Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4200-N-26]

Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal

Opportunity, 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 21, 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: Josie D. Harrison, Reports

Liaison Office, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Department of

Housing and Urban Development, 451--7th Street, SW, Room 5124,

Washington, D.C. 20410-5000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Kent (202) 708-2333, Extension

348 or (202) 708-1734 (TTY) (these are not toll-free numbers) 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 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, permitting

electronic submission of responses.

OMB Control Number: 25290034.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use:

The information is needed to ensure that HUD's recipients comply

with the Section 504 reporting requirements at:

24 CFR 8.21(c)(4) and 24 CFR 8.24 (d)--Transition Plans.

Recipients must develop transition plans setting forth the steps

necessary to complete structural changes that would make their programs

and activities accessible to persons with disabilities;

24 CFR 8.51--Self Evaluation. Recipients must evaluate

their current policies and practices to determine whether, in whole or

in part, they do not or may not meet the requirements of Section 504;

24 CFR 8.25(c)--Needs Assessment and Transition Plan.

Public/Indian housing authorities must assess the needs of current

tenants and applicants on waiting lists for accessible units and assess

the extent to which such needs have not been met or cannot reasonably

be met. PHAs must develop transition plans setting forth steps

necessary to complete structural changes, revealed by the needs

assessment, to make their programs and activities accessible to persons

with disabilities.

Agency Form Numbers: None.

Members of Affected Public: All recipients of Federal financial

assistance from this Department, including public and private non-

profit organizations and qualified persons with disabilities.

Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the

information collection including number of respondents, frequency of

response, and hours of response. On an annual basis, 200 respondents

(HUD recipients) will submit two (2) report(s) to HUD. It is estimated

that four (4) hours per annual reporting period will be required of a

recipient to prepare either of the reporting requirements for a total

of 1600.

Status of the proposed information collection: Revision of a

currently approved collection to reflect the collection of information

from HUD recipients only.

Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

44 U.S.C., as amended. Section 7(d) of the Department of Housing and

Urban Development Act, 42 U.S.C. 3535(d).

Dated: February 12, 1997.

Susan M. Forward,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Investigations.

[FR Doc. 97-4137 Filed 2-19-97; 8:45 am]

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