82 FR 22006 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 90 (May 11, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 90 (Thursday, May 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22006-22008]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09581]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Proposed Projects: Reinstate and Extend Collection with 
Modification--Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Post-Expenditure 
Report.
    Title: Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Post-Expenditure Report.
    OMB No.: 0970-0234.
    Description: The purpose of this is to request approval to: (1) 
Reinstate and extend the collection of post-expenditure data using the 
current OMB approved Post-Expenditure Reporting form (OMB No. 0970-
0234) with modification past the current expiration date of November 
30, 2017; (2) propose 8 minor additions to the current Post-Expenditure 
Reporting form; and (3) to request that grantees continue to 
voluntarily submit estimated pre-expenditure data using the Post-
Expenditure Reporting form, as part of the required annual Intended Use 
Plan.
    The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is authorized under Title XX 
of the Social Security Act, as amended, and is codified at 42 U.S.C. 
1397 through 1397e. SSBG provides funds to States, the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (hereinafter referred 
to as States and Territories or grantees) to assist in delivering 
critical services to vulnerable older adults, persons with 
disabilities, at-risk adolescents and young adults, and children and 
families. SSBG funds are distributed to each State and the District of 
Columbia based on each State's population relative to all other States. 
Distributions are made to Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin 
Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands based on 
the same ratio allotted to them in 1981 as compared to the total 1981 
appropriation.
    Each State or Territory is responsible for designing and 
implementing its own use of SSBG funds to meet the specialized needs of 
their most vulnerable populations. States and Territories may determine 
what services will be provided, who will be eligible, and how funds 
will be distributed among the various services. State or local SSBG 
agencies (i.e., county, city, regional offices) may provide the 
services or grantees may purchase services from qualified agencies,

[[Page 22007]]

organizations, or individuals. States and Territories must administer 
the SSBG according to their accepted Intended Use Plan, along with 
amendments, and in conformance with their own implementing rules and 
policies. The Office of Community Services (OCS), Administration for 
Children and Families administers the SSBG.
    Annually, grantees are required to submit a Pre-Expenditure Report 
and Intended Use Plan as a prerequisite to receiving SSBG funds. The 
Pre-Expenditure Report must include information on the types of 
services to be supported and the characteristics of individuals to be 
served. This report is to be submitted 30 days prior to the start of 
the Fiscal Year (June 1 if the State operates on a July-June Fiscal 
Year, or September 1 if the State operates on a Federal Fiscal Year). 
No specific format is required for the Intended Use Plan. Grantees are 
required to submit a revised Intended Use Plan and Pre-Expenditure 
Report if the planned use of SSBG funds changes during the year (42 
U.S.C. 1397c).
    In order to provide a more accurate analysis of the extent to which 
funds are spent ``in a manner consistent'' with each of the grantees' 
plan for their use, as required by 42 U.S.C. 1397e (a), OCS continues 
to request that States voluntarily use the format of the Post-
Expenditure Reporting form to create their Pre-Expenditure Report, 
which provides estimates of the amount of expenditures and the number 
of recipients, by service category, and is submitted as part of the 
grantees' Intended Use Plan. Most of the States and Territories are 
currently using the format of the Post-Expenditure Reporting form to 
report estimated expenditures and recipients (the Pre-Expenditure 
Report), by service category, as part of their Intended Use Plan.
    On an annual basis, States and Territories are also required to 
submit a Post-Expenditure Report that details their use of SSBG funds 
in each of 29 service categories. Grantees are required to submit their 
Post-Expenditure Report within six months of the end of the period 
covered by the report. The Post-Expenditure Report must address (1) The 
number of individuals (including number of children and number of 
adults) who receive services paid for, in whole or in part, with 
Federal funds under the SSBG; (2) The amount of SSBG funds spent in 
providing each service; (3) The total amount of Federal, State, and 
Local funds spent in providing each service, including SSBG funds; (4) 
The method(s) by which each service is provided, showing separately the 
services provided by public and private agencies; and (5) The criteria 
applied in determining eligibility for each service such as income 
eligibility guidelines, sliding scale fees, the effect of public 
assistance benefits, and any requirements for enrollment in school or 
training programs (45 CFR 96.74a). The Post-Expenditure Report must 
also; (1) Indicate if recipient totals are actual or if the total 
reported is based on estimates and/or sampled data; and (2) use its own 
definition of child and adult in reporting the required data (45 CFR 
96.74b).
    This request seeks approval to reinstate and continue the use of 
the current OMB approved Post-Expenditure Reporting form (OMB No. 0970-
0234) with modification, for estimating expenditures and recipients as 
part of States'/Territories' Pre-Expenditure Reports and for annual 
Post-Expenditure Reporting. The proposed modifications seek to 
consolidate information that would be stored or transmitted elsewhere 
into the singular reporting form to allow OCS to better analyze and 
provide guidance to improve States efficiency in grant administration. 
These modifications address the regulations 42 U.S.C. 1397e and 45 CFR 
96.74 cited above by providing space on the Post-Expenditure form to 
indicate the required information.
    Beginning in 2013, States completed the current reporting form on 
the SSBG Portal. The SSBG Portal is a secure web-based data portal. The 
SSBG Portal allows for more efficient data submission without 
increasing the overall burden on States. Until recently, Territories 
reported the data on the Post-Expenditure Reporting form in Microsoft 
Excel and submitted it to ACF, via email or posted mail. In 2017, 
Territories can complete the current reporting form on the SSBG Portal. 
The SSBG Portal provides a user-friendly means for States and 
Territories to submit and access their Pre-Expenditure and Post-
Expenditure and Recipient Data.
    Information collected in the Post-Expenditure Reports submitted by 
States and Territories is analyzed and described in an annual report on 
SSBG expenditures and recipients produced by the Office of Community 
Services (OCS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The 
information contained in this report is used for grant planning and 
management. The data establishes how SSBG funding is used for the 
provision of services in each State or Territory.
    The data is also analyzed to determine the performance of States 
and Territories in meeting the SSBG performance measures developed to 
meet the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 
1993 (GPRA), as amended by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 [Pub. L. 
11-352; 31 U.S.C 1115(b)(10)]. GPRA requires all Federal agencies to 
develop measurable performance goals.
    The SSBG currently has an administrative costs efficiency measure 
which is intended to decrease the percentage of SSBG funds identified 
as administrative costs in the Post-Expenditure Reports [U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children 
and Families, Office of Community Services. (2007, June). Implementing 
a new performance measure to enhance efficiency (Information Memorandum 
Transmittal No. 04-2007). Available from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/resource/implementing-a-new-performance-measure-to-enhance-efficiency]. 
The SSBG also implements a performance measure designed to ensure that 
SSBG funds are spent effectively and efficiently while maintaining the 
intrinsic flexibility of the SSBG as a block grant. The performance 
measure assesses the degree to which States and Territories spend SSBG 
funds in a manner consistent with their intended use, as required by 
Federal law [42 U.S.C. 1397e(a); U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community 
Services. (2012, February). Implementation of a new performance measure 
(Information Memorandum Transmittal No. 01-2012). Available from 
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/resource/implementation-of-a-new-performance-measure]. It will be used to determine how well grantees 
are doing overall in minimizing variance between projected and actual 
expenditures of SSBG funds. This program measure began implementation 
with FY 2013 data and remains ongoing.
    Respondents: The Post-Expenditure Reporting form and Pre-
Expenditure Report are completed once annually by a representative of 
the agency that administers the Social Services Block Grant at the 
State or Territory level. Respondents include the 50 States, the 
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as the territories of 
American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of 
Northern Mariana Islands.

[[Page 22008]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of        Average
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per   burden hours    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent     per  response       hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post-Expenditure Reporting Form.................              56               1             110           6,160
Use of Post-Expenditure Reporting Form as Part                56               1               2             112
 of the Intended Use Plan.......................
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,272.
    In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chap 35), the Administration for 
Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the specific 
aspects of the information collection described above. Copies of the 
proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be 
forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, 
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW., 
Washington DC 20201. Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. Email 
address: [email protected]. All requests should be identified 
by the title of the information collection.
    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.

 Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-09581 Filed 5-10-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-24-P