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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20358-20359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7707]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

Notice of Proposed Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of Acquisition and Property 
Management.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: A proposal to extend the collection of information listed 
below (OMB Control Number 1084-0033) has been submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Public comments on this 
submission are solicited.

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information 
collection, but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments 
should be submitted to OMB by May 24, 2007, in order to be assured of 
consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send your written comments to the Office of Management and 
Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention, 
Department of the Interior Desk Officer, by fax to 202-395-6566, or by 
e-mail to [email protected]. Please send a copy of your written 
comments to the Office of the Secretary Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, Sue Ellen Sloca, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW., MS 
120 SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or via e-mail to [email protected]. Individuals providing comments should reference OMB 
control number 1084-0033, ``Private Rental Survey.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instrument, please write to the above address, or 
call Michael C. Wright on 202-208-5399, write Michael C. Wright at Mail 
Stop 2607, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240, or e-mail him on 
Michael-- [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 
1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-
13), require that interested members of the public and affected 
agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and 
recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)). This notice identifies 
an existing information collection activity that the Office of the 
Secretary has submitted to OMB for extension.
    Public Law 88-459 authorizes Federal agencies to provide housing 
for Government employees under specified circumstances. In compliance 
with OMB Circular A-45 (Revised), Rental and Construction of Government 
Quarters, a review of private rental market housing rates is required 
at least once every 5 years to ensure that the rental, utility charges, 
and charges for related services to occupants of Government Furnished 
Quarters (GFQ) are comparable to corresponding charges in the private 
sector. To avoid unnecessary duplication and inconsistent rental rates, 
the Office of Acquisition and Property Management (PAM) conducts 
housing surveys in support of quarters management programs for the 
Departments of the Interior (DOI), Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, 
Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation, Treasury, Health and Human 
Services, and Veterans Affairs. In this survey, two collection forms 
are used: OS-2000, covering ``Houses--Apartments--Mobile Homes'' and 
OS-2001, covering ``Trailer Spaces.''
    This collection of information provides data that helps DOI and the 
other Federal agencies to manage GFQ within the requirements of OMB 
Circular A-45 (Revised.) If this information were not collected from 
the public, DOI and the other Federal agencies required to provide GFQ 
would have no objective basis for determining open market rental costs 
for GFQ.

[[Page 20359]]

II. Data

    (1) Title: Private Rental Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 1084-0033.
    Current Expiration Date: 04/30/2007.
    Type of Review: Information Collection: Renewal.
    Affected Entities: About 178 individuals or households, and 4212 
businesses and other for-profit institutions.
    Estimated annual number of responses:

OS-2000: 4,090.
OS-2001: 300.
Total: 4,390.

    Frequency of response: Ranges from 1 to 2.1 per respondent per 
year, on the average.

    Note: Each of 15 regions is surveyed every 4th year, with 3-4 
regions being surveyed each year.

    (2) Annual reporting and record keeping burden.
    Estimated burden per response:

OS-2000: 12 minutes.
OS-2001: 10 minutes.

    Total annual reporting:

OS-2000: 818 hours.
OS-2001: 50 hours.
Total: 868 hours.

    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: This 
information collection provides the data that enables DOI to determine 
open market rental costs for GFQ. These rates, in turn, enable DOI and 
other Federal agencies to manage GFQ within the requirements of OMB 
Circular A-45 (Revised.)

III. Request for Comments

    An initial opportunity for the public to comment on the Office of 
the Secretary's proposal to extend this information collection was 
announced in the Federal Register on December 13, 2006. The Office of 
the Secretary received no comments in response to its 60-day notice and 
request for comments. The public now has a second opportunity to 
comment on this proposal.
    The Department of the Interior invites comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection and the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to 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 collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide 
information to or for a federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize 
technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able 
to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to 
complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or 
otherwise disclose the information.
    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 Office of Management and Budget control number.

    Dated: April 17, 2007.
Debra E. Sonderman,
Director, Office of Acquisition and Property Management.
[FR Doc. E7-7707 Filed 4-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-RK-P
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