[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 43 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 10255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4851]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Submission of Information Collection for Probate to the Office of 
Management and Budget

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Submission to Office of Management and Budget for 
renewal.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are 
submitting to the Office of Management and Budget the information 
collection found in the general Probate of Indian Decedents' Estates, 
Except for Members of the Five Civilized Tribes regulations. The 
purpose of this data collection is to ensure that Probate regulations 
are administered for the benefit of individual Indians and any persons 
having claims against an Indian decedent's estate.

DATES: Submit comments or suggestions on or before April 5, 2004 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior by e-mail to [email protected] or by 
facsimile to (202) 395-6566.
    Send a copy of the comments to Ben Burshia, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Office of the Deputy Bureau Director--Trust Services, Division 
of Real Estate Services, MS 4512-MIB, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 
20240. Comments may also be telefaxed to (202) 219-1255. We cannot 
accept E-mail comments at this time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela D. Pittman, (202) 208-4861.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information provided through collection 
requirements is used by the Department of the Interior, BIA, to 
determine heirs and divide any funds held by the BIA for an Indian 
decedent and to divide the decedent's trust and restricted real 
property. The information is particularly used by the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs in:
    (a) Instructing an individual in starting the probate process;
    (b) Preparing a probate package for review;
    (c) Filing claims;
    (d) Disbursing assets; and
    (e) Filing appeals for adverse decisions.

Request for Comments

    A notice requesting comments was published in the Federal Register 
on July 22, 2003 (68 FR 43365). No comments were received. The Bureau 
of Indian Affairs now requests your comments on this collection be sent 
to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior at the Office of 
Management and Budget. Please address the following:
    (a) The necessity of this information collection for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (hours and 
cost) of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Ways we could enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways we could minimize the burden of the collection of the 
information on the respondents, such as facilitating use of automation 
for collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that an agency may not sponsor or request, and an 
individual need not respond to, a collection of information unless it 
has a valid OMB Control Number.
    It is our policy to make all comments available to the public for 
review at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section, Room 4522, 
during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday 
except for legal holidays. If you wish to have your name and/or address 
withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comments. We will honor your request according to the requirements of 
the law. All comments from organizations or representatives will be 
available for review. We may withhold comments from review for other 
reasons.
    OMB has up to 60 days to make a decision on the submission for 
renewal, but may make the decision after 30 days. Therefore, to receive 
the best consideration of your comments, you should submit them closer 
to 30 days than 60 days.

Information Collection Abstract

    OMB Control Number: 1076-0156.
    Type of Review: Renewal.
    Title: 25 CFR 15, Probate of Indian Estates, Except for Members of 
the Five Civilized Tribes.
    Brief Description of Collection: Information is collected through 
the probate process when BIA learns of decedent's death from a 
neighbor, friend, family, or any other interested person by providing a 
copy of decedent's obituary notice from a local newspaper; or an 
affidavit of death prepared by someone who knows about the decedent's 
death. BIA also requires other documents to process the probate 
package. An interested party must inform BIA if any of the documents or 
information identified are not available.
    Respondents: Possible respondents include: individual tribal 
members, individual non-Indians, individual tribal member-owned 
businesses, non-Indian owned businesses, tribal governments, and land 
owners who are seeking a benefit.
    Number of Respondents: 32,589 annually.
    Annual hours: 156,407.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: As required.

    Dated: February 27, 2004.
Dave Anderson,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 04-4851 Filed 3-3-04; 8:45 am]
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