[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 151 (Friday, August 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51914-51915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18664]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[Document Identifier: CMS-10243]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is 
announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention 
to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in 
the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of 
information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an 
existing collection of information, and to allow a second opportunity 
for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to 
send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) 
The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for 
the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology to minimize the information collection burden.

DATES: Comments on the collection(s) of information must be received by 
the OMB desk officer by September 6, 2016.

ADDRESSES: When commenting on the proposed information collections, 
please reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be 
assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be received by 
the OMB desk officer via one of the following transmissions: OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: CMS Desk 
Officer, Fax Number: (202) 395-5806 or Email: 
[email protected].
    To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms 
for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make 
your request using one of following:
    1. Access CMS' Web site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995.
    2. Email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB 
number, and CMS document identifier, to [email protected].
    3. Call the Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-1326.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reports Clearance Office at (410) 786-
1326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. The term ``collection of 
information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and 
includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public 
submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. 
Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires 
federal agencies to publish a 30-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each 
proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of 
information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice that 
summarizes the following proposed collection(s) of information for 
public comment:
    1. Type of Information Collection Request: Reinstatement with 
change of a previously approved collection; Title of Information 
Collection: Testing Experience and Functional Tools: Functional 
Assessment Standardized Items (FASI) Based on the CARE Tool; Use: In 
2012, CMS funded a project entitled, Technical Assistance to States for 
Testing Experience and Functional Tools (TEFT) Grants. One component of 
this demonstration is to amend and test the reliability of a setting-
agnostic, interoperable set of data elements, called ``items,'' that 
can support standardized assessment of individuals across the continuum 
of care. Items that were created for use in post-acute care settings 
using the Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) tool have 
been adopted, modified, or supplemented for use in community-based 
long-term services and supports (CB-LTSS) programs. This project will 
test the reliability and validity of the function-related assessment 
items, now referred to as Functional Assessment Standardized Items 
(FASI), when applied in community settings, and in various populations: 
Elders (65 years and older); younger adults (18-64) with physical 
disabilities; and adults of any age with intellectual or developmental 
disabilities, with severe mental illness, or with traumatic brain 
injury.
    Individual-level data will be collected two times using the TEFT 
FASI Item Set. The first data collection effort will collect data that 
can be analyzed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the FASI 
items when used with the five waiver populations. Assessors will 
conduct functional assessments in client homes using the TEFT FASI Item 
Set. Changes may be recommended to individual TEFT FASI items, to be 
made prior to releasing the TEFT FASI items for use by the states. The 
FASI Field Test Report will be released to the public.
    The second data collection will be conducted by the states to 
demonstrate their use of the FASI data elements. The assessment data 
could be used by the states for multiple purposes. They may use the 
standardized items to determine individual eligibility for state 
programs, or to help determine levels of care within which people can 
receive services, or other purposes. In the second round of data 
collection, states will demonstrate their proposed uses, manage their 
FASI data collection and conduct their own analysis, to the extent they 
propose to do such tasks. The states have been funded under the 
demonstration grant to conduct the round 2 data collection and 
analysis. These states will submit reports to CMS describing their 
experience in the Round 2 data collection, including the items they 
collected, how they planned to use the data, and the types of 
challenges and successes they encountered in doing so. The reports may 
be used by CMS in their evaluation of the TEFT grants.
    Subsequent to the publication of our 60-day Federal Register notice 
(May 2, 2016; 81 FR 26235), we have made several minor modifications to 
the form. The changes are intended to further protect participant 
identification and improve the response efficiency by removing several 
checkboxes that we were using for item screening purposes. The 
instructions were revised accordingly. The revisions have no impact on 
our 60-day burden estimates. Form Number: CMS-10243 (OMB control 
number: 0938-1037); Frequency: On occasion; Affected Public: 
Individuals and Households; Number of Respondents: 5,650; Total Annual 
Responses: 5,650; Total Annual Hours: 2,825. (For policy questions 
regarding this collection contact Allison Weaver at 410-786-4924.)


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    Dated: August 2, 2016.
William N. Parham, III,
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office of Strategic Operations and 
Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-18664 Filed 8-4-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P