[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 917-918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-169]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Renewal of Information Collection for Tribal Self-
Governance, 25 CFR Part 1000

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed renewal of information collection.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is seeking comments from 
the public on a renewal of an information collection from Indian tribes 
participating in and Indian tribes seeking to participate in the Tribal 
Self-Governance, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The 
information collected under OMB Clearance Number, 1076-0143, will be 
used to meet reporting requirements of the Tribal Self-Governance Act 
and implement requirements for entry into a pool of qualified 
applicants to be selected to begin participation in Tribal Self-
Governance. The information collection requirements are periodically 
reviewed because the number of Indian tribes participating in Tribal 
Self-Governance increases over time and the number of Indian tribes 
requesting to be selected to begin participation in Tribal Self-
Governance may vary over time. This action is being taken to make sure 
that the requirements are not burdensome.

DATE: Submit comments on or before March 10, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sharee M. Freeman, Director, Office of 
Self-Governance, Department of the Interior, Mail Stop 355-G-SIB, 1951 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may request further information or 
obtain copies of the proposed information collection request from Dr. 
Kenneth D. Reinfeld, Office of Self-Governance, Telephone 202-208-5734.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The collection is required by 25 U.S.C. 
458dd, which requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a written 
report to Congress regarding the administration of Title IV, Tribal 
Self-Governance, under Public Law 93-638, as amended. The report is 
required to: (1) Identify the relative costs and benefits of Self-
Governance; (2) identify, with particularity, all funds that are 
specifically or functionally related to the provision by the Secretary 
of services and benefits to Self-Governance tribes and their members; 
(3) identify the funds transferred to each Self-Governance tribe and 
the corresponding reduction in the Federal bureaucracy; (4) include the 
separate views of the tribes; and (5) include the funding formula for 
individual tribal shares of Central Office funds, together with the 
comments of affected Indian tribes. Respondents are asked to respond to 
the annual request for information in 90 days.
    In addition, the collection is required for tribes who request to 
be placed in a pool of qualified applicants and selected to participate 
in Tribal Self-Governance under 25 U.S.C. 458bb. The Act authorizes the 
Director, Office of Self-Governance to select up to 50 new tribes per 
year from an applicant pool to participate in Tribal Self-Governance. 
The qualified applicant pool consists of each tribe that: (1) 
Successfully completes a planning phase; (2) has requested 
participation in Tribal Self-Governance by resolution or other official 
action by the tribal governing body; and (3) has demonstrated, for the 
previous three fiscal years, financial stability and financial 
management capability as evidenced by the tribe having no material 
audit exceptions in the required annual audit of the self-determination 
contracts of the tribe.
    Request for Comments: The Bureau of Indian Affairs requests your 
comments on this collection concerning: (a) The necessity of this 
information collection 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 (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 or 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 355-G, 
during the hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m., EST Monday through Friday

[[Page 918]]

except for legal holidays. Please note that all comments received will 
be available for public review for 2 weeks after comment period closes. 
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address or other 
personally identifiable information, be advised that your entire 
comment--including your personally identifiable information--may be 
made public at any time. While you may request that we withhold your 
personally identifiable information, we cannot guarantee that we will 
be able to do so. All comments from organizations or representatives 
will be available for review. We may withhold comments from review for 
other reasons.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0143.
    Type of review: Renewal.
    Title: Tribal Self-Governance Program, 25 CFR Part 1000.
    Brief Description of Collection: The collection involves a 
voluntary submission by respondents and is intended to inform Congress 
of activities undertaken under Tribal Self-Governance. It also involves 
a mandatory submission by respondents who request to be selected to 
begin participation in Tribal Self-Governance.
    Respondents: Tribes and tribal consortia wishing to enter into a 
self-governance compact and funding agreement.
    Number of Respondents: 106.
    Estimated Time per Response: 42 Hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: 11,202.

    Dated: December 17, 2008.
Sanjeev ``Sonny'' Bhagowalia,
Chief Information Officer--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E9-169 Filed 1-8-09; 8:45 am]
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