[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 22, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-28672]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 22, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

42 CFR Part 431

Medicaid

RIN 0970-AB32
Administration for Children and Families

45 CFR Part 205

 

Aid to Families With Dependent Children; National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993; Implementation

AGENCIES: Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Health 
Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: These proposed rules would remove certain regulatory 
restrictions that conflict with implementation of the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). NVRA provisions will make it easier 
for individuals to vote in elections for Federal office.

DATES: Consideration will be given to written comments received on or 
before January 23, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed changes to 45 CFR 205.50(a)(4) to 
be submitted in writing to the Assistant Secretary for Children and 
Families, Attention: Mr. Mack A. Storrs, Director, Division of AFDC 
Program, Office of Family Assistance, Fifth Floor, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447. Comments may be inspected between 
8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. during regular business days by making 
arrangements with the contact person identified below
    Mail written comments (1 original and 3 copies) on the proposed 
changes to 42 CFR 431.307 to the Health Care Financing Administration, 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: MB-092-P, P.O. 
Box 7518, Baltimore, Maryland 21207-0518. In commenting, please refer 
to file code MB-092-P. Comments may be delivered to Room 309-G, Hubert 
H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, or 
to Room 132, East High Rise Building, 6325 Security Boulevard, 
Baltimore, Maryland. Comments will be available for public inspection 
as they are received, beginning approximately three weeks after 
publication in Room 309-G of the Department's offices at 200 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, on Monday through Friday of 
each week from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
AFDC: Larry Carnes, Branch Chief, Eligibility and Administration Policy 
Branch, Division of AFDC Program, Office of Family Assistance, Fifth 
Floor, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, telephone 
(202) 401-5782
    Medicaid: Mr. Marinos T. Svolos, Director, Division of Medicaid 
Eligibility Policy, Office of Medicaid Policy, Room 323, East High Rise 
Building, 6325 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21207, telephone 
(410) 966-4451.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, Public Law 103-
31, contains three provisions which will make it easier for individuals 
to register to vote in elections for Federal office. These include: (1) 
the simultaneous application for or renewal of drivers licenses and 
voter registration (the motor voter part of the bill); (2) the adoption 
and use of a ``mail'' application form for voter registration; and (3) 
the designation of State voter registration agencies, including among 
others, all offices in a State that provide ``public assistance'' and 
``State-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to 
persons with disabilities.''
    As defined in the conference report, the term ``public assistance 
agencies'' include ``* * * those State agencies in each State that 
administer or provide services under the food stamp, Medicaid, the 
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Aid to Families with 
Dependent Children (AFDC) programs''. H. Rep. No. 103-66 (1993), p. 19.
    According to section 7(a)(4) of the NVRA, public assistance offices 
shall: distribute mail voter registration forms; provide assistance in 
forms completion; and provide a service to accept completed forms and 
to transmit them to appropriate authorities. These services are to be 
available at the time of application, recertification, or renewal or 
when a change in address is reported. The NVRA also contains provisions 
addressing how applicants and recipients of public assistance are to be 
informed of their right to request or decline in this assistance.
    Section 7(a)(5) of the NVRA indicates that these offices shall not: 
seek to influence a party preference; display party-affiliated 
materials; discourage registration; or imply in any way that the 
availability of services or benefits is dependent upon a decision to 
register or not to register to vote.
    Current regulatory provisions at 45 CFR 205.50(a)(4) and 42 CFR 
431.307 (a)(2), (b), and (c) result in barring the distribution of 
voter registration materials to AFDC and Medicaid applicants 
recipients. Enactment of the NVRA mandates that State and local public 
assistance offices conduct such activities. In order to comply with 
these statutory requirements, we propose to amend 45 CFR 205.50 and 42 
CFR 431.307 to remove the bar from the States subject to NVRA. The bar, 
however, would continue to apply to States that are exempt from NVRA. 
States that permit voter registration at polling places (since March 
11, 1993 or pursuant to State law enacted on or before that date) or 
States with no voter registration requirements for any voter in the 
state with respect to an election for Federal office (since March 11, 
1993) are exempt from NVRA requirements.
    State agencies responsible for the administration of the AFDC and 
Medicaid programs have already been advised of the availability of 
Federal financial participation (FFP) necessary to conduct voter 
registration assistance in public assistance offices in accordance with 
Section 7 of the NVRA. The Administration for Children and Families and 
the Health Care Financing Administration will issue further guidance in 
program instructions as needed to AFDC and Medicaid agencies regarding 
the implementation of these provisions. All relevant Federal agencies 
will continue to work closely with each other and with State public 
assistance agencies toward the successful implementation of this Act.
    Under Section 9 of the NVRA the Federal Election Commission (FEC) 
is required to develop a national mail voter registration form for 
elections to Federal office and to submit reports to Congress to assess 
the impacts of the legislation each odd-numbered year beginning June 
30, 1995. The FEC published an NPRM related to these provisions in the 
Federal Register on March 10, 1994, 59 FR 11211. The comment period 
closed on April 11, 1994.

Executive Order 12866

    Executive Order 12866 requires that regulations be reviewed to 
ensure that they are consistent with the priorities and principles set 
forth in the Executive Order. The Department has determined that this 
rule is consistent with these priorities and principles.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    These proposed regulations do not require any information 
collection activities and therefore no approval is necessary under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (Pub. L. 96-354) requires the 
Federal Government to anticipate and reduce the impact of regulations 
and paperwork requirements on small businesses. The primary impact of 
these proposed rules is on State governments and individuals. 
Therefore, we certify that these rules will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they 
affect benefits to individuals and payments to States. Thus, a 
regulatory flexibility analysis is not required.

List of Subjects

45 CFR Part 205

    Computer technology, Grant programs--social programs, Privacy, 
Public assistance programs, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Wages.

42 CFR Part 431

    Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Aliens, Contracts 
(Agreements--State Plan), Eligibility, Grant-in-Aid program--health, 
Guam, Health facilities, Medicaid, Puerto Rico, Supplemental Security 
Income (SSI), Virgin Islands.

[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Programs 13.780, Assistance 
Payments-Maintenance Assistance; and Program No. 93.778, Medical 
Assistance Program]

    Dated: June 21, 1994.
Mary Jo Bane,
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
    Dated: June 30, 1994.
Bruce C. Vladeck,
Administrator, Health Care Financing Administration.
    Approved: August 10, 1994.
Donna E. Shalala,
Secretary, Health and Human Services.
    For the reasons explained in the preamble, 42 CFR Part 431 and 45 
CFR Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations are amended as set 
forth below:

42 CFR CHAPTER IV

PART 431--STATE ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

    1. The authority citation for Part 431 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: Sec. 1102 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1302).

    2. Section 431.307 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(2) and (b) 
and by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:


Sec. 431.307  Distribution of information materials.

    (a) * * *
    (2) Have no political implications except to the extent required to 
implement the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) (Pub. L. 
103-31);
* * * * *
    (b) The agency must not distribute materials such as ``holiday'' 
greetings, general public announcements, voting information except to 
the extent required to implement NVRA and alien registration notices.
* * * * *
    (d) The agency shall distribute such materials as are required to 
implement NVRA.

45 CFR CHAPTER II

PART 205--GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PUBLIC--ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

    1. The authority citation for Part 205 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 602, 603, 606, 607, 611, 1302, 1306(a), 
1320b-7 and 1973gg-5.

    2. Section 205.50 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(4) 
introductory text and (a)(4)(i), and by adding a new paragraph 
(a)(4)(iv) to read as follows:


Sec. 205.50  Safeguarding information for the financial assistance 
programs.

    (a) * * *
    (4) All materials sent or distributed to applicants, recipients, or 
medical vendors, including material enclosed in envelopes containing 
checks, will be limited to those which are directly related to the 
administration of the program and will not have political implications 
except to the extent required to implement the National Registration 
Act of 1993 (NVRA) Pub. L. 103-31. Under this requirement:
    (i) Specifically excluded from mailing or distribution are 
materials such as ``holiday'' greetings, general public announcements, 
alien registration notices, and voting information except to the extent 
required to implement NVRA.
* * * * *
    (iv) The agency shall distribute such materials as are required to 
implement NVRA.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 94-28672 Filed 11-21-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M