[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70619-70620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23083]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Title: Form ACF-IV-E-1: Title VI-E Foster Care and Adoption 
Assistance Financial Report.
    OMB No.: 0970-0205.
    Description: State agencies administer the Foster Care and Adoption 
Assistance Programs under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. The 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) provides Federal funding 
at the rate of 50 percent for most administrative and other related 
costs and at an enhanced rate of 75 percent for training costs as 
detailed in Federal statute and regulations. This form is submitted 
quarterly by each State to estimate the funding needs for the upcoming 
fiscal quarter and to

[[Page 70620]]

report expenditures for the fiscal quarter just ended. This form is 
also used to provide annual budget projections from each State. The 
information collected in this report is used by this agency to 
calculate quarterly Federal grant awards and to enable this agency to 
submit budget requests to Congress through the Department and to enable 
oversight of the financial management of the programs.
    Comments have been sent to the ACF Office of Grants Management, 
both directly and in response to an earlier Federal Register Notice (70 
FR 29318, May 20, 2005), which provided many useful recommendations to 
update and improve this financial reporting form.
    Whenever a financial reporting form is revised, conforming changes 
are also required in the computerized financial and grant data entry 
system maintained by ACF and in similar financial systems maintained by 
each State grantee. We believe that insufficient time remains to permit 
all these changes to be completed to accommodate the introduction of a 
revised reporting form by the January 30, 2006, expiration date of the 
OMB approval of the existing form. In addition, the Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) is currently conducting a thorough review 
of administrative costs of both programs under Title IV-E and does not 
anticipate publication of its final report before spring 2006. As part 
of its review, GAO is including the reporting requirements of the 
existing quarterly report and may include recommendations to revise 
this report in its findings.
    For these reasons, we have determined it would not be feasible to 
introduce revised reporting requirements at this time, especially 
before we have had the opportunity to thoroughly review the upcoming 
GAO report and whatever relevant recommendations it may contain. 
Therefore, we are requesting that the expiration date of the existing 
forms be extended, without change, through September 340, 2008, with 
the understanding that a revised report will be introduced before that 
date as conditions warrant.
    Respondents: State agencies administering the Foster Care and 
Adoption Assistance Programs.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                Number of      Average  burden
               Instrument                     Number of       responses per      hours  per       Total burden
                                             respondents       respondent         response            hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form ACF-IV-E-1.........................               52                 4                17             3,536
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,536.
    Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be 
obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447. E-mail: 
[email protected]. Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer.
    OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning the 
collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of 
this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best 
assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of 
publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office 
of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reducation Project, Attn: Desk 
Officer for ACF, E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: November 15, 2005.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-23083 Filed 11-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M