Notice2022-03364
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 17, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Telecommunications and Information Administration
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, following the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. This Notice of Information Collection is for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Baseline Report, Performance Report and Annual Report. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding the submission of the collection to OMB.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9041-9042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03364]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, following the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the public and other Federal agencies to
comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which helps
us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and
minimize the public's reporting burden. This Notice of Information
Collection is for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Baseline
Report, Performance Report and Annual Report. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding the
submission of the collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before April 18, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
mail to Jennifer Duane, Director, Grants Management, Administration,
and Compliance, Office of internet Connectivity and Growth, National
Telecommunication and Information Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4887, Washington, DC 20230,
or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6200100d030600030c06171103220c160b034c050d14"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e88a9a87898c8a89868c9d9b89a8869c8189c68f879e">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference TBCP Data
Collection in the subject line of your comments. Do not submit
Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
Jennifer Duane, Director, Grants Management, Administration, and
Compliance, via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ce6e8f9ede2e9cce2f8e5eda2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32585647535c57725c465b531c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2446564b454046454a40515745644a504d450a434b52"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4426362b252026252a20313725042a302d256a232b32">[email protected]</span></a>; or via
telephone at (202) 482-2048.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), authorized by the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N, Title IX, Section
905(c), Public Law 116-260, 134 stat. 1182 (Dec. 27, 2020) (Act),
provides new federal funding for grants to eligible entities to expand
access to and adoption of: (i) Broadband service on Tribal Land; or
(ii) for programs that promote the use of broadband to access remote
learning, telework, or telehealth resources. The TBCP will make up to
$980,000,000 available for federal assistance to the following eligible
entities: (i) A Tribal Government; (ii) a Tribal College or University;
(iii) the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on behalf of the Native
Hawaiian Community, including Native Hawaiian Education Programs; (iv)
a Tribal organization; or (v) an Alaska Native Corporation. The purpose
of the TBCP is to improve the quality of life, spur economic
development and commercial activity, create opportunities for remote
employment and online entrepreneurship, remote learning, and telehealth
by expanding broadband access and providing digital training and
inclusion programs to Native American communities.
On June 3, 2021, NTIA published the program's Notice of Funding
Opportunity (NOFO) on <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> to describe the requirements under
which it will award grants for the TBCP.\1\ The NOFO required award
recipients to submit financial reports, performance (technical)
reports, and annual reports to the NTIA Federal Program Officer and the
NOAA Grants Officer and Grants Specialist. Award recipients must follow
the reporting requirements described in Sections A.01, Reporting
Requirement, of the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance
Standard Terms and Conditions (dated November 12, 2020). Additionally,
in accordance with 2 CFR part 170, all recipients of a federal award
made on or after October 1, 2010, must comply with reporting
requirements under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency
Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-282).
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\1\ See Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) Notice of
Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (June 3, 2021), <a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333974">https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333974</a> (available under the
``Related Documents'' tab).
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NTIA will use the information collected from each award recipient
to effectively administer and monitor the grant program to ensure the
achievement of TBCP program purposes and account for the expenditure of
federal funds to deter waste, fraud, and abuse.
II. Method of Collection
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Award recipients will submit
financial and performance reports on a semi-annual basis for the
periods ending March 31st and September 30th of each year, and an
annual report no later than one year after receiving grant funds and
until they have expended all funds. The Baseline Report is a one-time
collection of information from award recipients covering project plans
and details about key outputs and outcomes that is due within 45 days
of the issuance of the award. NTIA will collect data through electronic
submission.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 06XX-XXXX.
Form Number(s): TBD.
Type of Review: New information collection.
Affected Public: Grant award recipients consisting of Tribal
Governments, Tribal Colleges or Universities, the Department of
Hawaiian Home Lands, Tribal organizations, or Alaska Native
Corporations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.
Estimated Time per Response: 33.22.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 30,636.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $816,449.40.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N,
Title IX, Section 905(c), Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182 (Dec. 27,
2020).
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to:
(a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility.
(b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost
burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used.
(c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected.
(d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond,
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
[[Page 9042]]
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 2022-03364 Filed 2-16-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P
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