[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59166-59167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23271]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Expedited OMB Review and Public Comment: Office of Community 
Services Data Collection for the Low Income Household Water Assistance 
Program Reports (New Collection)

AGENCY: Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and 
Families, HHS.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Community Services, Administration for Children 
and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 
is requesting expedited review of an information collection request 
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and inviting public 
comment on the proposed collection. The proposed forms are necessary to 
provide data to the Administration and Congress in its oversight of 
recipients' performance in administering the Low Income

[[Page 59167]]

Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) program. The information 
collection is essential to the mission of the agency for this emergency 
assistance effort and the use of normal clearance procedures is 
reasonably likely to disrupt and prevent the collection of information.

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 in this notice.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained and comments may be submitted by emailing 
[email protected]. All requests should identify the title of 
the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: ACF is requesting that OMB grant a 180-day approval 
for this request under procedures for expedited processing. A request 
for review under normal procedures will be submitted within 180 days of 
the approval for this request. The LIHWAP effort was authorized under 
two separate appropriations as part of an emergency effort to prevent 
and respond to COVID-19: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(Pub. L. 116-260) and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 
117-2). As a result of the emergency nature, the timeline to implement 
the program was very short and the time to develop and submit related 
performance measures is similarly short. The proposed LIHWAP Quarterly 
Performance and Management Report and the LIHWAP Annual Report are 
conducted in accordance with the LIHWAP statute (Pub. L. 116-260) and 
will provide ACF and Congress information necessary for oversight of 
recipients' performance in administering the LIHWAP program. The 
completeness, accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of responses to 
data collections are needed for the agency to do the following:
     Ensure that LIHWAP, an emergency and temporary program, is 
implemented effectively and efficiently;
     Provide reliable and complete fiscal and household data 
for OCS analysis and reporting to Congress and the public; and
     Respond to questions from the Congress, Department, OMB, 
White House, and other interested parties in a timely and accurate 
manner.
    This information collection package also includes a burden estimate 
related to the information collected from households. While grant 
recipients will collect necessary information from households using a 
variety of intake systems and local forms, OCS is providing technical 
assistance in this area and has included a sample application template 
in supplementary materials. This is a sample template; there will be no 
mandated household application format and OCS will not receive or 
analyze copies of individual household application materials.
    Respondents: LIHWAP grant recipients.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                   Total number   Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    of responses      hours per     Total burden    Annual burden
                                  of respondents  per respondent     response          hours           hours
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Quarterly Report................             157               4              13           8,164           8,164
Annual Report...................             157               2             211          66,254          33,127
Household Application...........       1,200,000               1              .5         600,000         200,000
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 241,291 (for first year with Quarterly reports), 233,127 (for subsequent
  years without Quarterly reports).

    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. Comments will be considered and any 
necessary updates to materials made prior to, and responses provided 
in, the submission to OMB that will follow this public comment period.
    Authority: Public Law 116-260 and LIHWAP Terms and Conditions 
Section 10 (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/LIHWAP%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20for%20States.pdf).

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-23271 Filed 10-25-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-86-P