[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15531-15532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8210]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4200-N-47]
Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment;
Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Program
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement for the
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement program 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: June 2, 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: Reports Liaison Officer, Sheila
E. Jones, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451-7th Street,
SW, Room 7230, Washington, DC 20410.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Deirdre Maguire-Zinni, Director, Entitlement Communities Division,
(202) 708-1577 (this is not a toll-free number).
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 members of the public and
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to:
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2)
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the
[[Page 15532]]
information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission
of responses.
This Notice also lists the following information:
Title of Proposal: Community Development Block Grant Entitlement
Program.
OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2506.0077.
Description of the need for the information and proposed use:
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Entitlement grantees are
required by 24 CFR 570.506 to retain records necessary to document
compliance with statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, and OMB
Circulars applicable to the CDBG Entitlement Program. Also, Entitlement
grantees are required by Section 104(e) of Title I of the Housing and
Community Development Act to annually submit a performance report,
which is necessary for the Secretary to perform an annual review of
performance required by that section of the law, as well as providing
the documentation necessary to prepare the Annual Report to Congress on
the CDBG program.
Entitlement grantees will no longer be required to submit a
separate annual report (Grantee Performance Report or GPR) specifically
addressing all CDBG Entitlement program activities. Grantees will now
report on their CDBG activities in the Consolidated Annual Performance
and Evaluation Report (which would also include performance report
information for the HOME Investment Partnership, Emergency Shelter
Grants [ESG], and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS [HOPWA]
programs as well, should the CDBG grantee also be a recipient of any
funds under these programs).
The automated Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS)
will be a key component in the production of the Consolidated Annual
Performance and Evaluation Report. Grantees will input information
about their CDBG program activities into IDIS on an on-going basis
throughout their program year. Since data can be easily extracted from
IDIS to be included in the Consolidated Annual Performance and
Evaluation Report, the time necessary to produce the report will be
reduced. Duplication of information and inconsistent reporting will be
reduced also. There are no standard forms required to be used in the
Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, therefore
grantees have much flexibility with respect to its design and format.
The proposed information collection requirement includes a revision
of the currently approved recordkeeping and reporting requirements for
entitlement grantees in the CDBG program. The existing approval granted
under OMB Number 2506-0077 is due to expire May 31, 1997. The existing
approval includes the Final Statement (SF-424), which was submitted by
grantees as a condition for receiving their grant, and GPR (Forms HUD-
4949.1 through 4949.6), which was submitted at the end of each
grantee's program year.
This is to advise that the Final Statement will be excluded from
the information collection requirement, since the information
previously included in the Final Statement is now submitted to the
Department as part of the consolidated Submission for Community
Development Planning and Development Programs (see OMB approval No.
2506-0117).
Although the IDIS and the Consolidated Annual Performance and
Evaluation Report can contain information on a grantee's CDBG, HOME,
ESG, and HOPWA programs, this information collection requirement
submitted to OMB requests approval for CDBG Entitlement Program
recordkeeping and reporting requirements only.
The Department is in the process of converting all of its CDBG
Entitlement grantees into the IDIS. Given the wide range of grantee
program year start dates for 1997 (January 1, 1997 to October 1, 1997)
some grantees have yet to be fully converted into the IDIS. Some
communities may continue to report through the GPR until they are fully
converted into the IDIS. Also, the IDIS does not collect all
information necessary to meet all requirements for the Entitlement CDBG
program. Grantees will have to submit supplementary documents with
their Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report to meet
these requirements. In future program years, grantees will report
through the IDIS system, with supplementary documents submitted.
Members of affected public: Entitlement grantees of the Community
Development Block Grant Program.
Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the
information collection, including number of respondents, frequency of
response, and hours of response: The Department estimates that each of
its 925 grantees will annually use, on average, 125 hours to keep
records (non-IDIS recordkeeping) on their CDBG activities, and 305
hours to prepare reports on activities (both IDIS-generated and non-
IDIS reports).
570.506 (recordkeeping) (on-going): 925 x 125 hrs=115,625 hrs.
570.507 (reporting): 925 x 305 hrs=282,125 hrs.
Total burden hours=397,750 hrs.
Computation of reporting hours:
(Quarterly and annual reports from IDIS, annual total): 925 x 284
hrs=262,700
(Non-IDIS reports, Supplemental annual): 925 x 21 hrs=19,425
Total reporting hrs=282,125 hrs.
Status of the proposed information collection: Reinstatement, with
change, of a previously approved collection for which approval is near
expiration and request for OMB renewal for three years. The current OMB
approval expires in May 1997.
This report does not include 35,920 hours spent on Consolidated
Plan preparation and submission. Those hours are reported with 2606-
0117.
Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.
Dated: March 26, 1997.
Jacquie Lawing,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-8210 Filed 3-31-97; 8:45 am]
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