Health Resources and Services Administration July 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is publishing this notice of petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (``the Program''), as required by Section 2112(b)(2) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. While the Secretary of Health and Human Services is named as the respondent in all proceedings brought by the filing of petitions for compensation under the Program, the United States Court of Federal Claims is charged by statute with responsibility for considering and acting upon the petitions.

HRSA currently has nine programs that are funded through competitive grant awards under the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program. Three of these awards will end on August 31, 2013, prior to the end of the other six awards. HRSA intends to implement a non-competitive extension of the project period for the three grants that will end in 2013. This will allow improved data gathering from each of the grantees in the program, which will be used in a report for Congress that is mandated by the legislation authorizing the grant. In addition, the program will benefit from cost savings realized from having the program completed in a consolidated funding cycle.

In compliance with Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period.

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

In compliance with Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period.

HRSA is publishing Agency Guidance (``Policy Information Notice'' (PIN) 2013-01) to provide clarification on the budgeting and accounting requirements for federally-funded health centers and Look- Alikes. The PIN, ``Health Center Budgeting and Accounting Requirements'' is available on the Internet at https://bphc.hrsa.gov/ policiesregulations/policies/pin201301.html. Background: HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides grants to eligible health centers under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act to support the delivery of preventive and primary care services to medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. In 2012, grants helped fund more than 1,200 health center grantees that provided services at nearly 9,000 health care delivery sites and served more than 21 million people. There are also over 100 Look-Alikes. Look-Alikes, as described in section 1861(aa)(4) and section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act, do not receive federal funding under section 330 of the PHS Act; however, to receive the Look-Alike designation and benefits, Look-Alikes must meet the statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements for health centers programs under section 330. Under 45 CFR Part 74, a key requirement of the Health Center Program is for a health center to establish a budget that reflects the cost of operations, expenses, and revenues necessary to accomplish the service delivery plan. All section 330-funded health centers and Look- Alikes must prepare a budget that meets these requirements. The purpose of this PIN is to provide clarification regarding budgeting and accounting requirements for health centers to ensure transparency and accountability. In addition to making the final PIN available on HRSA's Web site, HRSA is also making available a section of this PIN for public comment. HRSA will review and analyze all comments on this section and issue final PIN. When finalized, this section of the PIN will supersede all other previous Health Center Program guidance and policy issued on this program requirement.

HRSA will be issuing a grantee transfer without competition for the Detroit Michigan Healthy Start program to the Institute for Population Health (IPH). The IPH will assume responsibility for the Healthy Start program and receive year 5 funding in the amount of $1,575,000, from Grant Number H49MC00147, during the budget period of 6/1/2013-5/31/2014 to support the objectives of the Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health Healthy Start Program. The Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health Healthy Start Program (H49), CFDA No. 93.926, is authorized by the Public Health Service Act, Title III, Part D, Section 330H (42 USC 254c-8). The purpose of the Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health Healthy Start Program is to address significant disparities in perinatal health. Differences in perinatal health indicators may occur by virtue of education, income, disability, or living in rural/isolated areas. To address disparities and the factors contributing to them, project services have been designed to cover the pregnancy and interconceptional phases for women and infants residing in the proposed project area. In order to promote longer interconceptional periods and prevent relapses of risk behaviors, the women and infants are to be followed through the infant's second year of life and/or two years following delivery.