Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request, 34105-34106 [2013-13384]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
• Administration for Children and Families

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 109 (Thursday, June 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34105-34106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13384]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Annual Collection of Three Performance Measures for the Low 
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Transition of 
Collection Instrument for Annual Report on Households Assisted and 
LIHEAP Grantee Survey.
    OMB No: New Collection
    Description: In response to the 2010 Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) report, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program--Greater 
Fraud Prevention Controls are Needed (GAO-10-621), and in consideration 
of the recommendations issued by the LIHEAP Performance Measures 
Implementation Work Group, the Office of Community Services (OCS) is 
planning to require the collection and reporting of three new 
performance measures by its State LIHEAP grantees and the District of 
Columbia, beginning in FY 2014. These performance measures are:
    1. The average reduction in energy burden for households receiving 
LIHEAP fuel assistance;
    2. The percent of unduplicated households where LIHEAP prevented a 
potential home energy crisis; and
    3. The percent of unduplicated households where LIHEAP benefits 
restored home energy.
    Each of the above performance measures will require the reporting 
of data elements through a web-based data collection and reporting 
system. All State LIHEAP grantees and the District of Columbia will be 
required to report the information below through this new web-based 
system. This reporting will be optional for Tribes/Tribal Organizations 
and Territories. OCS will provide training and technical assistance to 
LIHEAP grantees on how to collect and report these new data.
    The following lists the specific data grantees will report to OCS 
in support of each performance measure:

The Average Reduction in Energy Burden for Households Receiving LIHEAP 
Fuel Assistance

     The average annual or annualized gross income for LIHEAP 
households receiving energy assistance. Gross income includes whatever 
LIHEAP grantees determine as countable income.
     The average annual total LIHEAP fuel assistance benefit 
(includes all bill payment assistance).
     The number of LIHEAP households using each of the six 
energy sources as their primary heating/cooling source. These include 
Natural Gas, Electricity, Fuel Oil, Propane, Wood and Coal.
     The average annual primary home energy expenditures of 
LIHEAP households for each of the four following energy sources: 
Natural Gas, Electricity, Fuel Oil, and Propane.
     For each heating fuel type, the number of LIHEAP recipient 
households who report using a secondary source of heat.
     Annual Heating Fuel Consumption: The grantee would need to 
collect information from each client's heating fuel vendor on the 
client's annual heating fuel consumption.
     Annual Electricity Consumption: For each household that 
has a nonelectric main heating fuel and uses cooling equipment, the 
grantee would need to collect information from the client's electricity 
vendor on the client's annual electricity usage.

The Percent of Unduplicated Households Where LIHEAP Prevented a 
Potential Home Energy Crisis

     The number of households who had a notice from a bulk fuel 
vendor regarding an unpaid or past due balance (e.g., vendor will not 
make next delivery) and LIHEAP benefits were used to purchase fuel.
     The number of households who inform LIHEAP staff that they 
are nearly out of deliverable fuel (firewood, propane, kerosene, etc.) 
and LIHEAP benefits were used to purchase fuel. The exact definition of 
``nearly out of fuel'' is left to the discretion of each grantee.
     The number of households who had a Past Due or Disconnect 
Notice from their utility and LIHEAP benefits were used to pay utility 
bill.
     The number of households where LIHEAP benefits resulted in 
repair or replacement of operable heating or cooling equipment.

The Percent of Unduplicated Households Where LIHEAP Benefits Restored 
Home Energy

     The number of households that are out of fuel and LIHEAP 
services result in bulk fuel delivery or purchase.
     The number of households that have no utility service and 
LIHEAP benefits result in reconnection of services.
     The number of households where LIHEAP benefits resulted in 
repair or replacement of inoperable heating or cooling equipment.
    State grantees will report the data elements on a new form (see 
attached) that will be available in a system currently in use by the 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the On-Line Data 
Collection (OLDC) system. Grantees already have the capacity to submit 
other ACF forms via OLDC. OCS intends to make all required reports 
available for submission via OLDC, including the reporting of six 
currently approved data collections:

1. LIHEAP Carryover and Reallotment Report--OMB Control No. 0970-0106;
2. LIHEAP Household Report (short and long formats)--OMB Control No. 
0970-0060
3. LIHEAP Grantee Survey--OMB Control No. 0970-0076;
4. LIHEAP Leveraging Report--OMB Control No. 0970-0121;

[[Page 34106]]

5. LIHEAP Program Integrity Assessment Supplement--OMB Control No. 
0970-0075; and
6. LIHEAP Model Plan (Detailed and Abbreviated)--OMB Control No. 0970-
0075.

    The content and annual burden estimates for the above existing data 
collections will remain unchanged. The only modification is the 
instrument of the data collections, which will now be through OLDC.
    The information is being collected for the Department's annual 
LIHEAP Report to Congress. The data also provides information about the 
need for LIHEAP funds. Finally, the data are used in the calculation of 
LIHEAP performance measures under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993. The data elements will improve the accuracy of 
measuring LIHEAP targeting performance and LIHEAP cost efficiency.
    Respondents: State Governments and the District of Columbia

                                Annual Burden Estimates for Performance Measures
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                                                                Number of      Average burden
           Performance measure                Number of       responses per       hours per       Total burden
                                             respondents       respondent         response            hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage of Reduction in Household                    51                 1                60             3,060
 Energy Burden..........................
Number of Utility Service Restorations..                51                 1                20             1,020
Number of Crises Averted................                51                 1                20             1,020
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,100.
    As LIHEAP is a block grant, there is a wide spectrum of capacity to 
collect and report data among grantees. The estimated burden hours 
displayed above are for the average LIHEAP grantee, assuming data 
collection systems and agreements already in place. For those grantees 
that would need to establish such agreements and systems, estimated 
burden for the initial year of reporting would more closely resemble 
400 hours for each performance measure. However, after the systems are 
in place, estimated burden for the collection of these data will more 
closely reflect the figures in the table above.
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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 
Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Prmenade 
SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. Email 
address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. 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. 2013-13384 Filed 6-5-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P