60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations, 55281-55282 [2013-22023]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 10, 2013 / Notices continued dumping and subsidy offset. The claims process for the CDSOA program is provided for in 19 CFR 159.61 and 159.63. A notice is published in the Federal Register in June of each year in order to inform claimants that they can make claims under the CDSOA. In order to make a claim under the CDSOA, CBP Form 7401 may be used. This form is accessible at https://www.cbp.gov/xp/ cgov/toolbox/forms/ and can be submitted electronically through https://www.pay.gov/paygov/forms/ formInstance.html?agency FormId=8776895. Current Actions: This submission is being made to extend the expiration date with a change to the burden hours as a result of updated estimates of the number of CDSOA claims prepared on an annual basis. There are no changes to the information collected. Type of Review: Extension (with change) Affected Public: Businesses Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,600 Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.75 Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2,800 Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,800 Dated: September 4, 2013. Tracey Denning, Agency Clearance Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. [FR Doc. 2013–22002 Filed 9–9–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 9111–14–P DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR–5689–N–07] 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The proposed information collection requirement described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal. DATES: Comment Due Date: November 12, 2013. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:10 Sep 09, 2013 Jkt 229001 this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to: Colette Pollard, Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410–5000; telephone 202–402–3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or email at Colette.Pollard@hud.gov for a copy of the proposed forms or other available information. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the tollfree Federal Relay Service at (800) 877– 8339. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Yves Djoko, Office of Economic Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 8216, Washington, DC 20410; telephone 202–402–5851 (not a toll-free number). Copies of the proposed forms and other available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Dr. Djoko. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended). The Department is required by the Improper Payments Act of 2002 to submit annual reports on improper payments associated with its assisted housing programs. The information must meet statistical accuracy tests and requires on-site file reviews and tenant interviews that cannot be accomplished with remote monitoring or HUD data systems. This Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including if the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond; including through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology that will reduce respondent burden (e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses). A. Overview of Information Collection Title of Proposal: Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations. OMB Approval Number: 2528–0261. PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 55281 Type of Request: Regular. Form Number: N/A. Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The Department is conducting under contract a study to update its estimates of the extent and type of errors associated with income, rent, and subsidy determinations for the 4.3 million households covered by the Public Housing and Section 8 housing subsidies. The Quality Control process involves selecting a nationally representative sample of assisted households to measure the extent and types of errors in rent and income determinations, which in turn cause subsidy errors. On-site tenant interviews, file reviews, third-party income verifications, and income matching with other Federal data are conducted. The data obtained are used to identify the most serious problems and their associated costs. HUD program officers are then responsible for designing and implementing corrective actions. In addition to providing current estimates of error, results will be compared with those from previous years’ studies. These comparisons will indicate whether corrective actions initiated since the 2000 study have been effective and if changes in priorities are needed. The first QC study was completed in 1996 and found that about one-half of the errors measured using on-site tenant interviews and file reviews could not be detected with the 50058/50059 from data collected by the Department, which is why HUD and other agencies with means-tested programs have determined that on-site reviews and interviews are an essential complement to remote monitoring measures. The 2000 study showed that the calculation errors detectable with 50058/50059 data had decreased, probably because this information was increasingly subject to automated computational checks. HUD has initiated a program of corrective actions and increased monitoring since 2000 and recent studies of tenant certification and recertification actions showed significant error reductions in income and rent determinations. Future studies are planned on an annual basis, as required by legislation. Program monitoring and income matching policies being implemented may eliminate the need for an independent, statistically valid measure of program errors provided by the current study design, but such procedures have yet to be fully implemented and evaluated. The Improper Payments Act of 2002 requires that the Department report on the error measurements annually. This proposed E:\FR\FM\10SEN1.SGM 10SEN1 55282 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 10, 2013 / Notices data collection approval request is for studies to be conducted in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 of prior year certification and recertification actions. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT B. Solicitation of Public Comment Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Healthcare Facility Documents: Notice of Information Collection—Proposed Documents Eligible for Electronic Submission sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES These studies will provide current information on the quality of tenant interviews (e.g., whether they are being asked about all sources of income) and the reliability of eligibility determinations and income verification. Members of affected public: Recipients of Public Housing and Section 8 Housing Assistance subsidies. Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the information collection, including the number of respondents, frequency of response, and hours of response: For each study, approximately 600 PHA/program sponsor staff will need to be asked about recertification procedures, training, interview procedures, and problems encountered in conducting (re)certifications. Although more than one staff member may need to be contacted to obtain answers to all questions, the questionnaire will be administered once at each participating project and the total interview times are expected to be less than 40 minutes per PHA or project. Researchers will survey approximately 2,400 program participants to obtain information on household composition, expenses, and income. The time required for these interviews will vary, but is estimated to require an average of about 50 minutes per interview. The time estimates provided are based on the 2011 QC survey. The proposed surveys will continue to make use of Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI) questionnaires and equipment, which are being used in part because they reduce interview times. The software also provides for consistency check and ensures that all needed data have been collected, thereby reducing the need for the follow-up contacts. Status of the Proposed Information Collection: Pending OMB approval. Status of the proposed information collection: Pending OMB approval. Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended. Dated: August 29, 2013. Jean Lin Pao, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. [FR Doc. 2013–22023 Filed 9–9–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210–67–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:10 Sep 09, 2013 Jkt 229001 [Docket Number FR–5623–N–04] Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing Commissioner, HUD. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: On March 14, 2013, HUD published in the Federal Register a notice that announced that FHA’s healthcare facility documents completed the notice and comment processes under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and had been assigned a control number, 2502–0605, by the Office of Management and Budget. The assignment of a control number concluded a 10-month process through which HUD solicited public comment to update 115 healthcare facility documents to reflect current policy and practices, to improve accountability by all parties involved in FHA’s healthcare facility transactions and strengthen risk management. Through this notice, HUD solicits public comment solely on the issue of which healthcare facility documents are eligible for electronic submission. HUD did not address this issue as part of the previous notice and comment process, but recognizes the importance, efficiency, and reduction of burden that electronic submission of documents can achieve, and now solicits public comment on the healthcare facility documents that HUD has determined may be submitted, but are not required to be submitted, electronically. DATES: Comment Due Date: November 12, 2013. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this notice. Communications must refer to the above docket number and title. There are two methods for submitting public comments: 1. Submission of Comments by Mail. Comments may be submitted by mail to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410–0500. 2. Electronic Submission of Comments. Comments may be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages commenters to submit SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 comments electronically. Electronic submission of comments allows the commenter maximum time to prepare and submit a comment, ensures timely receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to make them immediately available to the public. Comments submitted electronically through the www.regulations.gov Web site can be viewed by other commenters and interested members of the public. Commenters should follow the instructions provided on that site to submit comments electronically. Note: To receive consideration as public comments, comments must be submitted through one of the two methods specified above. Again, all submissions must refer to the docket number and title of the notice. No Facsimile Comments. Facsimile (fax) comments are not acceptable. Public Inspection of Public Comments. All properly submitted comments and communications will be available for public inspection and downloading at www.regulations.gov under the docket number for this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John M. Hartung, Director, Policy and Risk Management Division, Office of Residential Care Facilities, Office of Healthcare Programs, Office of Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1222 Spruce Street, Room 3.203, St. Louis, MO 63103–2836; telephone (314) 418–5238 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech disabilities may access this number through TTY by calling the tollfree Federal Relay Service at (800) 877– 8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background—Prior Public Comment on Substance of Healthcare Facility Documents On May 3, 2012, at 77 FR 26304, and consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), HUD published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment for a period of 60 days (60-day Notice) on HUD’s proposed update and revisions to a set of production, underwriting, asset management, closing, and other documents used in connection with transactions involving healthcare facilities, excluding hospitals (collectively, the healthcare facility documents), that are insured pursuant to section 232 of the National Housing Act (Section 232). In conjunction with publication of the 60-day Notice, the proposed revised healthcare facility documents (115 documents) were made available at: www.hud.gov/232forms. In addition to presenting unmarked versions of the documents, this Web E:\FR\FM\10SEN1.SGM 10SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 10, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55281-55282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22023]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5689-N-07]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Quality Control 
for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department 
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comment Due Date: November 12, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Colette Pollard, Reports 
Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
451 7th Street SW., Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone 
202-402-3400 (this is not a toll-free number) or email at 
Colette.Pollard@hud.gov for a copy of the proposed forms or other 
available information. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may 
access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay 
Service at (800) 877-8339.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Yves Djoko, Office of Economic 
Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 
SW., Room 8216, Washington, DC 20410; telephone 202-402-5851 (not a 
toll-free number). Copies of the proposed forms and other available 
documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Dr. Djoko.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended). The 
Department is required by the Improper Payments Act of 2002 to submit 
annual reports on improper payments associated with its assisted 
housing programs. The information must meet statistical accuracy tests 
and requires on-site file reviews and tenant interviews that cannot be 
accomplished with remote monitoring or HUD data systems. This Notice is 
soliciting comments from members of the public and affected agencies 
concerning the proposed collection of information to: (1) Evaluate 
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including if the 
information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of 
the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond; including 
through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology that will reduce respondent burden 
(e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses).

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Proposal: Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy 
Determinations.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-0261.
    Type of Request: Regular.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
Department is conducting under contract a study to update its estimates 
of the extent and type of errors associated with income, rent, and 
subsidy determinations for the 4.3 million households covered by the 
Public Housing and Section 8 housing subsidies. The Quality Control 
process involves selecting a nationally representative sample of 
assisted households to measure the extent and types of errors in rent 
and income determinations, which in turn cause subsidy errors. On-site 
tenant interviews, file reviews, third-party income verifications, and 
income matching with other Federal data are conducted. The data 
obtained are used to identify the most serious problems and their 
associated costs. HUD program officers are then responsible for 
designing and implementing corrective actions. In addition to providing 
current estimates of error, results will be compared with those from 
previous years' studies. These comparisons will indicate whether 
corrective actions initiated since the 2000 study have been effective 
and if changes in priorities are needed.
    The first QC study was completed in 1996 and found that about one-
half of the errors measured using on-site tenant interviews and file 
reviews could not be detected with the 50058/50059 from data collected 
by the Department, which is why HUD and other agencies with means-
tested programs have determined that on-site reviews and interviews are 
an essential complement to remote monitoring measures. The 2000 study 
showed that the calculation errors detectable with 50058/50059 data had 
decreased, probably because this information was increasingly subject 
to automated computational checks. HUD has initiated a program of 
corrective actions and increased monitoring since 2000 and recent 
studies of tenant certification and recertification actions showed 
significant error reductions in income and rent determinations.
    Future studies are planned on an annual basis, as required by 
legislation. Program monitoring and income matching policies being 
implemented may eliminate the need for an independent, statistically 
valid measure of program errors provided by the current study design, 
but such procedures have yet to be fully implemented and evaluated. The 
Improper Payments Act of 2002 requires that the Department report on 
the error measurements annually. This proposed

[[Page 55282]]

data collection approval request is for studies to be conducted in 
2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 of prior year certification and 
recertification actions.

B. Solicitation of Public Comment

    These studies will provide current information on the quality of 
tenant interviews (e.g., whether they are being asked about all sources 
of income) and the reliability of eligibility determinations and income 
verification.
    Members of affected public: Recipients of Public Housing and 
Section 8 Housing Assistance subsidies.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection, including the number of respondents, frequency 
of response, and hours of response: For each study, approximately 600 
PHA/program sponsor staff will need to be asked about recertification 
procedures, training, interview procedures, and problems encountered in 
conducting (re)certifications. Although more than one staff member may 
need to be contacted to obtain answers to all questions, the 
questionnaire will be administered once at each participating project 
and the total interview times are expected to be less than 40 minutes 
per PHA or project. Researchers will survey approximately 2,400 program 
participants to obtain information on household composition, expenses, 
and income. The time required for these interviews will vary, but is 
estimated to require an average of about 50 minutes per interview.
    The time estimates provided are based on the 2011 QC survey. The 
proposed surveys will continue to make use of Computer Assisted 
Interviewing (CAI) questionnaires and equipment, which are being used 
in part because they reduce interview times. The software also provides 
for consistency check and ensures that all needed data have been 
collected, thereby reducing the need for the follow-up contacts. Status 
of the Proposed Information Collection: Pending OMB approval.
    Status of the proposed information collection: Pending OMB 
approval.

    Authority:  Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: August 29, 2013.
Jean Lin Pao,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 2013-22023 Filed 9-9-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
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