[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 5 (Monday, January 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2366-2367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00111]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Request for Information
AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: This Request for Information (RFI) seeks recommendations for
future work with and on behalf of American Indian and Alaska Native
(AI/AN) leadership, tribes, tribal organizations, and populations in
accord with ACF's vision of ``children, youth, families, individuals,
and communities who are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically
secure.''
DATES: Submit responses by March 10, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted through any of the methods
specified below. However, electronic submission is preferred. Please do
not submit duplicate comments.
[ssquf] Electronic submission through https://www.regulations.gov
portal. Follow the instructions for submitting electronic comments.
Attachments, if any, should be in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.
You can find this RFI by typing ACF-2016-0002 in the Search window.
Then click on the ``Comment Now!'' button on the Search Results page.
This will open up a Comment form where you can enter your comment on
the form, attach files (up to 10MB each), as well as your personal
information, when applicable. Be sure to complete all required fields.
Please note that information entered on the web form may be viewable
publicly. Once you reach the ``Your Preview'' screen, the information
that will be viewable publicly is displayed directly on the form under
the section titled: ``This information will appear on
Regulations.gov.'' To complete your comment, you must first agree to
the disclaimer and check the box. This will enable the ``Submit
Comment'' button. Upon completion, you will receive a Comment Tracking
Number for your comment. To learn more about comment submission, visit
the Submit a Comment section of the ``How to Use Regulations.gov''
pages.
[ssquf] Electronic submission through email to
[email protected].
All comments received before the close of the comment period will
be available for public inspection, including any information that is
included in a comment. All electronically submitted comments posted
through the https://www.regulations.gov portal received before the end
of the comment period will be available at http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Camille Loya, Director, Division of
Policy, Administration for Native Americans, [email protected],
202-401-5964.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background information
Executive Order 13175, dated November 6, 2000, established
policymaking criteria applicable to federal agencies, to the extent
permitted by law, when formulating and implementing policies that have
tribal implications, including special requirements for legislative
proposals and consultation. Subsequently, President Obama issued a
Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation, dated November 5, 2009,
affirming that ``meaningful dialogue between Federal officials and
tribal officials has greatly improved Federal policy toward Indian
[[Page 2367]]
tribes.'' Finally, ACF recently issued the ACF Principles for Working
with Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, effective October 20, 2016,
that affirmed ACF's commitment to receive input from elected tribal
representatives as well as ``to otherwise ensure human services
coordination around issues affecting AI/AN populations.''
Consistent with the above affirmative statements of the value of
feedback from AI/AN partners and stakeholders, ACF is requesting
information from AI/AN tribes, tribal organizations, and stakeholders
(including grantees). The purpose is to identify issues and challenges
facing AI/AN populations as well as to inform ACF of tribes' and tribal
organizations' recommendations, promising practices, and innovations to
address the needs of AI/AN children, youth, families, and communities.
This information may, in turn, be used by ACF in the development of
future rulemaking and technical assistance, formation of legislative
proposals and research agendas, and strategic planning in consultation
with tribes.
II. Request for Information
As President Obama stated in his Presidential Proclamation--
National Native American Heritage Month (2016):
Let us continue to build on the advancements we have made,
because enduring progress will depend on our dedication to honoring
our trust and treaty responsibilities. With sustained effort and
unwavering optimism, we can ensure a vibrant and resilient Indian
Country filled with possibility and prosperity.
In this RFI, we seek feedback and recommendations related to how
ACF partners with tribes and how to make progress in the future. The
following questions are not exhaustive, and we encourage commenters to
provide any additional information they believe relevant to ACF's work
with and on behalf of American Indians and Alaska Natives. You may
provide general comments, respond to all questions posed in section II
of this RFI, or respond to one or more questions. If you respond to any
of the questions in section II, please identify the number that
corresponds to the question(s) you are responding to. Include our
agency name and the docket number on all submissions. Please do not
include confidential information, or otherwise sensitive or protected
information with your responses.
(1) Are there challenges to AI/AN tribes and tribal organizations
posed by non-federal match or cost sharing requirements in any
applicable ACF programs? Please be specific as to the program or
programs you are referring to as well as provide as much detail as
possible in describing challenges or difficulties posed and any
specific recommendations you wish to provide.
(2) Are there challenges to AI/AN tribes and tribal organizations
posed by administrative cost caps required under some ACF grant
programs? Please be specific as to the program or programs you are
referring to as well as provide as much detail as possible in
describing challenges or difficulties posed and any specific
recommendations you wish to provide.
(3) Are there instances for which you believe waiver authority,
additional waiver authority allowed under block grants, would benefit
tribes under any ACF programs? Please be specific as to the program or
programs you are referring to as well as provide as much detail as
possible in describing challenges or difficulties posed and any
specific recommendations you wish to provide.
(4) For ACF programs that currently have waiver authority for
tribes, do you recommend ACF streamline the processes under which AI/AN
tribes and tribal organizations apply for or request waivers of
statutory or regulatory requirements across ACF grant programs? Please
be specific as to the program or programs you are referring to as well
as provide as much detail as possible in describing where you believe
additional streamlining is needed, along with any specific
recommendations you wish to provide.
(5) Are there regulatory or administrative barriers that present
challenges to AI/AN tribes and tribal organizations in the
implementation of ACF grant programs? Please be specific about what
those regulatory or administrative barriers are as well as
recommendations for addressing them.
(6) Can you identify practices, policies, and procedures in ACF or
elsewhere that are particularly effective in meeting the needs of AI/AN
tribes, tribal organizations, families, and communities? Please be
specific as to the program or programs you are referring to as well as
provide as much detail as possible in describing effective and
responsive practices, policies, and procedures.
(7) Related to data, what would you recommend ACF either collect
(if it does not already) or analyze that would be most useful to inform
our work with AI/AN tribes and tribal organizations? Please be specific
and provide as much detail as possible.
(8) Do you have recommendations for how ACF could better share data
related to AI/AN grantee program performance, outcomes, and
sustainability? Please be specific, including recommended use of
technological or other means of data sharing.
(9) Are there elements of the application process that could
potentially discourage AI/AN tribes or organizations from applying for
ACF grants? If so, please specify what those elements are and explain
why those elements could potentially discourage prospective AI/AN
applicants and any recommendations for addressing such barriers.
III. Response to Comments
Because of the large number of public comments we normally receive,
we are not able to acknowledge or respond to them individually.
However, comments will be accepted on this RFI through https://
www.Regulations.gov where you will be able to track your own comments
and view other comments we receive.
Dated: January 3, 2017.
Mark H. Greenberg
Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
Dated: January 3, 2017.
Stacey Ecoffey,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs and
Acting Commissioner Administration for Native Americans.
[FR Doc. 2017-00111 Filed 1-6-17; 8:45 am]
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