2017-28051. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood

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.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 29, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Send written comments on this information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior by email at [e-mail]; or via facsimile to [phone]. Please provide a copy of your comments to Ms. Laurel Iron Cloud, Chief, Division of Tribal Government Services, Office of Indian Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 3645 MIB, Washington, DC 20240; facsimile: [phone]; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1076-0179 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Ms. Laurel Iron Cloud by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at [phone]. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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 October 16, 2017 (82 FR 48110). No comments were received.

We are again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the BIA; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the BIA enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the BIA minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology.

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 renewal of the approval for the information collection conducted under the numerous laws authorizing BIA to administer program services to Indians, provided that the individual possess a minimum degree of Indian or Alaska Native blood. When applying for program services authorized by these laws, an applicant must provide acceptable documentation to prove that he or she meets the minimum required degree of Indian or Alaska Native blood. Currently, the BIA certifies an individual's degree of Indian or Alaska Native blood if the individual can provide sufficient information to prove his or her identity and prove his or her descent from an Indian ancestor(s) listed on historic documents approved by the Secretary of the Interior that include blood degree information. To obtain the CDIB, the applicant must fill out an application form and provide supporting documents.

Title of Collection: Request for Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood.

OMB Control Number: 1076-0153.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 100,000 per year, on average.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 100,000 per year, on average.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: 1.5 hours.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 150,000.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain a Benefit.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $400,000.

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.).

Dated: December 20, 2017.

Elizabeth K. Appel,

Director, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs.