[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 165 (Wednesday, August 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45510-45511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22902]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegations of Authority

    This Notice amends Part K of the Statement of Organization, 
Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) 
as follows: Chapter KT, Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget 
(OLAB), (63 FR 83), as last amended, January 2, 1998. This 
restructuring of the Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget 
establishes three divisions within the Office to improve its efficiency 
and effectiveness.
    This Chapter is amended as follows:
    Delete Chapter KT, ``The Office of Legislative Affairs and 
Budget,'' in its entirety and replace with the following:

Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget (OLAB)

KT.00  Mission
KT.10  Organization
KT.20  Functions

    KT.00 Mission. The Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget (OLAB) 
provides leadership in the development of legislation, budget, and 
policy, ensuring consistency in these areas among ACF program and staff 
offices, and with ACF and the Department's vision and goals. It advises 
the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on all policy and 
programmatic matters which substantially impact the agency's 
legislative program, budget development, budget execution and 
regulatory agenda. The Office serves as the primary contact for the 
Department, the Executive Branch, and the Congress on all legislative, 
budget development, and regulatory activities.
    KT.10 Organization. The Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget is 
headed by a Director, who reports to the Assistant Secretary for 
Children and Families. The Office is organized as follows:
     Office of the Director (KTA).
     Division of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs (KTB).
     Division of Budget Formulation and Policy (KTC).
     Division of Budget Execution and Forecasting (KTD).
    KT.20 Functions. A. The Office of the Director provides direction 
and executive leadership to the Office of Legislative Affairs and 
Budget in administering its responsibilities. It serves as the 
principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families 
on all policy and programmatic matters which substantially impact on 
legislative affairs, budget development, budget execution and the 
regulatory agenda. It represents the Assistant Secretary on budget, 
policy and legislative matters and serves as the primary ACF contact 
for the Department, the Executive Branch and Congress on these 
activities.
    B. The Division of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs serves as the 
focal point for congressional liaison in ACF; provides guidance to the 
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families and senior ACF staff on 
congressional activities and relations; manages the preparation of 
testimony and briefings; negotiates clearance of testimony; monitors 
hearings and other congressional activities which affect ACF programs; 
and responds to congressional inquiries.
    The Division manages the ACF legislative planning cycle and the 
development of Reports to Congress; reviews and analyzes a wide range 
of congressional policy documents including: legislative proposals, 
pending legislation, and bill reports; solicits and synthesizes 
internal ACF comments on such documents; negotiates legislative policy 
positions with the Department and the Executive Branch; and reviews 
other policy significant documents to ensure consistency with statutory 
and congressional intent and the agency legislative agenda.
    The Division manages the ACF regulatory development process; 
negotiates regulatory policy positions with the Department and the 
Executive Branch; and provides guidance to ACF program and staff 
components on policy and programmatic matters related to the regulatory 
development process.
    C. The Division of Budget Formulation and Policy manages the 
development and presentation of ACF's budget; provides guidance to ACF 
program and staff components in preparing material in support of budget 
development; provides guidance to the Assistant Secretary for Children 
and Families and senior program staff on policy and programmatic 
matters which substantially impact the budget development process; and 
negotiates budget issues with the Department and the Executive Branch.
    The Division manages the preparation of testimony and briefings for 
budget related hearings; negotiates clearance of testimony; monitors 
budget-related hearings and other congressional activities which affect 
the ACF budget; and responds to congressional inquiries on the budget.
    The Division reviews and analyzes other policy significant 
documents to ensure consistency with ACF's budget, vision and goals.
    D. The Division of Budget Execution and Forecasting manages the 
preparation of a comprehensive administrative (salaries and expenses) 
budget for ACF; provides guidance to the Assistant Secretary for 
Children and Families and senior ACF staff on all aspects of the 
agency's administrative budget; provides guidance to ACF program and 
staff components in preparing material in support of the administrative 
budget and tracking and reconciling expenditures throughout the fiscal 
year to ensure appropriate fiscal accountability and prudent spending 
patterns.
    The Division designs and develops budget estimating modes and 
procedures to project future program costs in order to influence 
decision-making regarding ACF program budgets and policy; evaluates on 
a continuing basis complex national budget issues to assess overall 
impact on immediate, foreseeable, and long-range program direction; 
provides guidance to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families 
and senior ACF staff on budget forecasts for all major ACF programs; 
negotiates budget forecasting issues with the Department and the 
Executive Branch; and responds to Congressional Budget Office, 
Congressional Research Service and general congressional inquiries 
regarding ACF budget projections.


[[Page 45511]]


    Dated: August 20, 1998.
Madeline Mocko,
Director, Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget.
[FR Doc. 98-22902 Filed 8-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P