[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 40 (Friday, February 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 9203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5015]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4200-N-32]
Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment
AGENCY: Office of the Chief Financial Officer, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement 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: April 29, 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: Erie T. Davis, Jr., CFO
Management Staff, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451
Seventh Street SW., Room 2102, Washington, DC 20410.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick Wallis, Telephone number (202) 708-0313 (this is not a toll-
free number) for copies of the proposed forms and other available
documents.
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 interested persons regarding
the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including any of the following subject: (1) The necessity
and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper
performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the
estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to
minimize the information collection burden.
This Notice also lists the following information:
Title of Proposal: HUD-27053, Request for Grant Payment, HUD-
27053A, Request for Homeless Grant Payment, HUD-27054 LOCCS Voice
Response Access Authorization.
OMB Control Number: 2535-0102.
Description of the need for the information and the proposed use:
HUD/CFO decided to process requests for payments to its grant
recipients through a Voice Response System after the Department of
Treasury closed down its Treasury Financial Communications System--
Letter of Credit (TRCS-LOC) at the end of calendar year 1990. Under
Voice Response, a caller submits a payment request directly to HUD
using a touch tone telephone. The caller is greeted by a ``DEC-TALK
Simulator'' prompting the caller to enter numbers and symbols from the
touch tone keypad. The above mentioned forms will be used in lieu of
the SF-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement or the TFS-5805,
Request for Funds, or the FMS-5401, Payment Voucher on Letter of Credit
pursuant to the requirements of Circular A-102, A-110, and TFM 6-2000.
These forms impose no additional burden on the recipient except for
filling out the access authorization form. Recipients will fill out
these forms in order to request payment of grant funds or to designate
the appropriate officials who can have access to the HUD voice
activated payment system. The request for payment forms have been
specially designed to help the recipient when calling in for a request
of funds. These forms will be used in lieu of the SF-270, Request for
Advance or Reimbursement or the SF-5805, Request for Funds. In
addition, these forms will be used as an internal control feature
instituted to support and safeguard Federal funds, as well as provide a
service to the recipients. The voice activated payment concept is the
latest in technology and provides a recipient a fast, reliable method
to obtain Federal funding. This method should improve the payment
process because the recipient will know before he/she hangs up the
phone whether their request will be paid or who to call if there is a
problem and the request was not processed by the system. All requests
processed by the system will be paid by ACH within 48 hours. No
duplication is involved with these forms since HUD will not require the
SF-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement. HUD is not using the SF-
270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement because we wanted a custom
designed form to prompt the caller to enter numbers and symbols from a
touch tone keypad. The SF-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement
would not easily facilitate this type of payment method. The associated
burden is the minimum needed to request payment of funds. The Voice
Response System will accept request of funds from a recipient on a
daily basis. However, a recipient should be using good cash management
practices and request payment of HUD funds administratively close to
when they have to pay their bills. Therefore, the frequency a recipient
requests funds will depend upon the types of activities he or she is
managing. We [HUD] do not violate the guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.6. We
consulted only with the Department of Health and Human Services in
February 1990, concerning their system and the costs associated with
using it. This payment system will require that the latest security
features be installed to deter excessive fraudulent payments. Only a
limited number of authorized officials will have access to the system
for updating purposes. No sensitive questions are asked. Cost to the
Federal Government is based on approximately $.03 a copy for the form
HUD-27054 and $.08 a copy for forms HUD-27053 and HUD-27053A to be
printed and distributed (including overhead) to recipients; Frequency:
Annually; Affected Public: Number of Respondents: 2,000; Total Annual
Responses: 237,200; Total Annual Hours: 41,133.
Agency form numbers: HUD-27053, HUD-27053A, HUD-27054.
Members of affected public: State, Local or Tribal Governments,
not-for-profit institutions.
An estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the
information collection is 41,133, number of respondents is 2,000,
frequency of response is annually and the total annual responses is
237,200.
Status of the proposed information collection: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.
Dated: February 21, 1997.
William H. Eargle, Jr.,
Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Accounting.
[FR Doc. 97-5015 Filed 2-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-01-M
