Notice2025-07234

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Secretarial Elections

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
April 28, 2025

Issuing agencies

Interior DepartmentIndian Affairs Bureau

Abstract

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), are proposing to renew an information collection.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 80 (Monday, April 28, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 80 (Monday, April 28, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17613-17614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07234]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[256A2100DD/AAKP300000/A0A501010.000000; OMB Control Number 1076-0183]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Secretarial 
Elections

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), are proposing to renew an 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 28, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) through <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRA/icrPublicCommentRequest?ref_nbr=202405-1076-021">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRA/icrPublicCommentRequest?ref_nbr=202405-1076-021</a> or by visiting 
<a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a> and selecting ``Currently 
under Review--Open for Public Comments'' and then scrolling down to the 
``Department of the Interior.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Mullen, Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative 
Action--Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1001 Indian 
School Road NW, Suite 229, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104; 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#50333f3d3d353e2423103239317e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3754585a5a5259434477555e5619505841">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>; (202) 924-2650. Individuals in the United States who 
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may 
dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services. You may also view the ICR at <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/Forward?SearchTarget=PRA&textfield=1076-0183">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/Forward?SearchTarget=PRA&textfield=1076-0183</a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we 
provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an 
opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection 
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period on 
this collection of information was published on June 21, 2024 (89 FR 
52076). No comments were received.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are 
especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.

[[Page 17614]]

    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. 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 can 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.
    Abstract: Under the Indian Reorganization Act, Tribes have the 
right to organize and adopt constitutions, bylaws, and any amendments 
thereto and to ratify charters of incorporation through elections 
called by the Secretary of the Interior, according to rules prescribed 
by the Secretary. See 25 U.S.C. 5123, 5124, 5203. The Secretary's rules 
for conducting these elections, known as ``Secretarial elections,'' and 
approving the results are at 25 CFR part 81.
    In most cases, the Tribe requests a Secretarial election; however, 
an individual voting member of a Tribe may also request a Secretarial 
election by petition. These rules also establish the procedures for an 
individual to petition for a Secretarial election. The BIA requires the 
Tribe to submit a formal request for Secretarial election, including: A 
Tribal resolution; the document or language to be voted on in the 
election; a list of all Tribal members who are age 18 or older in the 
next 120 days (when the election will occur), including their last 
known addresses, voting districts (if any), and dates of birth, in an 
electronically sortable format.
    While much of the information the Tribe prepares for a Secretarial 
election (e.g., list of members eligible to vote) would be required if 
the Tribe instead conducted its own Tribal election, the Secretary's 
rules establish specifics on what a Tribal request or petition for 
election must contain. These specifics are necessary to ensure the 
integrity of Secretarial elections and allow the BIA and Tribal 
personnel the ability to consistently administer elections.
    Title of Collection: Secretarial Elections.
    OMB Control Number: 1076-0183.
    Form Number: Secretarial Election Voter Registration Form.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Federally recognized Tribes and their 
members.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 252,041.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 252,041.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 15 minutes to 
40 hours.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 64,305.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $183,960.

Authority

    An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The authority for this action is 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Scott J. Davis,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, Exercising the 
delegated authority of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2025-07234 Filed 4-25-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on April 28, 2025.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.