[Federal Register: March 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 59)]
[Notices]
[Page 14578-14579]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28mr07-73]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Public Comment on the Proposed Adoption of ANA Program Policies
and Procedures; Correction
AGENCY: Administration for Native Americans (ANA)
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 814 of the Native American Programs Act of
1974 (the Act) 42 U.S.C. 2992b-1, ANA herein describes its proposed
interpretive rules, statements of general policy and rules of agency
procedure or practice in relation to the Social and Economic
Development Strategies (hereinafter referred to as SEDS), Native
Language Preservation and Maintenance (hereinafter referred to as
Native Language), Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (hereinafter
referred to as Environmental), Environmental Mitigation (hereinafter
referred to as Mitigation), Improving the Well-Being of Children--
Native American Healthy Marriage Initiative (hereinafter referred to as
Healthy Marriage) programs and any Special Initiatives. Under the
statute, ANA is required to provide members of the public an
opportunity to comment on proposed changes in interpretive rules,
statements of general policy and rules of agency procedure or practice
and to give notice of the final adoption of such changes at least
thirty (30) days before the changes become effective. This Notice also
provides additional information about ANA's plan for administering the
programs.
On July 18, 2005, ANA published a Notice of Public Comment (NOPC)
in the Federal Register (Vol. 70, No. 136) announcing an administrative
policy change on the number of awards an eligible applicant could
receive under the SEDS program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
number 93.612. This change only affected the Healthy Marriage program.
On November 21, 2006, ANA published the annual NOPC in the Federal
Register (Vol. 71, No. 224), which did not include a necessary
correction to the revised administrative policy published on July 18,
2005. On December 22, 2006, ANA published a third Federal Register
notice (Vol. 71, No. 246) to clarify the revised administrative policy
published on July 18, 2005, on the number of awards an eligible
applicant could receive under the SEDS program, Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance number 93.612. ANA received three responses to the
December 22, 2006, NOPC clarification. After review and consideration
of the comments received, ANA determined that the administrative policy
originally published on July 18, 2005, required clarification and
revision. This Notice clarifies the agency's intent and provides a
definitive statement on the number of awards an eligible applicant can
receive under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 93.612.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila K. Cooper, Director of Program
Operations, toll-free at (877) 922-9262.
Additional Information: The following statement corrects previous
notices:
VI. ANA Administrative Policy Change
In the July 18, 2005, Federal Register (Vol. 70, No. 136), ANA made
an administrative policy change that eligible applicants applying for
funding under ANA's healthy marriage special initiative under Catalog
of Federal Domestic Assistance number 93.612, would not be held to the
long-standing ANA policy: ``An applicant can have only one active
Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) grant operating at
any given time.''
On December 22, 2006, ANA published notice that ANA was clarifying
its policy pertaining to
[[Page 14579]]
funding under the SEDS program. The Federal Register notice (Vol. 71,
No. 246) stated that ANA was ``reinforcing the policy that applicants
may submit only one application for SEDS or one application for NAHMI
but not for both.'' Three public comments were received in response to
the notice. All of the comments stated that Native communities
experience tremendous needs and Tribes and Native Organizations plan
and target their requests for financial assistance, and requested that
ANA allow multiple awards under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
number 93.612. After review and further consideration of the comments,
an analysis of the annual requests for funding, which far exceed the
funding amount available, and review of the award distribution among
applicants for ANA funding, it is necessary that ANA issue this Notice
applying to the Healthy Marriage program ANA's long-standing policy
that applicants may only receive one award at any one time under
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 93.612. Therefore,
applicants may submit only one application for project funding under
the SEDS program or one application for project funding under NAHMI,
but not for both.
Dated: February 26, 2007.
Sheila Cooper,
Director of the Division of Program Operations, Administration for
Native Americans.
[FR Doc. E7-5630 Filed 3-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P
