[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14578-14579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5630]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Public Comment on the Proposed Adoption of ANA Program Policies 
and Procedures; Correction

AGENCY: Administration for Native Americans (ANA)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 814 of the Native American Programs Act of 
1974 (the Act) 42 U.S.C. 2992b-1, ANA herein describes its proposed 
interpretive rules, statements of general policy and rules of agency 
procedure or practice in relation to the Social and Economic 
Development Strategies (hereinafter referred to as SEDS), Native 
Language Preservation and Maintenance (hereinafter referred to as 
Native Language), Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (hereinafter 
referred to as Environmental), Environmental Mitigation (hereinafter 
referred to as Mitigation), Improving the Well-Being of Children--
Native American Healthy Marriage Initiative (hereinafter referred to as 
Healthy Marriage) programs and any Special Initiatives. Under the 
statute, ANA is required to provide members of the public an 
opportunity to comment on proposed changes in interpretive rules, 
statements of general policy and rules of agency procedure or practice 
and to give notice of the final adoption of such changes at least 
thirty (30) days before the changes become effective. This Notice also 
provides additional information about ANA's plan for administering the 
programs.
    On July 18, 2005, ANA published a Notice of Public Comment (NOPC) 
in the Federal Register (Vol. 70, No. 136) announcing an administrative 
policy change on the number of awards an eligible applicant could 
receive under the SEDS program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
number 93.612. This change only affected the Healthy Marriage program. 
On November 21, 2006, ANA published the annual NOPC in the Federal 
Register (Vol. 71, No. 224), which did not include a necessary 
correction to the revised administrative policy published on July 18, 
2005. On December 22, 2006, ANA published a third Federal Register 
notice (Vol. 71, No. 246) to clarify the revised administrative policy 
published on July 18, 2005, on the number of awards an eligible 
applicant could receive under the SEDS program, Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance number 93.612. ANA received three responses to the 
December 22, 2006, NOPC clarification. After review and consideration 
of the comments received, ANA determined that the administrative policy 
originally published on July 18, 2005, required clarification and 
revision. This Notice clarifies the agency's intent and provides a 
definitive statement on the number of awards an eligible applicant can 
receive under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 93.612.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila K. Cooper, Director of Program 
Operations, toll-free at (877) 922-9262.
    Additional Information: The following statement corrects previous 
notices:

VI. ANA Administrative Policy Change

    In the July 18, 2005, Federal Register (Vol. 70, No. 136), ANA made 
an administrative policy change that eligible applicants applying for 
funding under ANA's healthy marriage special initiative under Catalog 
of Federal Domestic Assistance number 93.612, would not be held to the 
long-standing ANA policy: ``An applicant can have only one active 
Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) grant operating at 
any given time.''
    On December 22, 2006, ANA published notice that ANA was clarifying 
its policy pertaining to

[[Page 14579]]

funding under the SEDS program. The Federal Register notice (Vol. 71, 
No. 246) stated that ANA was ``reinforcing the policy that applicants 
may submit only one application for SEDS or one application for NAHMI 
but not for both.'' Three public comments were received in response to 
the notice. All of the comments stated that Native communities 
experience tremendous needs and Tribes and Native Organizations plan 
and target their requests for financial assistance, and requested that 
ANA allow multiple awards under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
number 93.612. After review and further consideration of the comments, 
an analysis of the annual requests for funding, which far exceed the 
funding amount available, and review of the award distribution among 
applicants for ANA funding, it is necessary that ANA issue this Notice 
applying to the Healthy Marriage program ANA's long-standing policy 
that applicants may only receive one award at any one time under 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 93.612. Therefore, 
applicants may submit only one application for project funding under 
the SEDS program or one application for project funding under NAHMI, 
but not for both.

    Dated: February 26, 2007.
Sheila Cooper,
Director of the Division of Program Operations, Administration for 
Native Americans.
 [FR Doc. E7-5630 Filed 3-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P