[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20499-20500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08017]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Updates 
to Uniform Standard for Waiver of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Core 
Medical Services Expenditure Requirement, OMB No. 0906-XXXX-NEW

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the 
public regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than June 21, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N39, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, Maryland 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: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Updates to Uniform Standard 
for Waiver of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Core Medical Services 
Expenditure Requirement, OMB No. 0906-XXXX-NEW.
    Abstract: In accordance with sections 2604(c), 2612(b), and 2651(c) 
of the Public Health Service Act, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) 
recipients are required to spend not less than 75 percent of grant 
funds on core medical

[[Page 20500]]

services for individuals with HIV identified and eligible under the 
statute, after reserving statutory permissible amounts for 
administrative and clinical quality management costs. The RWHAP statute 
also grants the Secretary authority to waive this requirement for RWHAP 
Parts A, B, or C recipients if a number of requirements are met and a 
waiver request is submitted to HRSA for approval. RWHAP Part A, B, and 
C core medical services waiver requests--if approved--are effective for 
a 1-year budget period, and apply to funds awarded under the Minority 
AIDS Initiative.
    Currently, for a core medical services waiver request to be 
approved, (1) core medical services must be available and accessible to 
all individuals identified and eligible for the RWHAP in the 
recipient's service area within 30 days, without regard to payer 
source; (2) there cannot be any AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting 
lists in the recipient's service area; and (3) a public process to 
obtain input on the waiver request from impacted communities, including 
clients and RWHAP-funded core medical services providers, on the 
availability of core medical services and the decision to request the 
waiver must have occurred. The public process may be a part of the same 
one used to seek input on community needs as part of the annual 
priority setting and resource allocation, comprehensive planning, 
statewide coordinated statement of need (SCSN), public planning, and/or 
needs assessment processes.
    HRSA is proposing to simplify the waiver request process for RWHAP 
Parts A, B, and C recipients by revising Policy Number 13-07: Uniform 
Standard for Waiver of Core Medical Services Requirement for Grantees 
Under Part, A, B, and C. The proposed changes would reduce the 
administrative burden for recipients by lessening the documentation 
they must submit to HRSA when requesting a waiver. Under the proposed 
policy, recipients would be required to submit a one-page ``HRSA RWHAP 
Core Medical Services Waiver Request Attestation Form'' to HRSA in lieu 
of the multiple documents currently required to submit a waiver 
request. Waiver request submission deadlines would also be revised. 
When finalized, the policy would replace HAB Policy Number 13-07 
effective October 1, 2021, and would be named ``Waiver of the Ryan 
White HIV/AIDS Program Core Medical Services Expenditure Requirement.'' 
HRSA is inviting comments on the proposed policy change under a 
separate policy notice titled, Updates to Uniform Standard for Waiver 
of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Core Medical Services Expenditure 
Requirement.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA uses the 
documentation submitted in core medical services waiver requests to 
determine if the grant applicant or recipient meets the statutory 
requirements for waiver eligibility outlined in Sections 2604(c), 
2612(b), and 2651(c) of the Public Health Service Act.
    Likely Respondents: HRSA expects responses from RWHAP Parts A, B, 
and C grant applicants and recipients. The number of grant recipients 
requesting waivers has fluctuated annually and has ranged from 15 to up 
to 22 per year since the Program's implementation in FY 2007. Given the 
changes in the health care environment, HRSA anticipates receiving 
possibly up to 22 applications in a given year.
    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; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. Public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average four hours per response, 
including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data 
sources, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. 
The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in 
the table below.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of       Number of         Total        burden per     Total burden
            Form name               respondents    responses per     responses     response  (in       hours
                                                    respondent                        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waiver Request..................              22               1              22               4              88
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................              22  ..............              22  ..............              88
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2021-08017 Filed 4-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P