[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15531-15532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8210]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4200-N-47]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; 
Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Program

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement for the 
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement program described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department 
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comments due: June 2, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Sheila 
E. Jones, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451-7th Street, 
SW, Room 7230, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Deirdre Maguire-Zinni, Director, Entitlement Communities Division, 
(202) 708-1577 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35 as amended).
    The Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to: 
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) 
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the

[[Page 15532]]

information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission 
of responses.
    This Notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Community Development Block Grant Entitlement 
Program.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2506.0077.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: 
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Entitlement grantees are 
required by 24 CFR 570.506 to retain records necessary to document 
compliance with statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, and OMB 
Circulars applicable to the CDBG Entitlement Program. Also, Entitlement 
grantees are required by Section 104(e) of Title I of the Housing and 
Community Development Act to annually submit a performance report, 
which is necessary for the Secretary to perform an annual review of 
performance required by that section of the law, as well as providing 
the documentation necessary to prepare the Annual Report to Congress on 
the CDBG program.
    Entitlement grantees will no longer be required to submit a 
separate annual report (Grantee Performance Report or GPR) specifically 
addressing all CDBG Entitlement program activities. Grantees will now 
report on their CDBG activities in the Consolidated Annual Performance 
and Evaluation Report (which would also include performance report 
information for the HOME Investment Partnership, Emergency Shelter 
Grants [ESG], and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS [HOPWA] 
programs as well, should the CDBG grantee also be a recipient of any 
funds under these programs).
    The automated Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) 
will be a key component in the production of the Consolidated Annual 
Performance and Evaluation Report. Grantees will input information 
about their CDBG program activities into IDIS on an on-going basis 
throughout their program year. Since data can be easily extracted from 
IDIS to be included in the Consolidated Annual Performance and 
Evaluation Report, the time necessary to produce the report will be 
reduced. Duplication of information and inconsistent reporting will be 
reduced also. There are no standard forms required to be used in the 
Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, therefore 
grantees have much flexibility with respect to its design and format.
    The proposed information collection requirement includes a revision 
of the currently approved recordkeeping and reporting requirements for 
entitlement grantees in the CDBG program. The existing approval granted 
under OMB Number 2506-0077 is due to expire May 31, 1997. The existing 
approval includes the Final Statement (SF-424), which was submitted by 
grantees as a condition for receiving their grant, and GPR (Forms HUD-
4949.1 through 4949.6), which was submitted at the end of each 
grantee's program year.
    This is to advise that the Final Statement will be excluded from 
the information collection requirement, since the information 
previously included in the Final Statement is now submitted to the 
Department as part of the consolidated Submission for Community 
Development Planning and Development Programs (see OMB approval No. 
2506-0117).
    Although the IDIS and the Consolidated Annual Performance and 
Evaluation Report can contain information on a grantee's CDBG, HOME, 
ESG, and HOPWA programs, this information collection requirement 
submitted to OMB requests approval for CDBG Entitlement Program 
recordkeeping and reporting requirements only.
    The Department is in the process of converting all of its CDBG 
Entitlement grantees into the IDIS. Given the wide range of grantee 
program year start dates for 1997 (January 1, 1997 to October 1, 1997) 
some grantees have yet to be fully converted into the IDIS. Some 
communities may continue to report through the GPR until they are fully 
converted into the IDIS. Also, the IDIS does not collect all 
information necessary to meet all requirements for the Entitlement CDBG 
program. Grantees will have to submit supplementary documents with 
their Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report to meet 
these requirements. In future program years, grantees will report 
through the IDIS system, with supplementary documents submitted.
    Members of affected public: Entitlement grantees of the Community 
Development Block Grant Program.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection, including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: The Department estimates that each of 
its 925 grantees will annually use, on average, 125 hours to keep 
records (non-IDIS recordkeeping) on their CDBG activities, and 305 
hours to prepare reports on activities (both IDIS-generated and non-
IDIS reports).

570.506 (recordkeeping) (on-going): 925 x 125 hrs=115,625 hrs.
570.507 (reporting): 925 x 305 hrs=282,125 hrs.
    Total burden hours=397,750 hrs.
Computation of reporting hours:
    (Quarterly and annual reports from IDIS, annual total): 925 x 284 
hrs=262,700
    (Non-IDIS reports, Supplemental annual): 925 x 21 hrs=19,425
    Total reporting hrs=282,125 hrs.
    Status of the proposed information collection: Reinstatement, with 
change, of a previously approved collection for which approval is near 
expiration and request for OMB renewal for three years. The current OMB 
approval expires in May 1997.
    This report does not include 35,920 hours spent on Consolidated 
Plan preparation and submission. Those hours are reported with 2606-
0117.

    Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: March 26, 1997.
Jacquie Lawing,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-8210 Filed 3-31-97; 8:45 am]
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