[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 155 (Monday, August 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65637-65638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17907]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Public Comment Request; COVID-19 Provider Relief 
Programs Single and Commercial Audits and Delinquent Audit Reporting 
Submission Activities--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 Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA 
submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted 
during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB 
will accept further comments from the public during the review and 
approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30-day 
comment period for this notice has closed.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than September 
11, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the clearance 
requests submitted to OMB for review, email Joella Roland, the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, at [email protected] or call 
(301) 443-3983.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Information Collection Request Title: COVID-19 Provider Relief 
Programs Single and Commercial Audits and Delinquent Audit Reporting 
Submission Activities, OMB No. 0906-0083--Revision
    Abstract: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 
(Pub. L. 116-136); the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care 
Enhancement Act (Pub. L. 116-139); the Coronavirus Response and Relief 
Supplemental Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 116-260); the Families First 
Coronavirus Response

[[Page 65638]]

Act (Pub. L. 116-127); and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. 
L. 117-2) provided the Department of Health and Human Services the 
authority to administer the Provider Relief Programs (PRP) (i.e., 
Provider Relief Fund; American Rescue Plan Act Rural Distribution; 
COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund; and COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to 
Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and 
Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured). The Department of Health and 
Human Services, through HRSA, administered the PRP. The PRP issued 
payments to eligible health care providers for expenses or lost 
revenues attributable to COVID-19 and claims reimbursement for COVID-19 
testing, treatment, and vaccine administration for uninsured 
individuals. Recipients of these funds agreed to the Terms and 
Conditions applicable to each Program, which require, among other 
Terms, compliance with reporting requirements as specified by the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services and the statues listed above. 
Recipients are eligible health care providers who include public 
entities, Medicare or Medicaid enrolled suppliers and providers, and 
for-profit and non-profit entities that provide diagnosis, testing, 
vaccination, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of 
COVID-19. The Single Audit Act requires entities that expend $750,000 
or more of federal assistance during the entity's fiscal year to 
conduct an independent audit. Requirements for these audits are set 
forth in regulations at 45 CFR Subpart F. Requirements differ for non-
profit and commercial/for-profit entities, and non-profit entities are 
required to submit their audits to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. 
HRSA has established a Commercial Audit Reporting Portal to collect 
audits from commercial/for-profit organizations. In late calendar year 
2023, HRSA developed a delinquent audit follow-up process to ensure 
that all providers required to submit an audit do so. The delinquent 
audit follow-up process includes educating PRP recipients on the 45 CFR 
75 Subpart F requirements and following up on overdue audit report 
submissions. In February 2024, OMB approved HRSA's emergency ICR for 
the Commercial Audit Reporting Portal and the delinquent audit follow-
up process. Collectively, these activities will help ensure the fiscal 
and program integrity of the PRP.
    A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register on May 2, 2024, 
vol. 89, No. 86; pp. 35842-35843. There were no public comments.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA will use the 
collected information to ensure all PRP recipients who expended over 
$750,000 in funding during the recipient's fiscal year submit an audit 
and resolve audit findings, which may include recovery of any funds 
used not in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the programs.
    Likely Respondents: PRP recipients who expended over $750,000 in 
funding during their fiscal 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.
    The February 2024 emergency ICR also included the Commercial Audit 
Compliance and Delinquent Audit Follow-up General and Targeted emails, 
which will continue to be used. These burden hours associated with 
these emails were erroneously left out of burden table in the 60-day 
notice and have been added back into the 30-day Federal Register 
notice. The Delinquent Audit Follow-up General Email Blast was also 
updated to include more details regarding audit requirements for PRP 
payments.
    Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours:

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                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of       Number of         Total        burden per     Total  burden
            Form name               respondents    responses per     responses     response  (in       hours
                                                    respondent                        hours)
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Provider Relief Bureau                    21,000               1          21,000            0.75          15,750
 Commercial Audit Reporting
 Portal.........................
Commercial Audit Compliance                  500               1             500            0.25             125
 Email..........................
Delinquent Audit Follow-up                42,000               6         252,000            0.25          63,000
 General Email Blast and
 Attestation....................
Delinquent Audit Follow-up                21,000               2          42,000            0.25          10,500
 Targeted Email and Attestation.
Questioned Cost Attestation.....           7,000              10          70,000            5.00         350,000
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    Total.......................          91,500  ..............         385,500  ..............         439,375
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Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2024-17907 Filed 8-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P