SEARCH funds are used to make predevelopment and planning grants to public or quasi-public agencies, organizations operated on a not-for-profit basis or Indian tribes on Federal and State reservations and other federally recognized Indian tribes. The grant recipients use the grant funds for feasibility studies, design assistance, and technical assistance for direct loans, grants and guaranteed loans, to financially distressed communities in rural areas with populations of 2,500 or fewer inhabitants for water and waste disposal projects.
The first SEARCH grant was awarded in FY 2012. The initial estimate for the number of SEARH grant respondents in the previous submission was 50. The number of actual SEARCH respondents for this submission is 16, a decrease of 34 respondents.
Removal of Form SF-269a which is obsolete and SF-270 that was inadvertently included in the last submission resulted in a program decrease of 80 responses and 100 burden hours. The decrease in respondents resulted in an adjustment decrease of 268 responses and 562 burden hours for a net decrease of 348 responses and 662 burden hours for this submission.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.