[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13989-13990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06662]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Public Comment Request; Older American Act Title III and Title 
VII (Chapters 3 and 4) Annual State Program Reporting (Annual 
Performance Data Collection); This is a Revision to the Existing State 
Program Report (OMB Approval 0985-0008)

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living (ACL), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living is announcing that the 
proposed collection of information listed above has been submitted to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance as 
required under section 506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995. This 30-Day notice collects comments on the information 
collection requirements related to annual performance data from State 
grantees under the Older Americans Act related to Title III and Title 
VII (Chapters 3 and 4) of that act. Title III includes, for example, 
home delivered and congregate meal services, transportation and 
caregiver service; and Title VII includes Elder Abuse Prevention and 
Legal Assistance Development (ICR Rev).

DATES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by May 
2, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by:
    (a) Email to: [email protected], Attn: OMB Desk Officer 
for ACL;
    (b) Fax to 202.395.5806, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for ACL; or
    (c) By mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
OMB, New Executive Office Bldg., 725 17th St. NW, Rm. 10235, 
Washington, DC 20503, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for ACL.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ACL's Office of Performance and 
Evaluation at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, ACL has 
submitted the following proposed collection of information to OMB for 
review and clearance. This collection is a revision of the 2016 
approved version of the State Program Report and incorporates 
significant reduction in data collected. This data collection is 
essential to provide performance measures as required by Congress and 
the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA). Significant revisions to 
the SPR were last implemented in 2005. This proposed collection is a 
revision of the currently approved version (effective 2016-2019). The 
factors that influenced the proposed revision of the SPR, include: (1) 
The need to modernize the data structure to allow for more efficient 
reporting and the ability to use current technology for reporting and 
analysis; (2) the interest in aligning data elements within and across 
data collections; (3) the need to consider alternative data elements 
that reflect the current Aging Network and long-term care services and 
supports; and (4) the need to reduce reporting burden while enhancing 
data quality. The proposed SPR revision reduces the number of data 
elements reported by 70% and the amount of time for completion by 30% 
as compared to the current 2016-2019 SPR. This is a reduction of 874 
hours from the previous version.

[[Page 13990]]

    Reductions in data elements are found throughout the data 
collection but are concentrated in the consumer demographic components. 
Due to the aggregate level nature of the SPR, information on 
combinations of demographic characteristics (e.g., number of women 
served who are 65 years or older and have 2 activity of daily living 
limitations) require exponentially larger numbers of data elements 
compared to single demographic characteristics (e.g. number of women 
served). To reduce the reporting burden associated with the number of 
data elements ACL is proposing to limit data element combinations. For 
example, the revised SPR asks for demographic characteristic such as 
age, race, and gender for three or more ADL and IADLs rather than for 
zero, one, two and three or more ADLs and IADLs. The remaining proposed 
demographic data elements include indicators of priority populations 
(i.e., social and economic vulnerability and frailty) found in the OAA 
and will allow ACL to continue to measure efforts to target services.
    Limited expansions in data elements are found in the Title III-E 
National Family Caregiver Support Program service component. The 
proposal separates out three service areas that were reported as a 
whole (i.e., counseling, training and support group services). 
Separation allows for support group services to be categorized as a 
non-registered service for which consumer demographic details are no 
longer reported. Additional information regarding the types of respite 
services provided under the OAA is sought. The proposal separates 
assistance services into two types: (1) Case management, and (2) 
information and assistance. Case management assistance services are 
categorized as registered, meaning caregiver demographic data are 
reported while information and assistance services do not include 
reporting of demographic data. Supplemental services are reported in 
the same manner as ``other service'' under Title III-B, Home and 
Community-based Services (HCBS) program. Across the OAA services, 
greater detail regarding expenditure data is proposed. Under Title III-
B, HCBS program, the proposed data collection expands data regarding 
Title VII legal assistance services. The ACL seeks data on the OAA 
identified priority legal issues for closed cases.

Comments in Response to the 60-Day Federal Register Notice

    A 60-day Federal Register Notice was published in the Federal 
Register on June 1, 2017, Vol. 82, No. 104, pp. 25293-25294.
    ACL received comments from fourteen (14) organizations and one (1) 
individual about the State Performance Report (SPR) redesign. ACL 
reviewed all of the comments, but some of the comments were deemed not 
relevant because they were: (a) About the data submission process 
itself (b) did not request a change (c) only commented on the format 
(d) indicated topics for technical assistance and training for the 
final data collection or (e) provided commentary without referencing 
the SPR. Regarding concerns about the:
     Timeline-ACL proposes moving the effective date back by 12 
months,
     Cost, burden, and changes to data elements-ACL recognizes 
that there is always a cost to changing data systems, but believes that 
the anticipated improvement in the data justifies the proposed changes,
     New items related to Legal Services-ACL worked closely 
with program staff and stakeholders to develop a reasonable data 
collection to measure the contribution of this important program about 
which performance data were not previously collected,
     Need for additional elements including sub-state and 
individual level data-ACL is not adding more elements or more granular 
data collection at this time but will consider those suggestions for 
future data collections,
     Need for improved definitions and language-ACL made 
several changes to specific elements and is using these comments to 
inform the training and technical assistance it provides, and
     Caregiver program-ACL made revisions to several items and 
is using these comments to inform the training and technical assistance 
it provides.
    A detailed analysis of the comments and responses can be found at 
(https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
    The proposed data collection template may be found on the ACL 
website at https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/public-input.
    Estimated Program Burden: ACL estimates the burden of this 
collection of information as follows: 56 State Agencies on Aging 
respond annually and it will take an average of 33.5 hours for a total 
of 1,876 hours. This is a reduction of 874 hours from the previous 
version. The burden estimate of 33.5 hours was derived from feedback 
from grantees.

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                                                     Number of     Responses per     Hours per     Annual burden
       Respondent/data collection activity          respondents     respondent       response          hours
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Older American Act Title III and Title VII                    56               1            33.5           1,876
 (Chapters 3 and 4) Annual State Program
 Reporting......................................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................              56               1            33.5           1,876
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    Dated: March 26, 2018.
Mary Lazare,
Principal Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-06662 Filed 3-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4154-01-P