[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17826-17827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08539]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request Information Collection Request Title: The 
Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Statewide 
Needs Assessment Update

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit a Supplemental Information 
Request (SIR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). Prior to submitting the SIR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the 
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the 
SIR.

DATES: Comments on this SIR should be received no later than June 25, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, 14N39, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call Lisa Wright-
Solomon, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 
443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Information Collection Request Title: The Maternal, Infant, and 
Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Needs Assessment Update
    OMB No.: 0906-XXXX, New.
    Abstract: HRSA is requesting approval to collect updated statewide 
needs assessments from Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home 
Visiting (MIECHV) Program awardees. The previous statewide needs 
assessment that was approved under OMB control number 0915-0333 has 
been discontinued. Eligible entities that are states, the District of 
Columbia, and non-profit organizations will submit statewide needs 
assessment updates in response to a forthcoming SIR.
    The MIECHV Program, authorized by section 511 of the Social 
Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 711, and administered by HRSA in partnership 
with the Administration for Children and Families, supports voluntary, 
evidence-based home visiting services during pregnancy and to parents 
with young children up to kindergarten entry. States, territories, and 
tribal entities, and nonprofit organizations, in certain circumstances, 
are eligible to receive funding through MIECHV and have the 
flexibility, within the parameters of the authorizing statute, to 
tailor the program to serve the specific needs of their communities.
    The statewide needs assessment is a critical and foundational 
resource that assists awardees in identifying and understanding how to 
meet the needs of eligible families living in at-risk communities in 
their states.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Congress, through 
enactment of the Social Security Act, Title V, Section 511 (42 U.S.C. 
711), as amended, established the MIECHV Program. The MIECHV Program is 
designed to: (1) Strengthen and improve the programs and activities 
carried out under Title V of the Social Security Act; (2) improve 
coordination of services for at risk communities; and (3) identify and 
provide comprehensive services to improve outcomes for families who 
reside in at risk communities. Section 50603 of the Bipartisan Budget 
Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-123) amended section 511(b)(1) of the Social 
Security Act, and requires that states review and update their 
statewide needs assessments (which may be separate from, but in 
coordination with, the Title V statewide needs assessment) no later 
than October 1, 2020, as a condition of receiving payments from Title V 
Block Grant allotments.
    In response to the forthcoming SIR, state and territory awardees 
will be required to submit an updated statewide needs assessment that 
identifies all of the following information, as required by the MIECHV 
authorizing statute:
    (1) Communities with concentrations of (a) premature birth, low-
birth weight infants, and infant mortality, including infant death due 
to neglect, or other indicators of at-risk prenatal, maternal, newborn, 
or child health; (b) poverty; (c) crime; (d) domestic violence; (e) 
high rates of high-school drop-outs; (f) substance abuse; (g) 
unemployment; or (h) child maltreatment.
    (2) The quality and capacity of existing programs or initiatives 
for early

[[Page 17827]]

childhood home visitation in the state including: the number and types 
of individuals and families who are receiving services under such 
programs or initiatives; the gaps in early childhood home visitation in 
the state; and the extent to which such programs or initiatives are 
meeting the needs of eligible families.
    (3) The state's capacity for providing substance abuse treatment 
and counseling services to individuals and families in need of such 
treatment or services.
    The forthcoming SIR will provide further guidance to states in 
updating their statewide needs assessments and submitting the required 
information to HRSA. States that have elected not to apply for or be 
awarded MIECHV funds are encouraged to work with nonprofit 
organizations that have received awards to provide MIECHV services 
within the state and indicate whether they will submit their needs 
assessments directly or through the nonprofit organization awardee. 
HRSA, states, and nonprofits providing MIECHV services within states 
will use the information collected through the needs assessment update 
to reaffirm the provision of MIECHV home visiting services in at-risk 
communities. The information will also be used to support program 
planning, improvement, and decision-making. The needs assessment update 
is not intended to disrupt current services or negatively impact 
communities that have benefited from home visiting programs, nor is the 
intent of the update to require awardees to shift resources away from 
at-risk communities they currently serve.
    Likely Respondents: MIECHV Program Awardees that are states, 
territories, and, where applicable, nonprofit organizations providing 
services within states.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions and supporting materials; to collect and analyze data; 
engage with stakeholders and coordinate with state level partners; and 
to draft and submit the report. The table below summarizes the total 
annual burden hours estimated for this SIR.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
           Instrument                Number of     responses per       Total         hours per     Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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Maternal, Infant, and Early                   56               1              56           95.57           5,352
 Childhood Home Visiting Program
 Statewide Needs Assessment
 Update.........................
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    Total.......................              56  ..............              56  ..............           5,352
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (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.

Amy P. McNulty,
Acting Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2018-08539 Filed 4-23-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P