[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 68 (Monday, April 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18985-18986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07425]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[OMB No. 0970-0323]


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Child Care Improper 
Payments Data Collection Instructions

AGENCY: Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, 
HHS.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families is proposing 
revisions to an approved information collection, Child Care Improper 
Payments Data Collection Instructions (OMB #0970-0323, expiration 10/
31/2021). There are minor changes requested to the form.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with 
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is 
soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information 
collection described above.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing 
[email protected]. Alternatively, copies can also be obtained 
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), 330 C Street SW, Washington, 
DC 20201, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests, emailed or 
written, should be identified by the title of the information 
collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: Section 2 of the Payment Integrity Information Act of 
2019 (PIIA) provides for estimates and reports of improper payments by 
federal agencies. Subpart K of 45 CFR, Part 98 of the Child Care and 
Development Fund (CCDF) requires states to prepare and submit a report 
of errors occurring in the administration of CCDF grant funds once 
every 3 years.
    The Office of Child Care (OCC) is completing the fifth 3-year cycle 
of case record reviews to meet the requirements for reporting under 
PIIA. The current data collection forms and instructions expire October 
31, 2021. As part of the renewal process, OCC has revised the document 
with minor changes that do not change the methodology, but provide 
respondents with additional guidance, clarification, and support to 
facilitate completeness and accuracy of the required data submissions.
    Clarifying language and a question have been added to the revised 
document to support Lead Agencies that administer all or part of the 
CCDF program through other governmental or non-governmental agencies to 
include the following:
     In Section 1 Introduction on page 2, a subsection 
``Considerations for Administering CCDF Through Other Agencies'' was 
added to describe how Lead Agency responsibilities in administering the 
CCDF program through other entities apply to the error rate review 
process.
     In Section III Creating the Sampling Decisions, 
Assurances, and Fieldwork Preparation Plan on page 11, and the Sampling 
Decisions, Assurances, and Fieldwork Preparation Plan Report template 
(Attachment 1), a new item was added at Item 3g Case Review Logistics 
to request information about how a Lead Agency accesses documents 
stored by other entities if part of eligibility is determined by the 
other entity.
    OCC is particularly interested in feedback about the clarity of 
these instructions and the ease and accuracy with which respondents can 
provide information on accessing documents stored by other entities.
    Respondents: State grantees, the District of Columbia, and Puerto 
Rico.

[[Page 18986]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                   Total number
                                   Total number    of responses       Average      Total burden    Annual burden
           Instrument             of respondents        per        burden hours        hours           hours
                                                    respondent     per response
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Sampling Decisions, Assurances,               52               1             106           5,512           1,837
 and Fieldwork Preparation Plan.
Record Review Worksheet.........              52             276            6.33          90,848          30,283
State Improper Payments Report..              52               1             639          33,228          11,076
Corrective Action Plan..........               5           2 \a\             156           1,560             520
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    Estimated Total Annual        ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............          43,716
     Burden Hours...............
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\a\ The total number of responses per respondent ranges from one to three, depending on how long it takes
  respondents to reduce the Improper Payment Rate to below the threshold. Respondents submit a Corrective Action
  Plan that covers a 1-year period; at the end of each year, if respondents have not reduced the Improper
  Payment Rate to below the threshold, they submit a new Corrective Action Plan for the following year. An
  average of two responses per respondent is used to calculate annual burden estimates.

    Comments: The Department specifically requests comments on (a) 
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection 
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication.

    Authority: 45 CFR part 98, subpart K.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-07425 Filed 4-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-43-P