[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57458-57460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26116]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Public Comments Request; New Data Collection; National Center on Law 
and Elder Rights (NCLER)

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is announcing an 
opportunity for the public to comment on ACL's intention to collect 
information from legal and aging/disability service professionals. 
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 and to allow 60 days for public 
comment in response on the proposed action. This notice solicits 
comments on proposed information collection requirements relating to 
ACL funded training, case consultation, and technical assistance for 
aging/disability networks assisting older adults in social or economic 
need facing legal issues.

DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of 
information by February 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to Omar Valverde at [email protected]. Submit written comments 
on the collection of information by mail to Omar Valverde, 
Administration for Community Living, Washington, DC 20201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Omar Valverde at 
[email protected] or (202) 795-7460.

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 or update of an existing collection of 
information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. The 
proposed collection of information represents new information requested 
from aging/disability networks to fulfill requirements regarding the 
provision of services and overall performance of ACL legal assistance 
programs.
    To comply with the above requirement, ACL is publishing a notice 
regarding the proposed collection of information set forth in this 
document. ACL contracts with a national legal assistance resource 
center, the National Center on Law and Elder Rights, to provide the 
required services. Through the contract, ACL provides aging, 
disability, and related legal professionals with training and complex 
case consultations and support for demonstration projects regarding 
contractually identified priority legal topics.
    The purpose of the information requested is for ACL to ensure that 
the resource center creates and prioritizes the training, case 
consultations and technical assistance resources it was contracted to 
provide and to ensure that the center targets the contractually 
designated aging network practitioners about the priority subject 
matters. This approach enables ACL to make data-informed decisions 
about the deployment of its resource center assets. These data are 
necessary for ACL to evaluate contractual compliance with established 
performance indicators. These metrics include quantifiable increases in 
uptake by stakeholders of training, case consultation and technical 
assistance, and measures of satisfaction with and perceived benefit 
from these services. For example, the metrics measure successful 
problem resolution as a result of the services provided,

[[Page 57459]]

quantifiable data on fulfillment of requests for training, technical 
assistance, and consultation related to the contractually designated 
legal and systems development topic areas.
    Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding burden 
estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, 
including the following subjects: (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.

Proposed Collection of Information

    ACL plans to submit the proposed data collection to the Office of 
Management and Budget for approval following receipt of any comments 
received in response to this notice. The information to be requested by 
ACL from legal and aging/disability professionals fall into the 
following areas: (1) Requests for training, case consultation, and 
technical assistance through an online, secure Uniform Resource Support 
Request Tool; (2) general requests for Legal Training (including the 
volume of Webinar registrations); Case Consultation and Technical 
Assistance; and (3) information about satisfaction and use of the 
services and support received in order to enable ACL to measure 
performance outcomes.

(1) Resource Support Requests

    ACL proposes to ask aging/disability service providers and legal 
service providers who may need various forms of resource support a 
series of questions regarding appropriate delivery of needed assistance 
in a targeted and efficient manner. These questions will be presented 
through a web based Uniform Resource Support Request Tool (URSRT) that 
will be used for soliciting and accepting requests for Legal Training, 
Case Consultation, and Technical Assistance (Link to URSRT).

Estimated Number of Responses

    ACL expects to receive (30) responses to questions presented in the 
URSRT from Legal Assistance Developers (LADs) (Title VII, Section 731) 
housed in SUAs and (50) responses from Older Americans Act (OAA) Title 
III-B legal providers in the first year. In subsequent years, the URSRT 
will be targeted for use by other groups within aging/disability and 
elder rights networks and may experience a large increase in responses.

Total Estimated Burden Hours

    The burden hours are calculated as (1) minute and 54 seconds to 
complete the URSRT per respondent, with a total of 2.53 hours, 
annually. Attachment A, which is posted along with the draft forms on 
the acl.gov Web site, explains the estimated response rate and burden 
calculations.

(2) Legal Training, Case Consultation, Technical Assistance Requests

    ACL proposes to ask legal and aging/disability providers who 
request Legal Training, Case Consultation, or Technical Assistance 
through the web-based Uniform Resource Support Request Tool (URSRT) for 
background information and the following substantive data:
     Type of Organization (Title III-B attorney, Legal Services 
Corporation attorney, Other Legal Services attorney, Other Elder Law 
attorney, Other Legal Services professional, Aging and/or Disability 
Network Professional, Other); and
     Services requested: (Legal Training, Case Consultation, 
Technical Assistance on Legal Services Delivery, or General 
Information).

Estimated Number of Responses

    Based on the results of prior data collections, ACL expects between 
13,000 and 14,000 requests annually through the web-based Uniform 
Resource Support Request Tool (URSRT). In subsequent years, enhanced 
public awareness of the availability of Legal Training, Case 
Consultation, and Technical Assistance within aging/disability/legal 
networks may increase potential responses to as high as 16,000.

Total Estimated Burden Hours

    The burden of hours is calculated at (1) minute 42 seconds for each 
respondent to make a request for Training, Case Consultation, or 
Technical Assistance. ACL estimates a high end of 14,000 responses with 
burden hours totaling 396 hours, annually. Attachment A, which is 
posted along with the draft forms on the acl.gov Web site, explains the 
estimated response rate and the burden calculation.

(3) Performance Outcome Measurement

    ACL proposes to ask legal and aging/disability providers, who 
request Legal Training, Case Consultation or Technical Assistance, the 
following series of survey questions in order to properly assess 
audience targeting, participant satisfaction, and outcomes of the 
training and technical assistance delivered:
     Type of Organization (Title III-B attorney, Legal Services 
Corporation attorney, Other Legal Services attorney, Other Elder Law 
attorney, Other Legal Services professional, Aging and/or Disability 
Network Professional, and Other Job Title (e.g., Executive Director, 
Management, Staff Attorney, Counselor);
     Please rank the quality of assistance provided in this 
(Legal Training/Case Consultation/Technical Assistance);
     Did the assistance provided by this (Legal Training/Case 
Consultation/Technical Assistance) contribute to a successful 
resolution of a specific client issue?
     If requesting assistance on legal services delivery, will 
the assistance provided contribute to the successful completion of 
legal needs and capacity assessments, legal services delivery plans, 
legal service delivery standards, or data collection/reporting systems?

Estimated Number of Responses

    ACL expects between 3,000 and 3,500 responses to follow up surveys 
presented through the web-based Uniform Resource Support Request Tool 
(URSRT) gaging participant satisfaction and service impacts derived 
from Training, Case Consultation, or Technical Assistance. In 
subsequent years, due to an increase in the volume of resource support 
provided, survey responses may increase to as high as 4,500 due to 
ongoing efforts to increase awareness of the availability of resource 
support through NCLER.

Total Estimated Burden Hours

    The burden of hours is calculated at (1) minute and 3 seconds for 
each respondent to complete a survey gaging satisfaction and service 
impact. ACL estimates a high end of 3,500 responses with a burden of 
hours totaling 61.25 hours, annually. Attachment A, which is posted 
along with the draft forms on the acl.gov Web site, explains the 
estimated response rate and the burden calculation.
    The proposed data collection forms and Attachment A may be found on 
the ACL Web site for review at: https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/public-input

[[Page 57460]]



                                           Summary of Burden Estimates
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                                             Number of
   Respondent/data collection activity      respondents      Minutes per response         Annual burden hours
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Resource Support Requests...............              80  1 min 54 sec..............  2.53 hours.
Legal Training, Case Consultation,                14,000  1 min 42 sec..............  397 hours.
 Technical Assistance Requests.
Outcome Measurement.....................           3,500  1 min 3 sec...............  61.25 hours.
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    Total...............................          17,580  4 min 39 sec..............  460.78 hours.
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    Dated: November 24, 2017.
Mary Lazare,
Principal Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-26116 Filed 12-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4154-01-P