[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81088-81089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25712]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity: Social Services Block 
Grant Post-Expenditure Report, Pre-Expenditure Report, and Intended Use 
Plan (Office of Management and Budget# 0970-0234)

AGENCY: Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and 
Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) Office of 
Community Services (OCS) is requesting from the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) a three-year extension of the Social Services Block 
Grant (SSBG) Post-Expenditure Report, Pre-Expenditure Report, and 
Intended Use Plan (OMB# 0970-0234). OCS is proposing to make minor 
editorial modifications to some column titles in the Pre- and Post-
Expenditure Reports, for clarification.

DATES: Comments are 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: You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of 
information and submit comments by emailing [email protected]. 
Identify all requests by the title of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Description: On an annual basis, States and 
Territories are required to submit the following reports: (1) An 
Intended Use Plan that provides data and narrative descriptions related 
to the State's SSBG program. The Intended Use Plan includes details 
about the delivery of SSBG services and the State agency administering 
the SSBG Program. ACF is proposing to expand the currently approved 
information collection to include the collection of States' Intended 
Use Plans with a model format. Recipients are required to submit their 
Pre-Expenditure Report no less than 30 days prior to the start of the 
period covered by the report. (2) A Pre-Expenditure Report demonstrates 
the State's anticipated allocation of SSBG funding among the 29 pre-
defined SSBG service categories. Historically, States have submitted 
this report using the Post-Expenditure Report Form, and the associated 
burden is included in the currently approved information collection. 
Recipients are required to submit their Intended Use Plan no less than 
30 days prior to the start of the period covered by the report, 
together with the Pre-Expenditure Report. (3) A Post-Expenditure Report 
details the State's actual use of SSBG funding among each of the 29 
service categories. Recipients are required to submit their Post-
Expenditure Report within 6 months of the end of the period covered by 
the report.
    The law governing the programs at title XX of the Social Security 
Act [42 U.S.C. 1397c] mandates States and Territories submit to the 
Federal administering office an Intended Use Plan and Pre-Expenditure 
report. These materials are to detail the planned use of funds. At the 
end of the fiscal year, the law also requires States to provide the 
Federal agency with a reconciliation of the actual use of grant funds 
in the Post-Expenditure Report [42 U.S.C. 1397e].

[[Page 81089]]

    The forms and model plans support the States and Territories in 
meeting the statutory requirement and provide a consistent set of tools 
for information collection on the grants' use for each State, as well 
as grant wide. The State and Territory reports are congregated and 
analyzed and, in turn, comprise the SSBG Annual Report. The data 
informs the program's performance and efficiency measures for program 
impact and efficacy.
    OCS is proposing to make minor editorial modifications to some 
column titles in the Pre- and Post-Expenditure Reports, for 
clarification.
    Respondents: Agencies that administer SSBG at the State or 
Territory level, including the 50 States; the District of Columbia; the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and the Territories of American Samoa, 
Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana 
Islands.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                   Annual number  Average burden
                   Instrument                      Total number    of responses      hours per     Annual burden
                                                  of respondents  per respondent     response          hours
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Pre-Expenditure Report Form.....................              57               1               2             114
Intended Use Plan...............................              57               1              40           2,280
Post-Expenditure Reporting Form.................              57               1             110           6,270
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.........  ..............  ..............  ..............           8,664
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    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: 42 U.S.C. 1397-1397e.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-25712 Filed 11-20-23; 8:45 am]
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