[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14507-14508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03952]


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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: Ryan 
White HIV/AIDS Program Core Medical Services Waiver Form, OMB No. 0906-
0065--Revision

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 April 29, 
2024.

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 Joella Roland, the 
HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at (301) 443-3983.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the ICR title for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program 
Core Medical Services Waiver Form, OMB No. 0915-0065--Revision
    Abstract: In accordance with sections 2604(c), 2612(b), and 2651(c) 
of the Public Health Service Act, recipients are required to spend not 
less than 75 percent of funds on core medical services for individuals 
with HIV identified and eligible under the statute, after reserving 
permissible amounts for administrative and clinical quality management 
(CQM) costs. The statute also grants the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services authority to waive this requirement for a Ryan White HIV/AIDS 
Program (RWHAP) Part A, B, or C recipient if certain requirements are 
met, and a waiver request is submitted to HRSA for approval.
    As currently implemented by HRSA, 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. This access must be without regard to payer source, and without 
the need to spend at least 75 percent of funds remaining from the 
recipient's RWHAP award after statutorily permissible amounts for 
administrative and CQM costs are reserved; (2) the recipient must 
ensure there are no AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) waiting lists 
in their service area; and (3) a public process to obtain input on the 
waiver request must have occurred. This process must seek input 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. The public process may be a part of 
the same one used by recipients to seek input on community needs as 
part of the annual priority setting and resource allocation, 
comprehensive planning, statewide coordinated statement of need, public 
planning, and/or needs assessment processes. RWHAP Parts A, B, and C 
core medical services waiver requests must include funds awarded under 
the Minority AIDS Initiative. Core medical services waivers are 
effective for a 1-year period.
    The process for RWHAP Parts A, B, and C grant recipients to request 
a waiver of the minimum expenditure amount requirements for core 
medical services is outlined in Policy Notice 21-01, Waiver of the Ryan 
White HIV/AIDS Program Core Medical Services Expenditure Requirement.
    HRSA proposes to modify the one-page form to include the proposed 
percentages of HIV service dollars allocated to core medical and 
support services. Under the proposed changes, a field will be added to 
the form to capture the proposed percentages. This information will 
inform HRSA whether recipients are able to meet the statutory 
requirements in sections 2604(c), 2612(b), and 2651(c) of the Public 
Health Service Act and will clarify what proposed portion of funds will 
be allocated to core medical and support services. Minor changes will 
also be made to the form to increase readability.
    Summary of Proposed Changes: Sections 2604(c), 2612(b), and 2651(c) 
of the Public Health Service Act requires recipients to spend not less 
than 75 percent of funds on core medical services after reserving 
statutorily

[[Page 14508]]

permissible amounts for administrative and CQM costs. However, on the 
prior version of the form, the portion of HIV service dollars to be 
allocated to core medical and support services was sometimes unclear. 
The suggested change adds a requirement to include the proposed 
percentages of HIV service dollars allocated to core medical and 
support services on the form. The table on the prior form is expanded 
to allow for the insertion of the proposed percentages for core medical 
and support services. Instructions at the top of the new form are 
updated to indicate where to insert the proposed percentages. Language 
within the table is also updated to increase readability.
    The proposed changes do not modify the underlying requirements 
necessary to obtain a waiver: all core medical services are available 
and accessible within 30 days in the jurisdiction or service area; 
ensuring that the state ADAP has no waiting lists; and that the 
recipient has used a public process to determine the need for a waiver. 
Recipients may still need to provide supportive evidence to HRSA upon 
request.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA uses the 
documentation submitted in core medical services waiver requests to 
determine if the RWHAP Parts A, B, and C grant applicant or recipient 
meets the statutory requirements for waiver eligibility including: (1) 
no waiting lists for ADAP services; and (2) evidence of core medical 
services availability within the grant recipient's jurisdiction, state, 
or service area to all persons with HIV identified and eligible under 
Title XXVI of the Public Health Service Act.\1\
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    \1\ Sections 2604(c)(2), 2612(b)(2), and 2651(c)(2) of the PHS 
Act.
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    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 ranged up to 23 per year 
since its implementation in fiscal year 2007. In light of recent 
trends, HRSA anticipates receiving possibly up to 23 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. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.
    Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours:

 
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                                                                                         Average
                                           Number of       Number of       Total       burden per       Total
               Form name                  respondents    responses per   responses    response (in      burden
                                                          respondent                     hours)         hours
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RWHAP.................................              23               1           23            0.49        11.27
Core Medical Services Waiver Request
 Attestation Form.....................
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    Total.............................              23               1           23            0.49        11.27
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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. 2024-03952 Filed 2-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P