Indian and Native American Welfare-to-Work Grant Program Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Indian and Native American Welfare-to-Work Grant Program Proposed

Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to

reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance

consultation process to provide the general public and Federal agencies

with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing

collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This process helps to

ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format,

reporting burdens are minimized, collection instruments are clearly

understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents

can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment and Training

Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning the revision of

the currently-approved preapplication and planning requirements for the

Indian and Native American Welfare-to-Work (INA WtW) Grant Program (OMB

Clearance Number 1205-0383) for the FY 1999 funding period. A copy of

the currently-approved information collection request (ICR), especially

FY 1998 preapplication and planning guidance, can be obtained by

contacting the office listed below in the address section of this

notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the

ADDRESSES section below on or before May 26, 1998.

The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments

which:

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;

Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate for

the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; and

Minimize the burden of the collection of information on

those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic

submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Thomas M. Dowd, Chief, Division of Indian and Native

American Programs, Employment and Training Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N-4641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 219-8502 ext 119 (VOICE) or

(202) 219-6338 (FAX) (these are not toll-free numbers) or Internet:

[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of

Labor is considering revisions to its currently-approved preapplication

and planning system for the Indian and Native American Welfare-to-Work

Grant Program for one more year (July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999).

Current authorization for the INA WtW program expires on September 30,

1999, but grantees can continue to expend funds for three years from

the date ``the funds are so provided''. This ICR concerns the

submission of applications and plans by Federally-recognized tribes and

Alaska Native entities (or consortia thereof) eligible to receive

funding under the Indian and Native American Welfare-to-Work (INA WtW)

program. These instructions include a preapplication process for those

tribes which do not operate a tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy

Families (TANF) program or a Native Employment Works (NEW) program, as

established by section 412(a)(3) of the amended Social Security Act [42

U.S.C. 612(a)(3)], and which did not qualify for a FY 1998 INA WtW

grant under the ``substantial services'' criteria. These non-TANF or

NEW tribes must qualify as INA WtW grantees under the ``substantial

services'' criteria established by the Department in accordance with

the provisions of section 412(a)(3)(B)(ii) [42 U.S.C. 612(a)(3)(B)(ii)]

of the Social Security Act, as amended. Once determined to have met the

``substantial services'' criteria, applicants must submit a plan

containing a Standard Form (SF) 424, the basic information on service

area,

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plans for providing client services, preliminary funding and

expenditure estimates, and standard assurances and forms common to most

Federal funds recipients. This request for comment is an attempt to

solicit input from those grantees which participated in the

preapplication and/or planning process for FY 1998, and which may have

recommendations for improving the process for FY 1999.

II. Current Actions

The proposed ICR will be a revision of Item no. 1205-0383, expiring

03/31/98 for the currently-approved system, that will be used by

approximately 80 INA WtW grantees as the preapplication and planning

vehicle for applying for INA WtW grants for FY 1999. Grantees will be

required to couch their FY 1999 INA WtW plans in terms of planned

numbers of enrolled individuals, their characteristics, training and

services to be provided, planned outcomes, including job placement and

wage data, as well as projections of program expenditures. Current

paperwork burdens are covered under OMB Clearance No. 1205-0383

(expiration date 3/31/98), and have been included in the following

burden estimates. For ease of analysis, the following burden estimate

is broken down into the two main components of INA WtW program

application: (1) Preapplication; and (2) planning.

Type of Review: Revision (with changes).

Agency: Employment and Training Administration.

Title: Indian and Native American Welfare-to-Work Grant Programs.

OMB Number: 1205-0383.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 17.254.

Frequency: Annual (Both preapplication and plan submission).

Affected Public: Federally-recognized tribes, Alaska Native

regional non-profit corporations, and/or consortia of any of the above.

Number of Respondents: 80.

Total Responses: 80.

Estimated Time Per Respondent: planning--6 hours; preapplication--3

hours.

Total Burden Hours: 480. (NOTE: no estimate is given for the

preapplication process, as only a few tribes or consortia which did not

receive FY 1998 INA WtW grants and which are neither TANF nor NEW

tribes will have to submit one to establish eligibility.)

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): None (planning and/or

preapplication is a once-a-year activity).

Signed at Washington, DC this 20th day of March, 1998.

Anna W. Goddard,

Director, Office of Special Targeted Programs.

[FR Doc. 98-7960 Filed 3-25-98; 8:45 am]

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