82 FR 55809 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 225 (November 24, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 225 (Friday, November 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55809-55810]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25389]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
    Title: State and Local Implementation Grant Program 2.0 Reporting 
Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission.
    Number of Respondents: 56.
    Average Hours per Response: Quarterly reports 12.5 hours.
    Burden Hours: 2,800.
    Needs and Uses: The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 
2012 (Act, Pub. L. 112-96, 126 Stat. 156 (2012)) was enacted in 
February, 2012. The Act meets a long-standing national priority, as 
well as a critical national infrastructure need, to create a single, 
interoperable, nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN) that 
allows law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical 
service professionals, and other public safety officials to effectively 
communicate with each other across agencies and jurisdictions. Public 
safety workers have long been hindered in their ability to respond in a 
crisis situation because of incompatible communications networks and 
often outdated communications equipment.
    The Act established the First Responder Network Authority 
(FirstNet) as an independent authority within NTIA and authorizes it to 
take all actions necessary to ensure the design, construction, and 
operation of the NPSBN, based on a single, national network 
architecture.
    The Act also charged NTIA with establishing a grant program, the 
State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP), to assist State, 
regional, tribal, and local jurisdictions with identifying, planning, 
and implementing the most efficient and effective means to use and 
integrate the infrastructure, equipment, and other architecture 
associated with the NPSBN to satisfy the wireless broadband and data 
services needs of their jurisdictions. NTIA originally awarded $116.5 
million in grant funds to 54 state and territorial recipients between 
July and September 2013. The original SLIGP grant awards end on 
February 28, 2018.
    With an available balance of up to $43.4 million from the original 
SLIGP fund of $116.5 million, NTIA will continue to provide funding 
through SLIGP 2.0 grants to assist State, regional, tribal, and local 
jurisdictions to engage effectively with FirstNet and provide it with 
information needed to continue with planning the NPSBN and the 
deployment of the Radio Access Network (RAN) in an effective and timely 
manner, as required by the Act. NTIA will use the collection of 
information to monitor and evaluate how SLIGP 2.0 grant recipients are 
achieving the core purposes of the program established by the Act.
    NTIA received one comment during the 60-Day PRA Notice comment 
period. The Bureau of Communications and Information Services of the 
Pennsylvania State Police submitted comments to NTIA. Two of its 
comments are in agreement with NTIA's proposed data collection and the 
estimated burden of hours and costs to submit required reporting for 
SLIGP 2.0 grantees.
    It also commented on comparing quarterly progress to a grantee's 
baseline, allowing a single quarterly

[[Page 55810]]

narrative including graphs and charts and submitting reports 
electronically including an electronic signature. Under SLIGP 2.0, NTIA 
will not require that grantees provide quarterly to baseline progress 
comparisons and has reduced narrative reporting as compared to SLIGP 
1.0 reporting requirements. NTIA has determined that grantees may 
include graphs and charts to complement required quarterly reporting, 
and electronic signatures of authorized officials are acceptable for 
certification purposes. While using an on-line portal may be 
advantageous, the limited amount and frequency of data to be collected 
over the duration of the SLIGP 2.0 grant period of performance and the 
associated costs of establishing an electronic on-line portal mechanism 
makes such an investment prohibitive.
    The publication of this notice allows NTIA to begin the process to 
request OMB approval to collect information under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Affected Public: State, regional, local and tribal government 
organizations.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Respondent's Obligation: This information collection request may be 
viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
PRA Department Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-25389 Filed 11-22-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-60-P