82 FR 43379 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Public Comment Request; Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection (ICR-REV); State Plan for Assistive Technology (OMB Approval Number 0985-0048)

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Community Living

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 178 (September 15, 2017)

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on ACL's intention to collect information necessary to determine grantee compliance with Section 4 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended (AT Act). Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the proposed action. This notice solicits comments on a proposed revision to an existing information collection related to the State Grants for Assistive Technology Program State Plan for AT, formerly the 664 Report.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43379-43380]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19570]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Public Comment Request; Revision of a Currently Approved Information 
Collection (ICR-REV); State Plan for Assistive Technology (OMB Approval 
Number 0985-0048)

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and 
Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is announcing an 
opportunity for the public to comment on ACL's intention to collect 
information necessary to determine grantee compliance with Section 4 of 
the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended (AT Act). Under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal agencies are required to 
publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed 
collection of information, including each proposed extension of an 
existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public 
comment in response to the proposed action. This notice solicits 
comments on a proposed revision to an existing information collection 
related to the State Grants for Assistive Technology Program State Plan 
for AT, formerly the 664 Report.

DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of 
information by November 14, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to: [email protected]. Submit written comments on the 
collection of information by mail to Robert Groenendaal, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community 
Living, Washington, DC 20201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Groenendaal at (202) 795-7356 
or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Section 4 of the AT Act establishes formula 
grants to states to support comprehensive statewide programs (Statewide 
AT Programs) that conduct activities that improve access to and 
acquisition of AT devices and services for individuals with 
disabilities across the lifespan and across a wide array of 
disabilities, and their family members, guardians, advocates, and 
authorized representatives. State Grants for AT program conducts the 
following state-level and state leadership activities: State financing, 
device demonstration, device loans, device reutilization, training and 
technical assistance, public awareness, and information and referral. 
Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each 
collection of information they conduct or sponsor. ``Collection of 
information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and 
includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public 
submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. 
Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each 
proposed extension or update of an existing collection of information, 
before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. The proposed data 
collection represents a revision of a currently approved collection 
(ICR-Rev). In order to comply with the above requirement, ACL is 
requesting approval of a revision of a previously approved collection, 
the State Grants for Assistive Technology Program State Plan for AT, 
formerly known as the 664 report (0985-0048).
    With respect to the following collection of information, ACL 
invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of ACL's functions, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy 
of ACL's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques when appropriate, and other forms of 
information technology.
    The State Plan for AT is submitted every three years and updated 
annually by all State Grants for AT programs

[[Page 43380]]

receiving formula funds under Section 4 of the Assistive Technology Act 
of 1998, as Amended (AT Act). The State Plan for AT is used by ACL to 
assess grantees' compliance with Section 4 of the AT Act and enables 
ACL to analyze qualitative and quantitative information to track 
performance outcomes and efficiency measures of the State Grants for AT 
programs; support budget requests; comply with the GPRA Modernization 
Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) reporting requirements; provide national benchmark 
information; and inform program development and management activities. 
The burden table below identifies the data collection activities for 
the instrument as well as the estimates for record keeping and entry of 
aggregate data. In addition to submitting a State Plan every three 
years, states and outlying areas are required to submit annual progress 
reports on their activities. The data required for these progress 
reports is specified in Section 4(f) of the AT Act.
    The proposed State Grants for Assistive Technology Program State 
Plan for AT may be found on the ACL Web site at: https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/public-input.

Burden Estimates

    ACL estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows:
    The total estimated hour burden per respondent for the proposed 
State Plan for AT will decrease from the 74 hours per respondent 
estimated in FY 2015 to 73 hours estimated for FY 2018, an estimated 
reduction of one hour per respondent or 56 hours in total. The proposed 
State Plan for AT changes focus on a streamline of drop down choice 
lists in the current instrument. Actual expenditure data elements for 
state-level and state leadership tracking replaces the budget 
projections to provide more accurate fiscal data to ACL and to ensure 
compliance with AT Act requirements for expenditures. The proposed 
instrument simplifies the coordination and collaboration items to focus 
on activities conducted through a formal written agreement to ensure 
consistency and usefulness of data reported. The revised instrument 
aligns demographic data elements with the AT Annual Performance Report 
(APR), so that the data will be: Entered once, then only updated from 
that point on; used for both the State Plan and APR; updated quarterly 
with reminders; and used to populate the online State AT Program 
listing to ensure currency and accuracy. The reduction in burden is a 
result of a data collection workgroup composed of State AT program 
staff that met to suggest revisions to the current instrument. The 
workgroup solicited feedback from all of the grantees through face-to-
face meetings and webinar presentations. The number of hours is 
multiplied by 56 AT State Grants programs, resulting in a total 
estimated hour burden of 4,088 hours.

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                                                Number of       Responses per      Hours per      Annual burden
    Respondent/data collection activity        respondents       respondent         response          hours
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State Plan for AT Annual Progress Report                 56                 1             73.0            4,088
 (AT APR)..................................
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    Dated: September 7, 2017.
Mary Lazare,
Principal Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-19570 Filed 9-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4154-01-P