[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33135-33136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14962]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Public Comment Request; Extension of the Certification of Maintenance 
of Effort for Title III and Certification of Long-Term Care Ombudsman 
Program Expenditures

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is announcing an 
opportunity for public comment on two proposed collections of certain 
information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish a notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, 
including each proposed extension of an existing collection of 
information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the 
notice.

DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of 
information by September 18, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to: Jesse E. Moore, Jr. at [email protected]. Submit written 
comments on the collection of information to Administration for 
Community Living, Washington, DC 20201, attention Jesse Moore.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jesse E. Moore, Jr., Aging Services 
Program Specialist, Administration for Community Living, Washington, DC 
20201, 202-795-7578.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 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. 
``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 provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each 
proposed extension of an existing collection of information, before 
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this 
requirement, ACL is publishing a notice of the proposed collection of 
information set forth in this document. With respect to the following 
collection of information, ACL invites comments on: (1) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of ACL's functions, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of ACL's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques when appropriate, and other forms of information technology. 
This notice solicits comments on the information collection 
requirements relating to: (1) The Certification on Maintenance of 
Effort under Title III of the Older Americans Act (OAA); and (2) 
Certification of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Expenditures for 
Older Americans Act Title III and Title VII Grantees. These proposed 
data collections would extend the Certification of Maintenance of 
Effort for Title III, and make minor revisions to, and extend, the 
Certification of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

[[Page 33136]]

Expenditures. While separate in terms of the data gathered, the 
financial review and certification of funds processes that are 
completed to generate the information gathered on these forms are 
generally done at the same time by the States. To reduce burden, these 
forms are being presented together for renewal since both are issued 
under the same Program Instruction, and they have the same due date to 
ACL.
    The Certification of Maintenance of Effort under Title III and 
Certification of Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) Program Expenditures 
provide statutorily required information regarding each state's 
contribution to programs funded under the Older Americans Act and 
compliance with legislative requirements, pertinent Federal 
regulations, and other applicable instructions and guidelines issued by 
ACL. This information will be used for Federal oversight of Title III 
Programs and Title VII Ombudsman Program expenditures.
    In addition to renewing OMB approval of these data collection 
instruments, minor changes are being proposed to the LTCO Expenditures 
Certification and an accompanying document which provides specific 
statutory references related to Ombudsman program minimum funding, non-
supplanting requirements and state authorization to expend Title III-B 
funds on Ombudsman activities. Specifically, changes include making the 
reference to the Fiscal Year at the bottom of the form a fillable field 
to allow the date to be changed annually; listing the ``Administration 
for Community Living (ACL)'' as the intended recipient of the completed 
form; and updating statutory language references (i.e., Section 
306(a)(9)) provided on the second page, to reflect changes made during 
the 2016 reauthorization of the OAA.
    ACL estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows: 56 State Agencies on Aging respond annually, and it takes each 
agency an average of one half (\1/2\) hour per State agency per year to 
complete each form for a total of twenty-eight hours for all state 
agencies annually. The half hour estimate is based on prior years' 
experience with States in completing these forms.
    The proposed data collection tools may be found on the ACL Web site 
for review at: https://www.acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2017-06/MOE%20and%20LTCO%20Certification%202017%20-%20FINAL.pdf.

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                                                                   Responses per
       Respondent/data collection activity           Number of     respondent (/     Hours per     Annual burden
                                                    respondents        year)         response          hours
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Certification on Maintenance of Effort under                  56               1           \1/2\              28
 Title III......................................
Certification of Long-Term Care Ombudsman                     56               1           \1/2\              28
 Program Expenditures...........................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             112               2               1              56
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    Dated: July 11, 2017.
Mary Lazare,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2017-14962 Filed 7-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4154-01-P