[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 17198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9024]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 35, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed 
projects being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed 
project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans, call the HRSA 
Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Proposed Project: Application and Annual Report, Maternal and Child 
Health Block Grant Program (OMB No. 0915-0172)--Extension and 
Revision--The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
proposes to revise and reformat the Maternal and Child Health Block 
Grant Guidance. This guidance is used annually by the 50 States and 9 
jurisdictions in making application for Block Grants under Title V of 
the Social Security Act, and in preparing the required annual report. 
The revisions are designed to simplify and clarify the guidance and 
required forms and to reduce duplication, while still allowing for 
clear, concise, useful, and accurate communication about the States' 
programs. More specifically, the revisions should: (1) Make the program 
descriptions more readable; (2) alleviate the disconnect between the 
application for the next fiscal year and the annual report for the 
previous fiscal year that makes programmatic and data reviews 
difficult; (3) clarify budget and expense tables, through better design 
of forms and by carrying totals from form to form; (4) report 
objectives in a standard format, including the relationship to Healthy 
People 2000 goals, to facilitate year to year comparisons and multi-
State tabulations; and, (5) incorporate uniform performance measures 
across all States and jurisdictions as well as State/jurisdiction-
specific performance measures.
    The HRSA revision would also combine the current three guidance 
documents into one document, by eliminating the separate annual 
application and annual report in favor of a combined document, and 
every fifth year explicitly including the results of the needs 
assessment, which would be incorporated only by reference in the 
intervening years. The HRSA revision efforts are intended not only to 
simplify and expedite the rational submission of necessary data and 
reports, but also to reduce the burden on States and jurisdictions by 
eliminating duplicative requirements and streamlining the presentation 
of information. It is expected that a 10% reduction in burden can be 
achieved. Estimates of burden to complete the application and annual 
report are as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                            Responses      Burden       Total   
                        Type of form                           Number of       per       hours per      burden  
                                                              respondents   respondent    response      hours   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application and Annual Report (without needs assessment)*                                                       
    States..................................................           50            1          495       24,750
    Jurisdictions...........................................            9            1          200        1,800
Five-Year Application and Annual Report (with needs                                                             
 assessment)*                                                                                                   
    States..................................................           50            1          675       33,750
    Jurisdictions...........................................            9            1          360        3,240
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The Annual Application and Annual Report, without needs assessment, will be submitted in FY 1998 and FY 1999.  
  The five-year Annual Application and Annual Report will be submitted in FY 2000. The average annual response  
  burden for the next three years is 30,030 hours.                                                              

    The HRSA revision plan calls for copies of the draft version of the 
new guidance package to be mailed to the Maternal and Child Health 
Directors in all States and jurisdictions on or about April 15th, 1997. 
Copies will also be available to all other interested parties who 
request one from: Peter C. van Dyck, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Office of 
State and Community Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Room 18-
31, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. His 
phone number is (301) 443-2204.
    Send comments to Patricia Royston, HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
Room 14-36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. 
Written comments should be received within 60 days of this Notice.

    Dated: April 2, 1997.
J. Henry Montes,
Director, Office of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 97-9024 Filed 4-8-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-M