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AGENCY:
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION:
Notice of information collection; request for comment.
SUMMARY:
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.
DATES:
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 4, 2024.
ADDRESSES:
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection request (ICR) should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) through https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRA/icrPublicCommentRequest?ref_nbr=202405-1076-008 or by visiting https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain and selecting “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” and then scrolling down to the “Department of the Interior.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To request additional information about this ICR, contact Steven Mullen, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Suite 229, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104; comments@bia.gov; (202) 924-2650. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. You may also view the ICR at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/Forward?SearchTarget=PRA&textfield=1076-0131.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on June 21, 2024 (89 FR 52076). No comments were received.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(4) How might the agency 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 technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: The BIA is seeking to revise the information collection conducted under 25 CFR 23, related to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The BIA uses the information to determine the extent of service needs in local Indian communities, assess ICWA program effectiveness, and provide date for the annual program budget justification. The aggregated report is not considered confidential. The form must be completed by Federally recognized Tribes that operate child protection programs. Submission of this information by Federally recognized Tribes allows the BIA to consolidate and review selected data on Indian child welfare cases. The data is useful on a local level, to the Tribes and Tribal entities that collect it, for case management purposes. The data are useful on a nationwide basis for planning and budget purposes. We are proposing to revise the consolidated caseload form into two forms respectfully—Part A form, and Part B form—to facilitate the appropriate Tribal officials filling out each. In addition, we have attempted to make the forms more user-friendly by making the following changes:
- Improving the form language and instructions.
- Utilizing Plain English standards and limiting the use of technical terms and/or jargoon.
- Provide annual narrative guidance by adding 10 questions to the form.
- Clearly label State and Tribal data in the instructions and titles.
- Clearly define the difference between ICWA cases and Child Protection.
- Clearly define form submission dates, signatures, and certification roles of preparer and BIA Regional Social Worker.
Title of Collection: Indian Child Welfare Quarterly and Annual Report.
OMB Control Number: 1076-0131.
Form Number: Part A, Part B.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Federally recognized Tribes or Tribal entities that are operating programs for Tribes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 565 per year, on average.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,260 per year, on average.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Approximately 30 minutes for Part A—ICWA Data; approximately 30 minutes for Part B—Tribal Child Abuse and Neglect Data.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,130 per year on average.
Respondent's Obligation: A response is required to obtain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: Four times per year for the Part A—ICWA Data; if applicable, four times per year for Part B—Tribal Child Abuse Neglect Data.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $0.
Authority
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.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Steven Mullen,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-19755 Filed 9-3-24; 8:45 am]
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