Proposed Information Collection Activity; Child Care Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions (Office of Management and Budget #0970-0323), 90294-90295 [2024-26684]
Download as PDF
90294
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2024 / Notices
Comments due January 14, 2025.
In compliance with the requirements of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
ACF is soliciting public comment on the
specific aspects of the information
collection described above.
ADDRESSES: You can obtain copies of the
proposed collection of information and
submit comments by emailing
infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. Identify all
requests by the title of the information
collection.
DATES:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: The data collected by
form OCSS–75 are used to prepare the
OCSS preliminary and annual data
reports. In addition, tribes administering
OCSS programs under title IV–D of the
Social Security Act are required to
report program status and
accomplishments in an annual narrative
report as part of the OCSS–75 report and
submit it annually. The only changes to
this report include updating an email
address and changing the name from the
Office of Child Support Enforcement
(OCSE) to the Office of Child Support
Services (OCSS) throughout the form.
This change includes acronyms.
Respondents: Tribal Child Support
Services Organizations or the
Department/Agency/Bureau responsible
for Child Support Services in each
Tribe.
ANNUAL BURDEN ESTIMATES
Instrument
Total
number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses per
respondent
Average
burden
hours per
response
Annual burden
hours
OCSS–75 .............................................................................................................
63
1
40
2,520
Comments: 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.
Authority: Title IV–D of the Social
Security Act as required by CFR 45
309.170(b).
Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–26688 Filed 11–14–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–41–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Proposed Information Collection
Activity; Child Care Improper
Payments Data Collection Instructions
(Office of Management and Budget
#0970–0323)
Office of Child Care,
Administration for Children and
Families, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Request for public comments.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:11 Nov 14, 2024
Jkt 265001
The Administration for
Children and Families is proposing
revisions to an approved information
collection, the Child Care Improper
Payments Data Collection Instructions
(OMB #0970–0323, expiration 1/31/
2025). In addition to the proposed
changes, we are requesting a 3-year
extension.
DATES: Comments due January 14, 2025.
In compliance with the requirements of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
ACF is soliciting public comment on the
specific aspects of the information
collection described above.
ADDRESSES: You can obtain copies of the
proposed collection of information and
submit comments by emailing
infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. Identify all
requests by the title of the information
collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: Section 2 of the Payment
Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA)
requires Federal agencies to review their
programs and activities to identify those
that may be susceptible to significant
improper payments, publish improper
payment estimates for those programs
and activities, and submit a report on
actions taken to reduce improper
payments. Subpart K of 45 CFR part 98
of the Child Care and Development
Fund (CCDF) requires states, the District
of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to prepare
and submit a report once every 3 years
with data on the errors occurring in the
administration of CCDF grant funds.
The Child Care Improper Payments Data
Collection Instructions (DCI) provides
instructions and guidance to states to
implement the CCDF error rate
methodology.
The Office of Child Care (OCC) is
completing the sixth 3-year cycle of case
record reviews to meet the requirements
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
for reporting under PIIA. The current
data collection forms and instructions
expire on January 31, 2025. As part of
the renewal process, OCC has revised
the forms and instructions with minor
changes that do not change the
methodology, but that provide
additional guidance and clarification to
facilitate complete and accurate data
submissions. Existing instructions and
examples were updated, expanded, or
rewritten to clarify the information
requested. Several formatting changes
were made to streamline instructions.
The instructions and forms were also
reviewed for alignment with the 2024
CCDF Final Rule. A description of
changes made in each section can be
found in the Introduction section of the
revised DCI.
OCC is particularly interested in
feedback about updates made to the
following sections:
• Burden hours: OCC proposes to
revise the estimated burden hours for
the Sampling Decisions, Assurances,
and Fieldwork Preparation Plan (SDAP),
the ACF–403 Record Review Worksheet
(RRW), the ACF–404 State Improper
Payments Report, and the ACF–405
State Improper Payments Report
Corrective Action Plan (CAP). The
current burden hours have not been
revised for several years. OCC
recognizes that many factors have
changed since states first began error
rate reviews, including increased use of
technology by states to aid data
collection and reporting efforts, greater
organizational capacity to conduct
ongoing error rate reviews, and OCC’s
use of data reporting systems to reduce
manual reporting burden on states.
For this reason, OCC conducted a
survey in the spring of 2024 to gather
information about states’ experiences
E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM
15NON1
90295
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2024 / Notices
completing the error rate reports,
including their estimated burden hours
for each report. All CCDF Lead Agencies
required to submit the error rate reports
were invited to participate, and 56
percent (29 out of 52 Lead Agencies)
responded. Lead Agency respondents
represented a geographically diverse
group of states with a range in size as
defined by the numbers of children and
families served by CCDF. There were
expected variations in responses which
may reflect differences in states’
administrative structures and
complexity, staff capacity, reporting
technology, interpretation of the survey
questions, and other factors. However,
even considering the range of responses
and any outliers, OCC determined that
the burden hours estimates should be
lowered to reflect the survey results. In
addition, to more accurately account for
the work described by survey
respondents, OCC further broke out the
estimated burden hours for the RRW
into the following two parts: (1) the
estimated hours needed for states to
customize the standard RRW template
to reflect their state’s rules, policies, and
procedures; and (2) the estimated hours
needed for states to use the customized
RRW to conduct each of the 276 case
reviews.
• Root Causes of Error: OCC proposes
to standardize the root causes of error in
Item 19 of the ACF–404 State Improper
Payment Report by creating a dropdown list of error cause choices.
Currently, Lead Agencies enter free text
to describe the causes of errors in their
Federal error rate reviews. While this
approach allows flexibility at the
individual reporting level, inconsistent
terminology and descriptions across
states and reporting cycles makes it
difficult to analyze, report, and track
national and state-level error trends over
time. Further, the current approach can
add additional burden to states during
the report review and approval process
because clarifications about error cause
descriptions are often requested by
Federal reviewers. We request comment
on whether standardizing error causes
in Item 19 would benefit Lead Agencies
in their data analysis, ease of report
preparation, and tracking of error trends
over time. We also request comments on
whether the proposed list of
standardized error causes would meet
Lead Agency reporting needs, and if not,
what additional or different error causes
should be included.
Respondents: CCDF grantees from
states, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico.
Annual Burden Estimates: Burden
estimates are shown based on the total
burden over a 3-year period divided by
three to show average annual burden
estimates.
Total
number of
respondents
Total
number of
responses per
respondent
Sampling Decisions, Assurances, and Fieldwork Preparation Plan .......
ACF–403 Record Review Worksheet: template ......................................
ACF–403 Record Review Worksheet: case record reviews ...................
ACF–404 State Improper Payments Report ............................................
ACF–405 State Improper Payments Report Corrective Action Plan ......
52
52
52
52
6
1
1
276
1
a2
35
63
3.0
66
24
1,820
3,276
43,056
3,432
288
607
1,092
14,352
1,144
96
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: ............................................
....................
........................
........................
................
17,291
Instrument
Average
burden hours
per response
Total
burden
hours
Annual
burden
hours
a The
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
total number of responses per respondent over 3 years ranges from 1–3, depending on how long it takes respondents to reduce the Improper Payment Rate to below the threshold. Respondents submit a Corrective Action Plan that covers a 1-year period; at the end of each year,
if respondents have not reduced the Improper Payment Rate to below the threshold, they submit a new Corrective Action Plan for the following
year. An average of two responses per respondent over a 3 year period is used to calculate annual burden estimates.
Comments: 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.
Authority: 45 CFR part 98 subpart K.
Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–26684 Filed 11–14–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–87–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:11 Nov 14, 2024
Jkt 265001
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
Submission for Office of Management
and Budget Review; Administration of
Psychotropic Medication to
Unaccompanied Children (New
Collection)
Office of Refugee Resettlement,
Administration for Children and
Families, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
AGENCY:
The Office of Refugee
Resettlement (ORR), Administration for
Children and Families (ACF), U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services is inviting public comment on
the proposed collection. The request
consists of two forms that will allow the
Unaccompanied Children (UC) Bureau
to obtain informed consent from
authorized consenters and informed
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
assent or agreement from
unaccompanied children for the
administration of psychotropic
medication.
DATES: Comments due December 16,
2024. The Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) must make a decision
about the collection of information
between 30 and 60 days after
publication of this document in the
Federal Register. Therefore, a comment
is best assured of having its full effect
if OMB receives it within 30 days of
publication.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function. You can also obtain
copies of the proposed collection of
information by emailing infocollection@
acf.hhs.gov. Identify all emailed
E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM
15NON1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 90294-90295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26684]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Child Care Improper
Payments Data Collection Instructions (Office of Management and Budget
#0970-0323)
AGENCY: Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families is proposing
revisions to an approved information collection, the Child Care
Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions (OMB #0970-0323,
expiration 1/31/2025). In addition to the proposed changes, we are
requesting a 3-year extension.
DATES: Comments due January 14, 2025. In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is soliciting
public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection
described above.
ADDRESSES: You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of
information and submit comments by emailing [email protected].
Identify all requests by the title of the information collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: Section 2 of the Payment Integrity Information Act of
2019 (PIIA) requires Federal agencies to review their programs and
activities to identify those that may be susceptible to significant
improper payments, publish improper payment estimates for those
programs and activities, and submit a report on actions taken to reduce
improper payments. Subpart K of 45 CFR part 98 of the Child Care and
Development Fund (CCDF) requires states, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico to prepare and submit a report once every 3 years with data
on the errors occurring in the administration of CCDF grant funds. The
Child Care Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions (DCI)
provides instructions and guidance to states to implement the CCDF
error rate methodology.
The Office of Child Care (OCC) is completing the sixth 3-year cycle
of case record reviews to meet the requirements for reporting under
PIIA. The current data collection forms and instructions expire on
January 31, 2025. As part of the renewal process, OCC has revised the
forms and instructions with minor changes that do not change the
methodology, but that provide additional guidance and clarification to
facilitate complete and accurate data submissions. Existing
instructions and examples were updated, expanded, or rewritten to
clarify the information requested. Several formatting changes were made
to streamline instructions. The instructions and forms were also
reviewed for alignment with the 2024 CCDF Final Rule. A description of
changes made in each section can be found in the Introduction section
of the revised DCI.
OCC is particularly interested in feedback about updates made to
the following sections:
Burden hours: OCC proposes to revise the estimated burden
hours for the Sampling Decisions, Assurances, and Fieldwork Preparation
Plan (SDAP), the ACF-403 Record Review Worksheet (RRW), the ACF-404
State Improper Payments Report, and the ACF-405 State Improper Payments
Report Corrective Action Plan (CAP). The current burden hours have not
been revised for several years. OCC recognizes that many factors have
changed since states first began error rate reviews, including
increased use of technology by states to aid data collection and
reporting efforts, greater organizational capacity to conduct ongoing
error rate reviews, and OCC's use of data reporting systems to reduce
manual reporting burden on states.
For this reason, OCC conducted a survey in the spring of 2024 to
gather information about states' experiences
[[Page 90295]]
completing the error rate reports, including their estimated burden
hours for each report. All CCDF Lead Agencies required to submit the
error rate reports were invited to participate, and 56 percent (29 out
of 52 Lead Agencies) responded. Lead Agency respondents represented a
geographically diverse group of states with a range in size as defined
by the numbers of children and families served by CCDF. There were
expected variations in responses which may reflect differences in
states' administrative structures and complexity, staff capacity,
reporting technology, interpretation of the survey questions, and other
factors. However, even considering the range of responses and any
outliers, OCC determined that the burden hours estimates should be
lowered to reflect the survey results. In addition, to more accurately
account for the work described by survey respondents, OCC further broke
out the estimated burden hours for the RRW into the following two
parts: (1) the estimated hours needed for states to customize the
standard RRW template to reflect their state's rules, policies, and
procedures; and (2) the estimated hours needed for states to use the
customized RRW to conduct each of the 276 case reviews.
Root Causes of Error: OCC proposes to standardize the root
causes of error in Item 19 of the ACF-404 State Improper Payment Report
by creating a drop-down list of error cause choices. Currently, Lead
Agencies enter free text to describe the causes of errors in their
Federal error rate reviews. While this approach allows flexibility at
the individual reporting level, inconsistent terminology and
descriptions across states and reporting cycles makes it difficult to
analyze, report, and track national and state-level error trends over
time. Further, the current approach can add additional burden to states
during the report review and approval process because clarifications
about error cause descriptions are often requested by Federal
reviewers. We request comment on whether standardizing error causes in
Item 19 would benefit Lead Agencies in their data analysis, ease of
report preparation, and tracking of error trends over time. We also
request comments on whether the proposed list of standardized error
causes would meet Lead Agency reporting needs, and if not, what
additional or different error causes should be included.
Respondents: CCDF grantees from states, the District of Columbia,
and Puerto Rico.
Annual Burden Estimates: Burden estimates are shown based on the
total burden over a 3-year period divided by three to show average
annual burden estimates.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Total number Average burden Total Annual
Instrument number of of responses hours per burden burden
respondents per respondent response hours hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sampling Decisions, Assurances, and Fieldwork 52 1 35 1,820 607
Preparation Plan............................
ACF-403 Record Review Worksheet: template.... 52 1 63 3,276 1,092
ACF-403 Record Review Worksheet: case record 52 276 3.0 43,056 14,352
reviews.....................................
ACF-404 State Improper Payments Report....... 52 1 66 3,432 1,144
ACF-405 State Improper Payments Report 6 \a\ 2 24 288 96
Corrective Action Plan......................
------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:..... ........... .............. .............. ......... 17,291
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ The total number of responses per respondent over 3 years ranges from 1-3, depending on how long it takes
respondents to reduce the Improper Payment Rate to below the threshold. Respondents submit a Corrective Action
Plan that covers a 1-year period; at the end of each year, if respondents have not reduced the Improper
Payment Rate to below the threshold, they submit a new Corrective Action Plan for the following year. An
average of two responses per respondent over a 3 year period is used to calculate annual burden estimates.
Comments: 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.
Authority: 45 CFR part 98 subpart K.
Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-26684 Filed 11-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-87-P