Document ID: EPA-HQ-OARM-2016-0762-0002
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs
Posted Date: 2017-06-23T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 120 (Friday, June 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28653-28654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13146]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OARM-2016-0762; FRL-9963-18-OEI]

Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; General Administrative Requirements for 
Assistance Programs (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), General Administrative 
Requirements for Assistance Programs (Renewal), to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through June 30, 2017. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register on February 8, 2017 
during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given 
below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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 OMB 
control number.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 24, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OARM-2016-0762, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email to 
oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for 
EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth January, Office of Grants 
and Debarment, National Policy, Training and Compliance Division, Mail 
Code: 3903R, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (617) 918-8655; fax 
number: (202) 565-2470; email address: January.Elizabeth@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents for the General 
Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs (EPA ICR No. 
0938.21, OMB Control No. 2030-0020), which explain in detail the 
information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the public 
docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: The information is collected from applicants/recipients 
of EPA assistance to monitor adherence to the programmatic and 
administrative requirements of the Agency's financial assistance 
program. It is used to make awards, pay recipients, and collect 
information on how Federal funds are being spent. EPA needs this 
information to meet its Federal stewardship responsibilities. This ICR 
renewal requests authorization for the collection of information under 
EPA's General Regulation for Assistance Programs, which establishes 
minimum management requirements for all recipients of EPA grants or 
cooperative agreements (assistance agreements). Recipients must respond 
to these

[[Page 28654]]

information requests to obtain and/or retain a benefit (Federal funds). 
For awards made prior to December 26, 2014, 40 CFR part 30, ``Grants 
and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and 
Other Non-Profit Organizations,'' establishes the management 
requirements for institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other 
non-profit organizations, as well as procurement requirements for non-
governmental recipients. For awards made prior to December 26, 2014, 40 
CFR part 31, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments,'' includes the 
management requirements for States, local governments, and Indian 
Tribal governments. These regulations include only those provisions 
mandated by statute, required by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Circulars, or added by EPA to ensure sound and effective financial 
assistance management. For awards made on or after December 26, 2014, 2 
CFR 200 and EPA's implementation of 2 CFR 200 at 2 CFR 1500 ``Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for 
Federal Awards'' establishes the management requirements for all entity 
types. 40 CFR part 35 outlines policies and procedures for assistance 
agreements to State, interstate, and local agencies and Indian Tribes 
and Intertribal Consortia for pollution abatement and control programs 
(listed in Subparts A and B). The information required by these 
regulations will be used by EPA award officials to make assistance 
awards and assistance payments and to verify that the recipient is 
using Federal funds appropriately.
    Form Numbers: EPA Form 190-F-04-001, ``EPA Payment Request''; EPA 
Form 190-F-05-001, ``Fellowship Stipend Payment Enrollment Form''; EPA 
Form 4700-4, ``Preaward Compliance Review Report for All Applicants and 
Recipients Requesting Federal Financial Assistance''; EPA Form 5700-
52A, ``MBE/WBE Utilization Under Federal Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements''; EPA Form 5700-53, ``Lobbying and Litigation Certification 
for Grants and Cooperative Agreements''; EPA Form 5700-54, ``Key 
Contacts Form,'' and EPA Form 5700-54-2, ``Key Contacts Form for 
Multiple Principal Investigators''; EPA Form 5770-2, ``Fellowship 
Application''; EPA Form 5770-3, ``Fellowship Facilities and Commitment 
Statement''; EPA Form 5770-5, ``Agency Fellowship Certification''; EPA 
Form 5770-7, ``EPA Fellowship Activation Notice''; EPA Form 5770-8, 
``Fellowship Agreement''; EPA Form 5770-9, ``Completion of Studies 
Notice''; EPA Form 6600-01, ``EPA Administrative and Financial Onsite 
Review Questionnaire''; EPA Form 6600-06, ``Certification Regarding 
Lobbying''; EPA Form 6600-08, ``Lobbying Cost Certificate for Indirect 
Costs/Certificate of Indirect Costs for State and Local Governments''; 
EPA Form 6600-09, ``EPA Administrative Capability Questionnaire'' NCER 
Form 5, ``Current and Pending Support''.
    Respondents/affected entities: State and local governments, Indian 
Tribes, educational institutions, and not-for-profit institutions.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain an 
assistance agreement.
    Estimated number of respondents: 5,492 (total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion, quarterly, and annually.
    Total estimated burden: 90,124 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $5,263,533 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 64,882 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to adjustments in the number of 
respondents, the annual submissions per respondent, the burden hours 
for completion for all of its grant forms, and removed burden 
associated with two forms.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-13146 Filed 6-22-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P