Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20474-20475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07453]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Agency 
Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 
(SAMHSA), Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Proposed Project: Request to publish the 60-Day Notices in the 
Federal Register to solicit public comment on information collection 
for the continued approval and updates for the Protection and Advocacy 
for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI)--Revised Annual Program 
Performance Report (PPR)--the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) No. 
0930-0169-DECISION.
    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, SAMHSA will publish periodic summaries of 
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects 
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, email the 
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer at: samhsapra@samhsa.hhs.gov.
    Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collections of 
information are 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) ways to enhance 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 leveraging automated data collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    SAMHSA is requesting approval from OMB for changes to the revised 
Annual PPR, PPR Instructions, and the Advisory Council Report (ACR) for 
the PAIMI program. The OMB clearance for the current 2024-2025 PPR, PPR 
Instructions, and ACR (0930-0169) will expire on July 31, 2026.
    The protection and advocacy (P&A) systems were established under 
the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1975 (DD Act) [42 U.S.C. 15001 et 
seq., as amended in 2000]. The amendments of 2000 require the Secretary 
of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) submit a biennial 
report on disabilities to the President, Congress, and the National 
Council on Disability. The Secretary's report is prepared by the 
Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD), 
within the Administration for Community Living. The PPR, which includes 
an ACR, contains information from the PAIMI grantees on the types of 
activities and services they provided on behalf of PAIMI-eligible 
individuals. SAMHSA aggregates this information into a biennial summary 
report that AIDD includes in an appendix to the Secretary's biennial 
report on disabilities.
    The PAIMI Act at 42 U.S.C. 10805(7) requires that each P&A system 
prepare and transmit to the HHS Secretary and to the head of its state 
mental health agency a report on January 1st. This report describes the 
activities, accomplishments, and expenditures of the system during the 
most recently completed fiscal year, including a section prepared by 
the PAIMI Advisory Council that describes the activities of the council 
and its independent assessment of the operations of the system.
    The PAIMI Act at 42 U.S.C. 10801 et seq., authorized funds to the 
same P&A systems created under the DD Act (as amended in 2000, 42 
U.S.C. 15001 et seq.]. The DD Act supports the Protection and Advocacy 
for Developmental Disabilities Program administered by AIDD within the 
Administration for Community Living. AIDD is the lead federal P&A 
agency. The PAIMI Program supports the same governor-designated P&A 
systems established under the DD Act by providing legal-based 
individual and systemic advocacy services to individuals with 
significant (severe) mental illness (adults) and significant (severe) 
emotional impairment (children/youth) who are at risk for abuse, 
neglect and other rights violations while residing in a care or 
treatment facility.
    In 2000, the PAIMI Act amendments created a 57th P&A system--the 
American Indian Consortium (the Navajo and Hopi Tribes in the Four 
Corners region of the Southwest). The

[[Page 20475]]

American Indian Consortium can only be funded if the total funding for 
the PAIMI program is at least $25,000,000, according to 10822(a)(2)(D). 
The Act, at 42 U.S.C. 10804(d), states that a P&A system may use its 
allotment to provide representation to individuals with mental illness, 
as defined by section 42 U.S.C. 10804(4) residing in the community, 
including their own home, only, if the total allotment under this title 
for any fiscal year is $30,000,000 or more. If funding falls below 
$30,000,000, PAIMI programs must give priority to representing PAIMI-
eligible individuals, as defined by 42 U.S.C. 10802(4)(A) and (B)(i).
    The Children's Health Act of 2000 also referenced the state P&A 
system authority to obtain information on incidents of seclusion, 
restraint, and related deaths [see, Children's Health Act, Part H at 42 
U.S.C. 290ii-1]. PAIMI Program formula grants awarded by SAMHSA go 
directly to each of the 57 governor-designated P&A systems. These 
systems are located in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, 
the American Indian Consortium, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and 
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    The PAIMI Act at 42 U.S.C. 10805(7) requires that each P&A system 
prepare and transmit to the HHS Secretary and to the head of its State 
mental health agency a report on January 1st. This report describes the 
activities, accomplishments, and expenditures of the system during the 
most recently completed fiscal year, including a section prepared by 
the PAIMI Advisory Council that describes the activities of the council 
and its independent assessment of the operations of the system.
    SAMHSA proposes minimal changes to the current PPR/ACR to comply 
with all current Executive Orders and SAMHSA Strategic Priorities. The 
minimal changes to the current PPR/ACR included the following 
revisions:
    1. Replaced the word ``Gender'' with ``Sex'';
    2. Maintained only the ``male'' and ``female'' response options for 
the question on ``sex of PAC members'' and removed other response 
options;
    3. Removed sexual orientation question from the annual program 
performance report;
    4. Removed a paragraph on ``Gender Identity'' and ``Sexual 
Orientation'' in the ``Section A: General Program Information'' of 
PAIMI PPR instructions; and
    5. Removed the words: culture, cultural barriers, diversity, 
disadvantaged individuals, individuals with limited English 
proficiency, and underserved and unserved populations.
    The current report formats will be effective starting with fiscal 
year 2026 PPR reports due on January 1, 2027. This request ensures the 
annual PAIMI PPR and ACR are approved for a 3-year cycle until 2029.

Estimates of Annualized Hour Burden

    The annual burden estimate is as follows:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Number of     Responses per     Total      Hours per    Total hour  Hourly wage   Total hour
                  Instrument/activity                      respondents     respondent     responses     response      burden        rate       cost ($)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAIMI PPR..............................................              57               1           57           20        1,140       $38.74      $44,164
PAIMI ACR..............................................              57               1           57           10          570        38.74       22,082
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..............................................             114  ..............          114  ...........        1,710  ...........       66,246
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Send comments to SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, Room 15-E-57-A, 
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857 or email a copy to 
samhsapra@samhsa.hhs.gov. Written comments should be received by June 
15, 2026.

Tanya Geiger,
Social Science Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2026-07453 Filed 4-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P