Department of Health and Human Services September 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document sets forth proposed rules related to the fees established by the No Surprises Act for the Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process, as established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). These proposed rules would amend existing regulations to provide that the administrative fee amount charged by the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services (the Departments) to participate in the Federal IDR process, and the ranges for certified IDR entity fees for single and batched determinations will be set by the Departments through notice and comment rulemaking. These proposed rules would also set forth the methodology used to calculate the administrative fee and the considerations used to develop the certified IDR entity fee ranges. This document also proposes the amount of the administrative fee for disputes initiated on or after the later of the effective date of these rules or January 1, 2024. Finally, this document proposes the certified IDR entity fee ranges for disputes initiated on or after the later of the effective date of these rules or January 1, 2024. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4), a summary of this rule may be found at https://www.regulations.gov/.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Service (OCS), Division of Energy Assistance announces a preliminary determination that funds from the Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2022 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) are available for reallotment to States, Territories, Tribes, and Tribal organizations that received FFY 2023 direct LIHEAP grants. The purpose of this award is to redistribute FFY 2022 annual LIHEAP funds that grant recipients were unable to obligate or carry over to FFY 2023. No sub-recipients of these grant recipients or other entities may apply for these funds.

Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) proposes to replace the gender-specific term ``paternity'' with the gender-neutral term ``parentage'' throughout the Child Support Services Program to be inclusive of all family structures served by the child support services program. While title IV-D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) requires States and Tribes to have laws permitting the establishment of paternity and requiring genetic testing in contested paternity cases, OCSS also recognizes that title IV-D does not preclude States and Tribes from having parentage establishment laws and procedures for all families. The proposed changes to chapter III of the child support regulations recognize developments in State laws regarding parentage establishment and provide States and Tribes optional flexibility to establish parentage for all children in accordance with their laws, regardless of the gender of their parents or family structure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project titled Social and Economic Barriers to Receiving Optimal Services Along the Cancer Care Continuum. This mixed methods data collection effort will help CDC understand the social and economic barriers that colorectal, breast, and cervical cancer survivors and their caregivers face at each stage of the cancer care continuum, from screening through survivorship, and how these barriers may vary by population.

The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) is accepting mandatory formula grant applications and State plans from States and Territories for the development of and implementation for Title V State Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Program. The Title V State SRAE Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) sets forth the application requirements for recipients. This request is to extend Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the request for information. No changes are proposed.

In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed collection for public comment.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, and to allow a second opportunity for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting comments and suggestions from the public on the DRAFT ``Scientific Integrity Policy of the National Institutes of Health'' (DRAFT NIH Scientific Integrity Policy). The DRAFT NIH Scientific Integrity Policy codifies NIH's long-standing expectations to preserve scientific integrity throughout all NIH activities, establishes key roles and responsibilities for those who will lead the agency's scientific integrity program, and, as appropriate, establishes relevant reporting and evaluation mechanisms.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seeks an update to the existing data collection for the Annual Survey of Refugees. The Annual Survey of Refugees is a yearly sample survey of refugee households entering the U.S. in the previous 5 fiscal years. The requested update is based upon results of a multi-year effort in instrument redesign and field testing. ACF estimates the proposed changes will increase response burden from 48 to 50 minutes per respondent.