[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 188 (Monday, September 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60803-60805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21294]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living

[OMB #0985-0042]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Public Comment Request; State Grants for Assistive Technology Program 
Annual Progress Report

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 the proposed collection of 
information listed above. 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 revision of an existing collection of 
information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the 
notice. This revision (ICR Rev) solicits comments on the information 
collection requirements related to the State Grants for Assistive 
Technology Program Annual Progress Report (AT APR).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information must be submitted 
electronically by 11:59 p.m. (EST) or postmarked by November 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to: Robert Groenendaal, [email protected]. Submit written 
comments on the collection of information to the Administration for 
Community Living 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201. Attention: 
Robert Groenendaal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Groenendaal, Assistive 
Technology Program Manager, Center for Innovation and Partnership in 
the Office of Interagency Innovation Administration for Community 
Living 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201. Phone: 202-795-7356. 
Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA, 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 as and includes agency requests or 
requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, 
or provide information to a third party. The PRA 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 our burden estimates or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including:
    (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of ACL's functions,

[[Page 60804]]

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 to determine burden estimates;
    (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.
    The information collected through this data collection instrument 
is necessary for ACL and states to comply with Sections 4 and 7 of the 
Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended (AT Act). ACL is 
requesting a revision of the annual data collection instrument (OMB No. 
0985-0042). Approval of 0985-0042 expires November 30, 2020.
    Section 4 of the AT Act authorizes grants to public agencies in the 
50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Marianas (states and outlying areas). With these funds, the 56 states 
and outlying areas operate ``Statewide AT Programs'' that conduct 
activities to increase access to and acquisition of assistive 
technology (AT) for individuals with disabilities and older Americans.
    Divided into two comprehensive activity categories: ``State-level 
Activities'' and ``State Leadership Activities.'' According to Section 
4 of the AT Act, as a condition of receiving a grant to support their 
Statewide AT Programs, the 56 states and outlying areas must provide to 
ACL: (1) Applications and (2) annual progress reports on their 
activities.
    Applications: The application required of states and outlying areas 
is a three-year State Plan for Assistive Technology (State Plan for AT 
or State Plan) (OMB No. 0985-0048). The content of the State Plan for 
AT is based on the requirements in Section 4(d) of the AT Act. As a 
part of this State Plan, Section 4(d)(3) of the AT Act requires that 
states and outlying areas set measurable goals for addressing the 
assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities in 
education, employment, community living and information technology/
telecommunications.
    Every state and outlying area is required to include a minimum of 
seven prescribed measurable goals in its State Plan. These seven goals 
apply to all states and outlying areas in order to aggregate 
information on performance of the program at the national level. 
National aggregation of data related to these goals is necessary for 
the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 
(GPRAMA) (Pub. L. 111-352), as well as an Annual Report to Congress 
(see ``Section 7 Requirements Necessitating Collection'' below).
    Therefore, this data collection instrument provides a way for all 
56 grantees--50 U.S. states, DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands to collect and report data on their performance in a consistent 
manner, including a uniform survey to be given to consumers. This 
uniform survey is included as part of the data collection package.
    Annual Reports: In addition to submitting a State Plan every three 
years, states and outlying areas are required to submit annual progress 
reports on their activities. The data required in that progress report 
is specified in Section 4(f) of the AT Act. Section 7(d) of the AT Act 
requires that ACL submit to Congress an annual report on the activities 
conducted under the Act and an analysis of the progress of the states 
and outlying areas in meeting their measurable goals. This report must 
include a compilation and summary of the data collected under Section 
4(f). In order to make this possible, states and outlying areas must 
provide their data uniformly. This data collection instrument was 
developed to ensure that all 56 states and outlying areas report data 
in a consistent manner in alignment with the requirements of Section 
4(f). As stated above, ACL will use the information collected via this 
instrument to:
    (1) Complete the annual report to Congress required by the AT Act;
    (2) Comply with reporting requirements under the Government 
Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) (Pub. L. 
111-352); and
    (3) Assess the progress of states and outlying areas regarding 
measurable goals in their State Plans for AT.
    Data collected from the grantees will provide a national 
description of activities funded under the AT Act to increase the 
access to and acquisition of AT devices and services through statewide 
AT programs for individuals with disabilities. Data collected from 
grantees will also provide information for usage by Congress, the 
Department, and the public. In addition, ACL will use this data to 
inform program management, monitoring, and technical assistance 
efforts. While States will be able to use the data for internal 
management and program improvement.
    To review the proposed data collection tools please visit the ACL 
website at: https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/public-input.

Estimated Program Burden

    ACL estimates the burden associated with this collection of 
information as follows:
    (A) A web-based system that collects data from states.
    (B) A performance measurement survey that states collect from 
individuals.
    (C) A customer satisfaction survey that states collect from 
individuals.
    (A) Fifty-six grantees report to ACL using the web-based data 
collection system. A workgroup of grantees estimated that the average 
amount of time required to complete all responses to the data 
collection instrument is 80 hours annually. The estimated response 
burden includes time to review the instructions, gather existing data, 
and complete and review the data entries. These estimates are based on 
the experience of staff who implement these programs at the state 
level. In addition, we project that clean-up and clarification of data 
elements will require no change in data burden estimates.
    (B) The fifty-six grantees ask consumers to complete surveys that 
provide information on their performance related to the state's 
measurable goals. Historical data from states indicates that the 
average state will ask for this information from 3,242 consumers at 1 
minute per consumer to complete the question survey, for a total of 54 
hours annually.
    (C) The fifty-six grantees also ask consumers to complete customer 
satisfaction surveys. Historical data from states indicated that the 
average state asks for this information from 3,242 consumers at 1 
minute per consumer, for a total of 54 hours annually.

[[Page 60805]]



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                                                     Number of       Hours per     Annual burden   Total annual
                                                     responses       response       per grantee    burden hours
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Work-Based System...............................              56           1.428              80           4,480
Performance Measurement.........................           3,242         0.01666              54           3.024
Customer Satisfaction...........................           3,242         0.01666              54           3,024
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal....................................  ..............  ..............             188          10,528
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Program Support.................................              56               4             208          11,648
Record Keeping Burden...........................              56         0.14286               8             448
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal....................................  ..............  ..............             216          12,096
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        Total...................................  ..............  ..............             404          22,624
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    Dated: September 17, 2020.
Mary Lazare,
Principal Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-21294 Filed 9-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P