[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 42 (Monday, March 4, 2019)] [Notices] [Pages 7379-7381] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2019-03847] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Community Living [OMB #0985-0059] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Data Collection Materials for the Annual Performance Reporting of the Administration for Community Living's American Indian, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiian Programs AGENCY: Administration for Community Living (ACL), HHS. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This 30-Day notice collects comments on the information collection requirements related to the Revision of a Currently Approved Collection (ICR Rev) and solicits comments on the information collection requirements related to the annual Program Performance Report (PPR) for the American Indian, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiian Programs under Title VI of the Older Americans Act. DATES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by April 3, 2019. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by: (a) Email to: [email protected], Attn: OMB Desk Officer for ACL; [[Page 7380]] (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: Kristen Hudgins, Social Science Analyst, Administration for Community Living, Washington, DC 20201, 202-795-7732 or [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. The data collection materials for the annual performance data for the Administration for Community Living's American Indian, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiian Programs (OAA Title VI) is a revision of a currently approved annual program performance data collection (OMB# 0985-0059). These data collection materials have been updated to better align with comparable data collected for ACL's other nutritional, supportive, and caregiving grants. Proposed changes include adding data components and updating others for more accurate reporting of persons served and activities provided through the Title VI-funded programs. The revised data collection will provide data necessary to determine the effectiveness of the program. Some examples of these changes are updating definitions in Title VI to be more in line with Title III, asking for unduplicated numbers of people served for different services and the number of hours spent providing said services. Additionally, the caregiver portion of the PPR has been updated to collect more information around types of caregivers served and unduplicated numbers of caregivers. Another element added has to do with information on expenditures. This data collection will also support ACL in tracking performance outcomes and efficiency measures with respect to the annual and long-term performance targets established in compliance with the Government Performance Results Modernization Act (GPRAMA). Comments in Response to the 60-Day Federal Register Notice A notice was published in the Federal Register on August 15, 2018, Vol. 83, No. 158, pp. 40519-40520. ACL received comments from ten (10) organizations and two (2) individuals about the Program Performance Report (PPR) redesign. ACL reviewed all of the comments. However, some of the comments were deemed to not be relevant because they were: (a) About the data submission process itself; (b) did not request a change; (c) only related to format; or (d) indicated topics for technical assistance and training for the final data collection. For ease of review, the remaining comments and their responses have been grouped by topic or issue. The ACL responses for each topic/issue are detailed below: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Topic/issue Comment ACL response ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Additional comment boxes for One of the comments ACL has added a story telling. was to include a comment box at the comment box to the end of the PPR for PPR to allow for program staff to programs to better share contextual share their stories. information about how their program is addressing the needs of Elders in their community. Additional data reporting... There were some Although ACL concerns expressed understands that around having to reporting can be a keep track of and burdensome process, report additional having better and data. richer data is a priority for the Title VI program, particularly where it allows us to align with the data collection for Title III. ``Tribal Organization''..... There was a ACL has decided to suggestion posited use the term by two ``Grantee Name'' to organizations to be more inclusive change the term of tribal ``Tribal consortia, Native Organization'' to Hawaiian something more organizations, and encompassing. other entities that did not feel covered under the previous term of ``Tribal Organization''. Staffing/Volunteers......... Five organizations Upon consideration commented that they of the issues found the prospect brought up through of collecting data the FRN comments, on volunteers and ACL has decided to their hours to be remove the question an unnecessary on volunteers and reporting burden. volunteer hours. Nutrition Questions......... There was one ACL understands that comment noting that reporting can be a there were too many burdensome process questions around and so have updated nutrition education the questions under and counseling. ``Other Nutrition Services'' to only ask one additional question regarding number of persons receiving nutrition counseling. In keeping with Title III's SPR we have updated Nutrition Education hours to ``sessions''. Meal Mileage................ There were many ACL has decided to comments (both remove this positive and asking question from the for clarification) PPR and will related to a consider posing it proposed question to grantees through around home- a different data delivered meal collection source mileage. at a later date. Ombudsman................... Removal of the ACL will not add an ombudsman question. ombudsman question back into the Title VI PPR as official ombudsman services should be reported through the State Ombudsman and collected in the NORS tool. However, ACL has decided to add in a question related to visiting nursing homes and other assisted living facilities as we agree that these activities are important to capture. Other Supportive Services... Suggestions to add ACL has decided to space for grantees add an optional to report on the text box for types of supportive programs to share services they other supportive provide. services they may offer that are not currently listed. Transportation.............. Suggestions to split ACL appreciates the transportation into suggestion to assisted and collect more data unassisted as they but has decided in are in Title III's the interest of SPR. balancing data collection and burden to not make the distinction between the different ``types'' of transportation provided by a program. [[Page 7381]] Social Events............... Question about the Title III does not purpose of ``social ask for this events held'' and information. A whether it would be social event, as it better to change to is being defined in ``social/recreation Title VI, can be events held'' to recorded as allow cost sharing ``Other'' in SPR. with Title III. Finance Section for Part A/B The comments on the ACL is sensitive to newly added finance the burden that may section for Part A/ be caused by asking B were varied and for new kinds of ran from asking information from that the question our grantees, we be removed and find that requiring others asking for this information more options to will allow us to share data. better advocate for our programs and their financial needs. Based on the comments ACL has added an optional text box for grantees to explain more about their financial situations, and has also added additional options under the section asking for types of funding used. Caregiver (language)........ Suggestions to ACL has updated the change some of the language in this language in the section to be less caregiver section wordy and using the to make it clearer. term ``caregiver'' rather than ``persons'' to make it clearer that the intended recipients of services are caregivers and not those they care for. Caregiver (Information and There were a couple ACL has chosen to Assistance). of suggestions that maintain Information and consistency in this Assistance should area with Title be separated from III's SPR and will one another. ensure that training and technical materials make it clear how we are defining Information and Assistance and how to best collect it. Finance Section for Part C.. Suggestion to not ACL is sensitive to add the finance the burden that may section and asking be caused by asking for the cost of for new kinds of respite care to be information from pulled out. our grantees, we find that requiring this information will allow us to better advocate for our programs and their financial needs. ACL chose respite care from the five required services based on the thinking that the cost of this service would be easier to track. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The proposed form(s) may be found on the ACL website at https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/public-input. Estimated Program Burden Title VI funding is broken into three categories. Parts A and B are for nutritional and supportive programming, and ask for the same information. Part A is for American Indian and Alaska Native grantees, and Part B is for Native Hawaiian grantees. Part C is for caregiver programming. All Part C grantees must have Part A/B funding; but not all Part A/B grantees will have Part C programs. Therefore, there are 270 unique respondents, but only 237 will have to complete all portions of the PPR. ACL believes that the increase in burden hours is justified by the improved quality of the data and will ultimately improve the services provided to Native Elders. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Responses per Hours per Annual burden Respondent/data collection activity respondents respondent response hours ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PPR Part A/B.................................... 270 1 1.83 494.1 PPR Part C...................................... 237 1 1.66 393.4 --------------------------------------------------------------- Total....................................... .............. .............. .............. 887.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dated: February 22, 2019. Mary Lazare, Principal Deputy Administrator. [FR Doc. 2019-03847 Filed 3-1-19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4154-01-P