[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 241 (Friday, December 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74491-74492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30203]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR 5604-N-15]
Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request
Community Development Block Grant Recovery (CDBG-R) Program
AGENCY: Office of Community Planning and Development, 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 Date: February 12, 2013.
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: Colette Pollard, Departmental
Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 4160, Washington, DC 20410;
telephone: 202-708-3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or email Ms.
Pollard for a copy of the proposed form and other available
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Johnson, Director, Entitlement
Communities Division, Office of Block Grant Assistance, 451 7th Street
SW., Room 7282, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-1577 (this is
not a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is submitting 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).
This 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 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 Recovery
(CDBG-R) Program.
OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2506-0184.
Description of the need for the information and proposed use: This
request identifies the estimated reporting burden associated with the
reporting of CDBG-R assisted activities as they are completed and
closing out the CDBG-R program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) appropriated $1 Billion in Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to states and local governments
that received CDBG funding in Fiscal Year 2008 to carry out, on an
expedited basis, eligible activities under the CDBG program. The
purpose of the CDBG-R funding was to stimulate the economy through
measures that modernized the Nation's infrastructure, improved energy
efficiency, and expanded educational opportunities and access to health
care. All CDBG-R funds were required to be expended by September 30,
2012. Any CDBG-R funds remaining after that date were recaptured by HUD
and returned to Treasury.
The Recovery Act did not specify a requirement regarding the date
for completion of CDBG-R assisted activities, although grantees were
required to give preference to activities that could be started and
completed expeditiously. While the CDBG-R expenditure deadline has
passed, all CDBG-R assisted activities have not been completed. New
activities were added over time when grantees amended their 2008
substantial amendments to add such activities because previously
identified activities came in under budget, were identified as
imprudent, or did not meet the purposes of the Recovery Act. Once CDBG-
R assisted activities meet a national objective and are physically
complete, grantees may proceed in closing out their CDBG-R programs.
Grantees must complete their final reports in federalreporting.gov
before closing out their CDBG-R grants. HUD expects grantees to be
ready to begin closing out their grants by March 31, 2013.
Once final reports are completed in federalreporting.gov, grantees
may begin the process of closing out their CDBG-R grants. This process
requires grantees to submit their final federalreporting.gov report and
prepare and submit a CDBG-R Program Grantee Closeout Certification, a
CDBG-R closeout checklist, Grant Closeout Agreement, and a Federal
Financial Report (SF 425) to local HUD Field Offices.
The Recovery Act requires that not later than 10 days after the end
of each calendar quarter, each recipient that received recovery funds
from a federal agency shall submit a report to that agency that
contains: (1) The total amount of recovery funds received from that
agency; (2) the amount of recovery funds received that were expended or
obligated to projects or activities; and (3) a detailed list of all
projects or activities for which recovery funds were expended or
obligated, including (A) the name of the project or activity; (B) a
description of the project or activity; (C) an evaluation of the
completion status of the project or activity; (D) an estimate of the
number of jobs created and the number of jobs retained by the project
or activity; and (E) for infrastructure investments made by State and
local governments, the purpose, total cost, and rationale of the agency
for funding the infrastructure investment with funds made available
under the Recovery Act
[[Page 74492]]
and name of the person to contact at the agency if there are concerns
with the infrastructure investment.
An update of the status of activities identified here must be
reported quarterly in federalreporting.gov. In addition, not later than
30 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter, each agency
that made Recovery Act funds available to any recipient shall make the
information in reports submitted publicly available by posting the
information on a Web site. Grantees that have ongoing CDBG-R assisted
activities are required to continue reporting quarterly on those
activities until they are completed.
Information must be submitted using HUD's IDIS system and in
federalreporting.gov. Pursuant to Section 1512 of the Recovery Act,
CDBG-R grantees must enter the data into IDIS on a quarterly basis for
generation of reports by HUD or other entities. In addition, grantees
are required to submit reports in federalreporting.gov on a quarterly
basis. Grantees will report in IDIS and federalreporting.gov for CDBG-R
assisted activities, recordkeeping requirements, and reporting
requirements.
The Recovery Act imposes additional reporting requirements
including, but not limited to, information on the environmental review
process, the expected completion of the activity, the type of activity,
and the location of the activity.
Agency form numbers, if applicable: Not applicable.
Members of affected public: Grant recipients (metropolitan cities
and urban counties) participating in the CDBG-R Entitlement 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 number of respondents was 1,167.
However, some grantees have completed all CDBG-R assisted activities
and have closed out their CDBG-R program grants. The remaining
estimated number of respondents carrying out CDBG-R assisted activities
and/or closing out their CDBG-R programs is 200. The proposed frequency
of the response to the collection is quarterly. The total estimated
burden is 25,600 hours.
Status of the proposed information collection: This submission is a
revision of a currently approved collection. The current OMB approval
expires on January 31, 2013.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, as amended.
Dated: December 7, 2012.
Mark Johnston,
Assistant Secretary (Acting).
[FR Doc. 2012-30203 Filed 12-13-12; 8:45 am]
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