. 

N. Drafting Information 

The primary authors of this document 

are Les Jensen, Office of Indian Services, 

Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Elizabeth 

Appel, Director, Office of Regulatory 

Affairs & Collaborative Action—Indian 

Affairs, Department of the Interior. 

List of Subjects in 25 CFR Part 256 

Grant programs—housing and 

community development, Grant 

programs—Indians, Housing, Indians, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements. 

For the reasons given in the preamble, 

the Department proposes to amend 25 

CFR chapter I, subchapter K, to revise 

part 256 to read as follows: 

PART 256—HOUSING IMPROVEMENT 

PROGRAM (HIP) 

Sec. 

256.1 Purpose. 

256.2 Definitions. 

256.3 Policy. 

256.4 Information collection. 

256.5 What is the Housing Improvement 

Program? 

Subpart A—Determining Eligibility 

256.6 Am I eligible for the Housing 

Improvement Program? 

256.7 What housing services are available? 

256.8 When do I qualify for Category A 

assistance? 

256.9 When do I qualify for Category B 

assistance? 

256.10 When do I qualify for Category C 

assistance? 

256.11 When do I qualify for Category D 

assistance? 

256.12 Who administers the program? 

Subpart B—Applying for Assistance 

256.13 How do I apply for the Housing 

Improvement Program? 

256.14 How is my application processed? 

Subpart C—Receiving Assistance 

256.15 When will I hear if I have received 

funding? 

256.16 What if I don’t receive funding? 

256.17 How long will I have to wait for 

work on my house? 

256.18 Who decides what work will be 

done? 

256.19 How are work plans prepared? 

256.20 How will I find out what work is to 

be done? 

256.21 Who does the work? 

256.22 How are construction contractors or 

companies selected and paid? 

256.23 Do I have to move out while work 

is done? 

256.24 How can I be sure that construction 

work meets minimum standards? 

256.25 How will I find out that the work is 

done? 

256.26 Will I need flood insurance? 

256.27 Is my Federal government-assisted 

house eligible for services? 

256.28 I have a mobile home; am I eligible 

for help? 

256.29 Can HIP resources be combined with 

other available resources? 

256.30 Can I appeal actions taken under 

this part? 

Authority: 25 U.S.C. 13, 5 U.S.C. 301, 25 

U.S.C. 2 and 9, and 43 U.S.C. 1457. 

§ 256.1 Purpose. 

The purpose of the part is to define 

the terms and conditions under which 

assistance is given to Indians under the 

Housing Improvement Program (HIP). 

§ 256.2 Definitions. 

As used in this part 256: 

Agency means the current 

organizational unit of BIA that provides 

services to or with the governing body 

or bodies and members of one or more 

specified Indian tribes. 

Appeal means a written request for 

review of an action or the inaction of an 

official of BIA that is claimed to 

adversely affect the interested party 

making the request, as provided in part 

2 of this chapter. 

Applicant means an individual(s) 

filing an application for services under 

the HIP. 

BIA means the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs in the Department of the Interior. 

Category A means the HIP funding 

category for minor repair not to exceed 

limits in § 256.7 of this part. 

Category B means the HIP funding 

category for renovation not to exceed 

limits in § 256.7 of this part. 

Category C–1 means the HIP funding 

category for an owned house that cannot 

be brought up to standard housing 

condition for $60,000 or less. 

Category C–2 means the HIP funding 

category for owned land as defined in 

§ 256.13(g)(1)–(5). 

Category D means the HIP funding 

category for down payment assistance as 

defined in § 256.11(a)–(c). 

Certificate of Title or Ownership 

means a document giving legal right to 

a house constructed with HIP funds. 

Child means a person under the age 

of 18 or such other age of majority as is 

established for purposes of parental 

support by tribal or state law (if any) 

applicable to the person at his or her 

residence, except that no person who 

has been emancipated by marriage can 

be deemed a child. 

Cost effective means the cost of the 

project is within the cost limits for the 

category of assistance and adds 

sufficient years of service to the house 

to satisfy the recipient’s housing needs. 

Dilapidated housing means a house 

which in its present condition 

endangers the life, health, or safety of 

the residents. 

Disabled means having a physical or 

intellectual impairment that 


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substantially limits one or more major 

life activities. 

Family means one or more persons 

living within a household. 

Homeless means being without a 

home. 

House means a building for human 

habitation that serves as living quarters 

for one or more families. 

Household means persons living with 

the head of household who may be 

related or unrelated to the head of 

household and who function as 

members of a family. 

Independent trades person means any 

person licensed to perform work in a 

particular vocation pertaining to 

building construction. 

Indian means any person who is a 

member of any federally recognized 

Indian tribe. 

Indian tribe means an Indian or 

Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, 

pueblo, village or community that the 

Secretary of the Interior acknowledges 

to exist as an Indian tribe pursuant to 

Public Law 103–454, 108 Stat. 4791. 

Overcrowding means a number of 

occupants per house that exceed limits 

identified in § 256.11. 

Permanent members of household 

means adults living in the household 

who intend to live there continuously 

and any children who meet the 

definition of child in this part. 

Regional Director means the officer in 

charge of a BIA regional office or his/her 

authorized delegate. 

Secretary means the Secretary of the 

Interior. 

Service area means any of the 

following within a geographical area 

designated by the tribe and approved by 

the Regional Director to which services 

can be delivered: 

(1) Reservations (former reservations 

in Oklahoma); 

(2) Allotments; 

(3) Restricted lands; and 

(4) Indian-owned lands (including 

lands owned by corporations 

established pursuant to the Alaska 

Native Claims Settlement Act). 

Servicing housing office means the 

tribal housing office or bureau housing 

office administering the HIP. 

Standard housing means a house that 

meets the definition of standard 

housing condition in this part. 

Standard housing condition means 

meets applicable building codes within 

that region and meets each of the 

following conditions: 

(1) General construction conforms to 

applicable tribal, county, State, or 

national codes and to appropriate 

building standards for the region. 

(2) The heating system has the 

capacity to maintain a minimum 

temperature of 70 degrees in the house 

during the coldest weather in the area 

and be safe to operate and maintain and 

deliver a uniform heat distribution. 

(3) The plumbing system includes a 

properly installed system of piping and 

fixtures certified by a licensed plumbing 

contractor. 

(4) The electrical system includes 

wiring and equipment properly 

installed to safely supply electrical 

energy for lighting and appliance 

operation certified by a licensed 

electrician according to the applicable 

electrical code. 

(5) The number of occupants per 

house does not exceed these limits: 

(i) Two bedroom house: Up to four 

persons; and 

(ii) Three-bedroom house: Up to seven 

persons. 

(6) The first bedroom has at least 120 

sq. ft. of floor space and additional 

bedrooms have at least 100 sq. ft. of 

floor space each. 

(7) The house site provides 

economical access to utilities and is 

easy to enter and leave. 

(8) The house has access to school bus 

routes, if the household includes 

children who rely on school buses. 

Substandard housing means any 

house that does not meet the definition 

of standard housing condition in this 

part. 

Superintendent means the BIA official 

in charge of an agency office. 

§ 256.3 Policy. 

(a) The BIA housing policy is that 

every American Indian and Alaska 

Native should have the opportunity for 

a decent home and suitable living 

environment, which is consistent with 

the national housing policy. The HIP 

will serve the neediest of the needy 

Indian families who have no other 

resource for standard housing. 

(b) Every American Indian or Alaska 

Native who meets the basic eligibility 

criteria defined in § 256.6 may 

participate in the HIP. 

(c) The BIA encourages tribal 

participation in administering the HIP. 

Tribal involvement is necessary to 

ensure that the services provided under 

the program respond to the needs of 

tribes and program participants. 

(d) The BIA encourages partnerships 

and leveraging with other 

complementary programs to increase 

basic benefits derived from the HIP, 

such as an agreement with: 

(1) The Indian Health Service to 

provide water and sanitation facilities; 

(2) The United States Department of 

Agriculture, Rural Development to 

leverage downpayment assistance for a 

new unit; or 

(3) Any other program and resource. 

(e) The servicing housing office will 

issue a Certificate of Title or Ownership 

in accordance with these regulations. 

§ 256.4 Information collection. 

The information collection 

requirements contained in this part have 

been approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget under 44 

U.S.C. 3507 et seq. and assigned control 

number 1076–0084. The information is 

collected to determine applicant 

eligibility for services and eligibility to 

participate in the program. Response is 

required to obtain a benefit. 

§ 256.5 What is the Housing Improvement 

Program? 

The HIP is a safety-net program that 

provides grants for the cost of services 

to repair, renovate, or replace existing 

housing, and/or provide housing. The 

program provides grants to the neediest 

of the needy Indian families who: 

(a) Live in substandard housing or are 

homeless; and 

(b) Have no other resource for 

assistance. 

Subpart A—Determining Eligibility 

§ 256.6 Am I eligible for the Housing 

Improvement Program? 

You are eligible for the HIP if you 

meet all of the following criteria: 

(a) You are a member of a federally 

recognized Indian tribe; 

(b) You live in an approved tribal 

service area; 

(c) Your annual income is 150 percent 

or less of the Department of Health and 

Human Services poverty income 

guidelines, which are available from 

your servicing housing office or the 

Department of the Interior Web site at 

www.bia.gov; 

(d) Your present housing is 

substandard as defined in § 256.2; 

(e) You meet the ownership 

requirements for the assistance needed, 

as defined in § 256.8, § 256.9, or 

§ 256.10; 

(f) You have no other resource for 

housing assistance; 

(g) You have not previously received 

assistance relating to categories as 

defined in § 256.9 and § 256.10; 

§ 256.11; and 

(h) You did not acquire your present 

housing through participation in a 

Federal government-sponsored housing 

program. 

§ 256.7 What housing services are 

available? 

Four categories of assistance are 

available under the HIP, as outlined in 

the following table. 


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Type of 

assistance What it provides Where to find information 

Category A ........ Up to $7,500 in safety or sanitation repairs to the house in which you live, which will remain substandard. 

Can be provided more than once, but not for more than one house and the total assistance cannot exceed $7,500. (For Alaska, freight cost not to exceed 100 percent of the cost of materials can be added 

to the cost of the project.).

§ 256.8 

Category B ........ Up to $60,000 in renovation, which will bring your house to standard housing condition, as defined in 

§ 256.2 of this part. Can only be provided once. (For Alaska, freight cost not to exceed 100 percent of 

the cost of materials can be added to the cost of the project.).

§ 256.9 

Category C ........ A modest house that meets the criteria in § 256.10 of this part and the definition of standard housing in 

§ 256.2 of this part and whose costs are determined by and limited to the criteria in § 256.19(b) and (c) 

of this part. Can only be provided once. (For Alaska, freight cost not to exceed 100 percent of the cost 

of materials can be added to the cost of the project.).

§ 256.10 

Category D ........ A down payment toward the purchase of a modest house that meets the definition of standard housing in 

§ 256.2.

§ 256.11 

§ 256.8 When do I qualify for Category A 

assistance? 

You qualify for interim improvement 

assistance under Category A if it is not 

cost effective to repair the house in 

which you live and if either of the 

following is true: 

(a) Other resources to meet your 

housing needs exist but are not 

immediately available; or 

(b) You qualify for replacement 

housing under Category C, but there are 

no HIP funds available to replace your 

house. 

§ 256.9 When do I qualify for Category B 

assistance? 

You qualify for renovation assistance 

under Category B if you meet all of the 

following criteria: 

(a) Your servicing housing office 

determines that it is cost effective to 

renovate the house. 

(b) You occupy and own the house. 

(c) Your servicing housing office 

determines that the renovation will 

bring the house to standard housing 

condition according to all applicable 

building codes. 

(d) You sign a written agreement 

stating that, if you sell the house within 

10 years of the completion of repairs 

and renovation: 

(1) The grant under this part will be 

voided; and 

(2) At the time of settlement of the 

sale of the house, you will repay BIA the 

full cost of all renovations made under 

this part. 

§ 256.10 When do I qualify for Category C 

assistance? 

(a) You qualify for replacement 

housing assistance under Category C if 

you meet one of the three sets of 

requirements in the following table. 

You qualify for Category C assistance if . . . And . . . And . . . 

(1) You own the house in which 

you are living as defined in 

§ 256.14(g)(1)–(5).

The house cannot be brought up to applicable building code standards and to standard housing condition for $60,000 or less. (For 

Alaska, freight cost not to exceed 100 percent of the cost of materials can be added to the cost of the project).

[No additional requirement]. 

(2) You do not own a house ........... You own land that is suitable for housing ............................................. The land has adequate ingress 

and egress rights and reasonable access to utilities. 

(3) You do not own a house ........... You have a leasehold or the ability to acquire a leasehold on land 

that is suitable for housing and the leasehold is undivided and for 

not less than 25 years at the time you receive assistance.

The land has adequate ingress 

and egress rights and reasonable access to utilities. 

(b) If you qualify for assistance under 

paragraph (a) of this section, you must 

sign a written grant agreement stating 

that, if you sell the house within 10 

years of assuming ownership: 

(1) The grant under this part will be 

voided; and 

(2) At the time of settlement of the 

sale of the house, you will repay BIA the 

full cost of the house. 

(c) If you sell the house more than 10 

years after you assume ownership, the 

following conditions apply: 

(1) You may retain 10 percent of the 

original cost of the house per year, 

beginning with the eleventh year. 

(2) If you sell the house after 20 years, 

you will not have to repay BIA. 

(d) A modest house provided with 

Category C assistance must meet the 

standards in the following table. 

Number of 

occupants 

Number of 

bedrooms 1

Total square 

footage 1

(maximum) 

Up to 4 persons 2 1000 

Up to 7 persons 3 1200 

Over 7 persons 4 1400 

1 Determined by the servicing housing office, 

based on composition of family. Total living 

space must comply with applicable American 

Disabilities Act requirements. 

§ 256.11 When do I qualify for Category D 

assistance? 

(a) You qualify for grant assistance 

under Category D if you apply for 

financing from tribal, Federal, or other 

sources of credit and have inadequate 

income or limited financial resources to 

meet the lender requirements for home 

ownership. 

(b) The grant must not exceed the 

amount necessary to secure the loan and 

may be used for down-payment 

assistance, closing costs, education in 

financial literacy, and home ownership 

counseling. Participation in other 

complementary housing programs is 

encouraged. 

(c) The method of awarding the grant 

must ensure that the funds are used for 

the purpose intended. 

§ 256.12 Who administers the program? 

The HIP is administered by a 

servicing housing office operated by 

either a tribe (under a Pub. L. 93–638 

contract or a self-governance annual 

funding agreement) or BIA. 


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Subpart B—Applying for Assistance 

§ 256.13 How do I apply for the Housing 

Improvement Program? 

(a) First, obtain an application, BIA 

Form 6407, from your servicing housing 

office or the BIA Web site. 

(b) Second, complete and sign BIA 

Form 6407. 

(c) Third, submit your completed and 

signed application to your servicing 

housing office. 

(d) Fourth, furnish to the servicing 

housing office documentation proving 

your tribal membership. Examples of 

acceptable documentation include a 

copy of your Certificate of Degree of 

Indian Blood (CDIB) or a copy of your 

tribal membership card. 

(e) Fifth, provide proof of income 

from all permanent members of your 

household. 

(1) Submit signed copies of current 

1040 tax returns from all permanent 

members of the household, including 

W–2s and all other attachments. Submit 

the social security number of the 

applicant only. 

(2) Provide proof of all other income 

from all permanent members of the 

household. This includes unearned 

income such as social security, general 

assistance, retirement, and 

unemployment benefits. 

(3) If you or other household members 

did not file a tax return, submit a signed 

notarized statement explaining why you 

did not. 

(f) Sixth, furnish a copy of your 

annual trust income statement for your 

Individual Indian Money (IIM) account 

from your home agency. If you do not 

have an IIM account, furnish a 

statement from your home agency to 

that effect. 

(g) Seventh, provide proof of 

ownership of the residence and land or 

potential leasehold interest: 

(1) For fee property, provide a copy of 

a fully executed deed, which is 

available at your local county or parish 

court house; 

(2) For trust property, provide 

certification of ownership from your 

home agency; 

(3) For tribally owned land, provide a 

copy of a properly executed tribal 

assignment, certified by the tribe; 

(4) For multi-owner property, provide 

a copy of a properly executed lease; 

(5) For a potential lease, provide proof 

of ability to acquire an undivided 

leasehold (that is, you will be the only 

lessee) for a minimum of 25 years from 

the date of service; or 

(6) For down-payment assistance, 

provide a description and the location 

of the house to be purchased, 

verification of your intent to purchase, 

and the sale price of the house. 

(h) Eighth, if you seek down payment 

assistance provide a letter from the 

institution where you have applied for 

mortgage financing that specifies: 

(1) The down-payment amount; and 

(2) The closing costs required for you 

to qualify for the loan. 

§ 256.14 How is my application 

processed? 

(a) The servicing housing office will 

review your application. If your 

application is incomplete, the office will 

notify you, in writing, of what is needed 

to complete your application and of the 

date by which it must be submitted. If 

you do not return your application by 

the deadline date, you will not be 

considered for assistance in that 

program year. 

(b) The servicing housing office will 

use your completed application to 

determine if you are eligible for the HIP. 

(1) If you are found ineligible for the 

program, the servicing housing office 

will advise you in writing within 45 

days of receipt of your completed 

application. 

(2) If you are found eligible for the 

program, the servicing housing office 

will assess your application for need, 

according to the factors and numeric 

values shown in the following table. 

Factor Ranking factor and definition Ranking description Point value 

1 .......... Annual household income: Must include income of all persons counted in Factors 2, 3, 4. Income includes earned income, royalties, and one-time income. A household with an income 151 percent of 

more of the Federal poverty guidelines is ineligible for HIP.

Income as a 

percentage 

of the Federal poverty 

guidelines: 

0–25 

26–50 

Points: 

25 

20 

51–75 15 

76–100 10 

101–125 5 

126–150 0 

2 .......... Aged person: Person age 62 or older and must be living in the house. Maximum points awarded 

under this factor is 15, regardless of the number of years over age 62. Thus, a resident that is 78 

or older will add 15 points to the score.

Years of age: 

Less than 62 

62 and older 

Points: 

0 

1 point per 

year over 

age 62 

3 .......... Disabled individual: One or more disabled persons living in the house. Must fit under established definition of ‘‘disabled as in § 256.2.’’ Maximum points awarded under this factor is 10, regardless of 

the number of disabled residents.

If a there is a 

disabled 

resident 

10 

4 .......... Dependent Children: Must be under the age of 18 or such other age established for purposes of parental support by tribal or state law (if any). Must live in the house and not be married. Maximum 

points awarded under this factor is 15.

Number of 

dependent 

children: 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 or more 

Points: 

3 

6 

9 

12 

15 

5 .......... Other conditions: ........................................................................................................................................

• Homeless ...............................................................................................................................................

• Overcrowded conditions .........................................................................................................................

• Dilapidated house (must meet definition of dilapidated as defined in § 256.2) .....................................

If any of the 

three conditions is 

present 

10 

Maximum points awarded under this factor is 10, regardless of whether more than one condition is 

present 


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Factor Ranking factor and definition Ranking description Point value 

6 .......... Applicants with an approved financing package ....................................................................................... If applicant 

has approved financing 

30 

(c) The servicing housing office will 

develop a list of the applications 

received and considered for the HIP for 

the current program year. The list will 

include, at a minimum, all of the 

following: 

(1) The number of applications 

received and, of those, the number 

considered. 

(2) The rank assigned to applicants in 

order of need, from highest to lowest, in 

accordance with tribal approval and 

knowledge of need, based on the total 

numeric value assigned using the factors 

in paragraph (b) of this section. (In case 

of a tie, the family with the lower 

income per household member will be 

listed first.) 

(3) The estimated allowable costs of 

the improvements, renovations, and 

replacement projects for each applicant 

and for the entire priority list. This data 

must identify which applicants will be 

served based on the amount of available 

funding, starting with the neediest 

applicant and continuing until the 

available funding is depleted. 

(4) A list of the applicants not ranked, 

with an explanation of why they weren’t 

ranked (such as the reason for 

ineligibility or the reason for incomplete 

application). 

(d) The servicing housing office 

submits to the regional office an annual 

fiscal year report that includes all of the 

following: 

(1) Number of eligible applicants; 

(2) Number of applicants that received 

service; 

(3) Names of applicants that received 

service; and 

(4) All of the following for each 

applicant that received service: 

(i) Date of construction start; 

(ii) Date of construction completion; 

(iii) Cost; and 

(iv) HIP category. 

Subpart C—Receiving Assistance 

§ 256.15 When will I hear if I have received 

funding? 

Your servicing housing office will 

inform you whether you will receive 

funds in writing within 45 days after it 

completes the list required by 

§ 256.14(c). 

(a) If funding is available, the office 

will send you complete information on 

how to obtain HIP services. 

(b) If funding is not available, the 

office will send you instructions on how 

to update your application for funding 

for the next available program year. 

§ 256.16 What if I don’t receive funding? 

If you don’t receive funding, your 

servicing housing office will retain and 

consider your application for 4 years. 

During this 4-year period, you must 

ensure that the information on your 

application is still accurate and provide 

an annual written update if any 

information has changed. 

§ 256.17 How long will I have to wait for 

work on my house? 

How long it takes to do work on your 

house depends on: 

(a) Whether funds are available; 

(b) The type of work to be done; 

(c) The climate and seasonal 

conditions where your house is located; 

(d) The availability of a contractor; 

(e) Your position on the priority list; 

and 

(f) Other unforeseen factors. 

§ 256.18 Who decides what work will be 

done? 

The servicing housing office will 

determine what work is to be done on 

your house or whether your house will 

be replaced. The servicing housing 

office also provides the priority list 

annually to the Indian Health Service if 

the Indian Health Service is responsible 

for verifying availability or feasibility of 

water and wastewater facilities. 

§ 256.19 How are work plans prepared? 

(a) First, a trained and qualified 

representative of your servicing housing 

office will visit your house to identify 

what renovation and or replacement 

will be done under the HIP. The 

representative will ensure that flood, 

National Environmental Protection Act 

(NEPA) and earthquake requirements 

are met. 

(b) Second, based on the list of 

renovations or replacement to be done, 

your servicing housing office will 

estimate the total cost of renovation to 

your house. Cost estimates will be based 

on locally available services and 

product costs, or other regional-based, 

industry-recognized cost data, such as 

that provided by the MEANs or 

Marshall Swift. If the house is located 

in Alaska, documented, reasonable, 

substantiated freight costs, in 

accordance with Federal Property 

Management Regulations (FPMR 101– 

40), not to exceed 100 percent of the 

cost of materials, can be added to the 

cost of the project. 

(c) Third, the servicing housing office 

will determine which HIP category the 

improvements to your house meet, 

based on the estimated cost of 

renovation or replacement. If the 

estimated cost to renovate your house is 

more than $60,000, your servicing 

housing office will recommend your 

house for replacement or refer you to 

another source for housing. The other 

source does not have to be for a 

replacement house; it may be for 

government-subsidized rental units or 

other sources for standard housing. 

(d) Fourth, your servicing housing 

office will develop a detailed, written 

report called a scope of work, that 

identifies what and how the renovation 

or construction work on your house will 

be accomplished. The scope of work is 

used to inform potential bidders of what 

work is to be done. When the work 

includes new construction, the scope of 

work will be supplemented with a set of 

construction plans and specifications. 

The construction plans must: 

(1) Meet the occupancy and square 

footage criteria in § 256.10 (d); and 

(2) Provide complete and detailed 

instructions to the builder. 

§ 256.20 How will I find out what work is 

to be done? 

The servicing housing office will 

notify you in writing what work is being 

scheduled under the HIP. You will be 

requested to approve the scheduled 

work by signing a copy of the notice and 

returning it to the servicing housing 

office. Work will start after you return 

the signed copy to the servicing housing 

office. 

§ 256.21 Who does the work? 

Your house will be renovated or 

replaced by either: 

(a) A licensed and bonded 

independent contractor or construction 

company; or 

(b) A tribe that operates the HIP under 

an Indian Self-Determination and 

Education Assistance Act agreement. 


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§ 256.22 How are construction contractors 

or companies selected and paid? 

(a) A tribe that operates the HIP under 

an Indian Self-Determination and 

Education Assistance Act agreement 

may renovate or replace your house. In 

that case, the tribe will not select or pay 

another vendor for the repairs or 

construction. 

(b) If a tribe that operates the HIP 

decides not to renovate or replace your 

house itself, your servicing housing 

office must follow approved 

procurement regulations, Federal 

procurement or other Bureau-approved 

tribal procurement policy. 

(1) Your servicing housing office will: 

(i) Develop a scope of work or 

statement of work that identifies the 

work to be performed; 

(ii) Have the BIA or tribal 

procurement office use a bid 

specification to invite bids on the 

project from interested parties; and 

(iii) Approve the winning bidder after: 

(A) Technical review of the bids by 

and written recommendation from BIA 

or the tribal procurement office; and 

(B) Determination that the bidder is 

qualified and capable of completing the 

project as advertised. 

(2) [Reserved] 

(c) Payments to the winning bidder 

are negotiated in the contract and based 

on specified delivery of services. 

(1) Partial payments to independent 

contractors will not exceed 80 percent 

of the value of the completed and 

acceptable work. 

(2) Recommendation for final 

payment will be made after final 

inspection and after all provisions of the 

contract have been met and all work has 

been completed. 

§ 256.23 Do I have to move out while work 

is done? 

(a) You will be notified by your 

servicing housing office that you must 

vacate your house only if: 

(1) It is scheduled for major 

renovations requiring that all occupants 

vacate the house for safety reasons; or 

(2) It is scheduled for replacement, 

which requires demolition of your 

current house. 

(b) If you are required to vacate the 

premises during construction, you are 

responsible for: 

(1) Locating other lodging; 

(2) Paying all costs associated with 

vacating and living away from the 

house; and 

(3) Removing all your belongings and 

furnishings before the scheduled 

beginning work date. 

§ 256.24 How can I be sure that 

construction work meets minimum 

standards? 

(a) At various stages of construction, 

a trained and qualified representative of 

your servicing housing office or a 

building inspector will review the work 

to ensure that it meets construction 

standards and building codes. Upon 

completion of each stage, further 

construction can begin only after the 

inspection occurs and approval is 

granted. 

(b) Inspections of construction and 

renovation will occur, at a minimum, at 

the following stages: 

(1) Upon completion of inspection 

footings and foundations; 

(2) Upon completeion of inspection 

rough-in, roughwiring, and plumbing; 

and 

(3) At final completion. 

§ 256.25 How will I find out that the work 

is done? 

Your servicing housing office will 

advise you, in writing, that the work has 

been completed in compliance with the 

project contract. Also, you will have a 

final walk-through of the house with a 

representative of your servicing housing 

office. You will be requested to verify 

that you received the notice of 

completion of the work by signing a 

copy of the notice and returning it to 

your servicing housing office. 

§ 256.26 Will I need flood insurance? 

You will need flood insurance if your 

house is located in an area identified as 

having special flood hazards under the 

Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 

(Pub. L. 93–234, 87 Stat. 977). Your 

servicing housing office will advise you. 

§ 256.27 Is my Federal governmentassisted house eligible for services? 

No. The intention of this program is 

to assist the neediest of the needy, who 

have never received services from any 

other Federal entity. 

§ 256.28 I have a mobile home; am I 

eligible for help? 

Yes. If you meet the eligibility criteria 

in § 256.6 and funding is available, you 

can receive any of the HIP services 

identified in § 256.7. If you request 

Category B services and your mobile 

home has exterior walls less than three 

inches thick, you must be considered for 

Category C services. 

§ 256.29 Can HIP resources be combined 

with other available resources? 

Yes. HIP resources may be 

supplemented with other available 

resources (e.g., in-kind assistance; tribal 

or housing authority; and any other 

leveraging mechanism identified in 

§ 256.3(d)) to increase the number of 

HIP recipients. 

§ 256.30 Can I appeal actions taken under 

this part? 

You may appeal action or inaction by 

a BIA official, in accordance with 25 

CFR part 2. 

Dated: December 21, 2014. 

Kevin K. Washburn, 

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30692 Filed 12–31–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–4J–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

33 CFR Part 117 

[Docket No. USCG–2014–1029] 

RIN 1625–AA09 

Drawbridge Operation Regulation; 

Hoquiam River, Hoquiam, WA 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to 

temporarily change the operating 

schedule that governs the Simpson 

Avenue Bridge on the Hoquiam River, 

mile 0.5, at Hoquiam, Washington. The 

proposed rule change is necessary to 

accommodate Washington State 

Department of Transportation’s 

(WSDOT) extensive maintenance and 

restoration efforts on that bridge. The 

bridge is currently scheduled to open on 

signal if at least one hour of notice is 

given. From April 1, 2015 to November 

30, 2015, the Coast Guard proposes to 

only open half of the bascule, a single 

leaf, of the bridge when at least two 

hours of notice is given. 

DATES: Comments and related material 

must reach the Coast Guard on or before 

February 2, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by docket number USCG– 

2014–1029 using any one of the 

following methods: 

(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

(2) Fax: 202–493–2251. 

(3) Mail or Delivery: Docket 

Management Facility (M–30), U.S. 

Department of Transportation, West 

Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590–0001. Deliveries 

accepted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except federal 

holidays. The telephone number is 202– 

366–9329. 


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