83 FR 62599 - 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request: Agency Information Collection Activities: Race and Ethnic Data Collection

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 233 (December 4, 2018)

HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62599-62600]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26338]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7008-N-01]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment 
Request: Agency Information Collection Activities: Race and Ethnic Data 
Collection

AGENCY: Office of Strategic Planning and Management, Grants Management 
and Oversight Division, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment 
from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. 
The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: February 4, 2019.

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: Colette Pollard, Reports 
Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
451 7th Street SW, Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone 202-
402-3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or email at 
[email protected] for a copy of the proposed form. Persons with 
hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by 
calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
    Electronic Submission of Comments. Interested persons may also 
submit comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
at www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages commenters to submit 
comments electronically. Electronic submission of comments allows the 
commenter maximum time to prepare and submit a comment, ensures timely 
receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to make them immediately available to 
the public. Comments submitted electronically through the 
www.regulations.gov website can be viewed by other commenters and 
interested members of the public. Commenters should follow the 
instructions provided on that site to submit comments electronically.

    Note: To receive consideration as public comments, comments must 
be submitted through one of the methods specified above. Again, all 
submissions must refer to the docket number and title of the notice.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann vom Eigen, Grants Management and 
Oversight Division, Office of Strategic Planning and Management, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh St. SW, Room 
3156, Washington, DC 20410 or by email [email protected] or 
telephone 202-402-2146. This is not a toll-free number. Persons with 
hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by 
calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
    Copies of the proposed data collection form may be requested from 
Ms. Pollard.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that 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). HUD is seeking approval from OMB for the 
information collection described in Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Standardized Form for Collecting 
Information Regarding Race and Ethnic Data.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    OMB Control Number: 2535-0113.
    Form Number: Race and Ethnic Data Reporting Form (HUD-27061).
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
information collected through HUD's standardized Form for the 
Collection of Race and Ethnic Data is required under 24 CFR--PART 1--
Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development--Effectuation of the Title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964. HUD's Title VI regulations, specifically 24 
CFR 1.6, require recipients of Federal financial assistance to maintain 
and submit racial and ethnic data so HUD may determine whether such 
programs comply with Title VI data collection requirements. HUD must 
offer individuals who are responding to agency data requests for race 
the option of selecting one or more of five racial categories. HUD must 
also treat ethnicity as a category separate from race.
    Title VI requires recipients of HUD funding to maintain records, 
make them available to responsible Department officials, and if 
requested, submit compliance reports. For example, HUD grant programs 
may request information during program monitoring and compliance 
reviews to ensure compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of 
Title VI.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: The form is used by program offices 
when they negotiate their awards and is maintained on site by the 
recipient. As HUD initiates approximately 12,000 awards on an annual 
basis, we expect that there will be 12,000 respondents on an annual 
basis. HUD estimates that it will take one hour to complete the form, 
at $60.74 per hour.\1\ The total estimated burden would thus reach 
$728,880.00 on an annual basis. Retrieving the report and providing it 
to the Department upon request using the same $60.74 cost could reach 
an additional $182,000 on an annual basis, bringing the total to 
$911,000.
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    \1\ Estimated cost for respondents is calculated from the June 
2018 Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics report on 
Employer Costs for Employee Compensation determined that the hourly 
rate of management, professional and related wages and salaries 
averaged $41.71 per hour plus $19.03 per hour for fringe benefits 
for a total $60.74 per hour.
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    Estimation of the Cost to the Federal government: HUD estimates the 
cost of the maximum burden on HUD staff would total at most 
$732,960.00. This estimate is based on the assumption that each form 
would be reviewed for 15 minutes by two HUD employees on an annual 
basis.\2\
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    \2\ Federal staff time is estimated for a GS-13 step 5 hourly 
rate at $52.66 per hour (from the Office of Personnel Management and 
the table with Washington-Baltimore-Arlington locality pay), plus 
16% fringe benefit for a total of $61.08 per hour.
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B. Solicitation of Public Comment

    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are 
encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of the following 
four points.
    (1) 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) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information;

[[Page 62600]]

    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond; including using appropriate automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Affected Public who will be Asked or Required to Respond: The 
primary respondents are HUD award recipients including, but not limited 
to, state agencies, local governments, public housing authorities, 
institutions of higher education, faith based organizations, and non-
profit and for profit organizations devoted to community development, 
housing the homeless, and other activities.
    C. Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

    Dated: November 19, 2018.
Christopher K. Walsh,
Acting Director, Office of Strategic Planning and Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-26338 Filed 12-3-18; 8:45 am]
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