[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 140 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40064-40065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15885]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: COVID-19 
Provider Relief Fund Reporting Activities, OMB No. 0906-XXXX New

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

ACTION: Notice.

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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, below, or any other aspect of the 
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than September 
24, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 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: COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund 
Reporting Activities, OMB No. 0906-XXXX New.
    Abstract: HRSA administers the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), which 
has disbursed funds to eligible health care providers to support health 
care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to the COVID-19 
pandemic. Providers who have accepted the Terms and Conditions 
regarding their PRF payment(s), including the requirement that the 
provider ``shall submit reports as the Secretary determines are needed 
to ensure compliance with conditions that are imposed on this Payment, 
and

[[Page 40065]]

such reports shall be in such form, with such content, as specified by 
the Secretary in future program instructions directed to all 
Recipients,'' will be using the PRF Reporting Portal to submit 
information about their use of PRF payments. HRSA is currently 
operating under the Paperwork Reduction Act Public Health Emergency 
(PHE) waiver that was approved by the Office of the Assistant Secretary 
for Planning and Evaluation on January 14, 2021. In anticipation of the 
PHE waiver expiring, HRSA is undergoing the OMB clearance process as 
the data will be collected beyond the PHE.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Recipients of a PRF 
payment agreed to a set of Terms and Conditions, which, among other 
requirements, mandate compliance with certain reporting requirements 
that will facilitate appropriate oversight of recipients' use of funds.
    Information collected will allow for (1) assessing whether 
recipients have met statutory and programmatic requirements, (2) 
conducting audits, (3) gathering data required to report on findings 
with respect to the disbursements of PRF payments, and (4) program 
evaluation. HRSA staff will also use information collected to identify 
and report on trends in health care metrics and expenditures before and 
during the allowable period for expending PRF payments.
    Likely Respondents: PRF recipients who have received more than 
$10,000 in aggregate PRF payments during one of the Payment Received 
Periods outlined below and that agreed to the associated Terms and 
Conditions are required to submit a report in the PRF Reporting Portal 
during the applicable Reporting Time Period.

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                                       Payment received
                                       period (payments
         Reporting period            exceeding $10,000 in                  Reporting time period
                                     aggregate received)
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Period 1..........................  April 10, 2020, to     July 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021.
                                     June 30, 2020.
Period 2..........................  July 1, 2020, to       January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022.
                                     December 31, 2020.
Period 3..........................  January 1, 2021, to    July 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022.
                                     June 30, 2021.
Period 4..........................  July 1, 2021, to       January 1, 2023, to March 31, 2023.
                                     December 31, 2021.
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    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. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
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PRF Reporting Portal, Reporting          126,831               1         126,831             5.6         710,254
 Period 1 (Providers who
 received payments April 10,
 2020, to June 30, 2020)........
PRF Reporting Portal, Reporting          120,536               1         120,536             4.2         506,251
 Period 2 (Providers who
 received payments July 1, 2020,
 to December 31, 2020)..........
PRF Reporting Portal, Reporting           19,962               1          19,962             5.6         111,787
 Period 3 (Providers who
 received payments January 1,
 2021, to June 30, 2021)........
PRF Reporting Portal, Reporting           19,962               1          19,962             5.6         111,787
 Period 4 (Providers who
 received payments July 1, 2021,
 to December 31, 2021)..........
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    Total.......................         287,291  ..............         287,291  ..............       1,440,079
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    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. 2021-15885 Filed 7-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P