[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 310-312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29150]


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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; Information Collection Request for the 
State Grants for Assistive Technology Program Annual Progress Report; 
OMB #0985-0042

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, 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 the reinstatement with change for 
the information collection requirements related to State Grants for 
Assistive Technology Program Annual Progress Report [OMB #0985-0042].

DATES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by 
February 4, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find the information collection by 
selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' 
or by using the search function. 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: Robert Groenendaal, Assistive 
Technology Program Manager, Center for Innovation and Partnership in 
the Office of Interagency Innovation Administration for Community 
Living; Email: [email protected]; Phone: 202-795-7356.

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 Administration for Community Living (ACL) is requesting 
approval for a reinstatement with change for the information collection 
associated with the State Grants for Assistive Technology Program 
Annual Progress Report (AT APR) 0985-0042.
    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 reinstatement with change of a previously approved 
information collection under OMB No. 0985-0042.
    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

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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.

Comments in Response to the 60-Day Federal Register Notice

    A notice published in the Federal Register on September 28, 2020 in 
85 FR 60803. There were 32 public comments received during the 60-day 
FRN comment period.
    Proposed change in State Financing Activities: Financial Loan--
partnership loans reported with no guarantee or interest buy-down have 
narrative description added to document subsidy/investment.
    Comment Summary: Two State AT Act Program grantees commented in 
support. One organization representing the State AT Act Programs 
requested clarification.
    ACL Response: Sentence identified as confusing has been deleted in 
the AT APR--IC document.
    Proposed change in Reuse: Exchange--option for automatic exclusion 
of exchange recipients from performance measure data collection 
eliminated.
    Comment Summary: Two AT grantees commented in support. One AT 
organization requested clarification.
    ACL Response: Clarification text has been added into the AT APR--IC 
document.
    Proposed change in Device Loan--separate type of borrower and type 
of device data reporting tables by purposed of loan.
    Comment Summary: Three AT grantees commented in support. One 
requested clarification of timeline for implementation.
    ACL Response: No changes made. ACL will clarify the timeline for 
implementation to begin with federal fiscal year 2022, with first data 
collection October 1, 2021 to provide time for data system revision.
    Proposed change in Device Demonstration--separate decision-making 
participant from other participants reported in participant type table.
    Comment Summary: Three AT grantees commented in support. One 
grantee and one organization commented in opposition with one saying 
this is duplicative data reporting and one saying it is understood that 
an individual with a disability is the decision-maker unless unable to 
be and then it is the caregiver/provider role. One grantee requested 
clarification of the timeline for implementation.
    ACL Response: The proposed change is designed to support data 
fidelity by ensuring the decision-maker is identified by type within 
what can be a larger number of participants reported for each 
demonstration event. Currently all participants are reported by type. 
As a result, this change does not duplicate or increase data reporting 
burden. It only separates the decision-maker participant type reported 
from the type or types reported for all other participants. No change 
is made. ACL will clarify the timeline for implementation to begin with 
federal fiscal year 2022, with first data collection October 1, 2021 to 
provide time for data system revision.
    Updated Outcome Measures--Overall acquisition and access 
performance measure tables and consumer satisfaction tables updated to 
align with outcome/output data and targets used by ACL for program 
evaluation and budget justification since FY18.
    Comment Summary: One AT organization requested clarification.
    ACL Response: Clarification has been added to the AT APR--IC 
document.
    Proposed new data elements in Public Awareness and Information & 
Assistance--New question added for description of partnerships as part 
of public awareness, new data table added to report how individuals 
learned about the AT Program, new information request in Notes for 
description of partnerships that increase referrals.
    Comment Summary: Five AT grantees and one AT organization commented 
in opposition to these changes and the new data element. All commenters 
expressed concern about lack of clarity and significant new data burden 
(both for AT Programs and consumers) associated with the proposed new 
data collection requirements.
    Commenters suggested these new data elements be removed and 
requested ACL work with AT Act grantees to determine the most efficient 
and effective way to report referral source data in a future 
information collection.
    ACL Response: ACL is appreciative of the participation of AT 
stakeholders in the Federal Register Notice comment process and values 
the submission of comments on the proposed updates to the Public 
Awareness and Information and Assistance sections of the AT APR data 
collection instrument. Once approved, ACL intends to address and work 
through these changes with AT stakeholders to identify the most 
efficient and effective way to collect referral source data in the 
Information Collection.
    State Improvement Outcomes--new optional section added to collect 
data on

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coordination and collaboration with two new required narratives and 
associated drop-down menu data.
    Comment Summary: Two AT grantees commented in support.
    ACL Response: No changes made.
    Leveraged Funding--eliminated Section B and folded data into 
Section A to simplify.
    Comment Summary: Two AT grantees commented in support.
    ACL Response: No changes made.
    Instruction Manual--deleted redundant text and updated AT Taxonomy.
    Comment Summary: Two AT grantees commented in support.
    ACL Response: No changes made.

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.

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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
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: December 29, 2020.
Lance Robertson,
Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2020-29150 Filed 1-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P