Request for Comments on Renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Approval of the LIHEAP Household Report, as revised
THIS CONTAINS INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION FOR
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN LIHEAP ACTION TRANSMITTAL NO. LIHEAP-AT-
2006-10, DATED 9/26/06
TO: LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP)
STATE GRANTEES
SUBJECT: Request for Comments on Renewal of Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Approval of the LIHEAP
Household Report, as revised.
RELATED Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act, as
REFERENCES: amended (Title XXVI of Public Law 97-35, the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, as
amended); 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 96;
Final Rule amending HHS block grant regulations
(64 Federal Register, 55843, October 15, 1999);
Proposed Information Collection Activity: Comment
Request (71 Federal Register, 50923-50924, August
28, 2006); LIHEAP-AT-2006-06, dated June 22, 2006
(LIHEAP Household Report for FY 2006); OMB Control
No. 0970-0060 (Expiration Date - October 31,
2006); Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
PURPOSE: To request comments on the renewal of OMB approval
of the LIHEAP Household Report, as revised.
BACKGROUND: Section 2605(c)(1)(D) of the LIHEAP statute
requires grantees, as part of their annual LIHEAP
grant application, to report certain data on
households that apply for and households that
receive LIHEAP assistance. The LIHEAP Household
Report provides a recommended format for LIHEAP
grantees to report the data as part of the LIHEAP
grant application process.
For the States, the required LIHEAP data on
applicant and assisted households includes the
number and income levels of applicant and assisted
households, and the number of assisted households
with one or more members who were elderly (60
years or older), disabled (using the State's
definition), or a young child (5 years or
younger).
The LIHEAP Household Report provides data that
are needed for the Department's annual LIHEAP
Report to Congress. The data also are used in
the calculation of LIHEAP targeting performance
measures under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA).
The expiration date for the LIHEAP information
collection authority granted by OMB for the
LIHEAP Household Report is October 31, 2006.
ACF needs to go through the information collection
authority granted by OMB to continue collecting
data through the LIHEAP Household Report.
CONTENT: On August 28, 2006, an information collection
notice was published in the Federal Register (65
FR 17885) requesting comments and suggestions
about the LIHEAP Household Report. A copy of the
notice is attached.
The States, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are required to
complete the LIHEAP Household Report's recommended
long format. The LIHEAP Household Report for FY
2006 was enclosed with LIHEAP-AT-2006-6, dated June
22, 2006.
A copy of the proposed recommended long format and
instructions are attached. We propose to add the
following items to the long format:
1. The number of assisted households having at
least one "frail elderly" person, i.e., a person
60 years or older having a disability lasting 6
months or longer that limits the person's ability
to leave the home without assistance. This item
would help approximate the number of assisted
households having "frail older individuals" that
Section 2603(4) of the LIHEAP statute identifies
as part of the vulnerable population.
2. An unduplicated count of assisted households
having at least one member who is a frail older
individual, disabled person or a young child.
This item would allow for more effectively
measuring the targeting of LIHEAP assistance to
vulnerable households.
3. An unduplicated count of assisted households
(and target group data) that received one or more
types of LIHEAP assistance. This item would help
in calculating more accurately the administrative
cost efficiency of providing assistance to LIHEAP
households. It would also for the first time
provide data on the total number of households
receiving LIHEAP assistance regardless of the
type(s) of assistance provided to recipient
households.
The proposed additional data elements will assist
ACF to:
1. Prepare for the next OMB Program Assessment
Rating Tool (PART) process for LIHEAP. The PART
assessment of LIHEAP in FY 2003 indicated that
"results were not demonstrated" for LIHEAP (go to
program statistics) for information about the PART assessment of
LIHEAP for FY 2003).
2. Increase the accuracy of LIHEAP targeting
performance results that are included in ACF's
annual performance report under GPRA (go to www.
acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/acf_perfplan/ann_per/
apr2005/apr_toc.html) for information about ACF's
annual performance report).
In compliance with the requirements of Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, we are soliciting public comments on the
specific aspects of the information collection.
Specifically, comments are requested on:
1. whether the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
2. the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information.
We estimate that the average information burden
will increase from 25 hours to 35 hours per
State with the additional items;
3. ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and
4. 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 the
publication date (October 27, 2006) of the Federal
Register notice. Submission of comments and
recommendations on this information collection is
voluntary. All comments and suggestions should be
identified by the title of the information
collection, i.e., LIHEAP Household Report, and be
sent in writing to:
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Information Services
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, DC 20447
Attention: ACF Reports Clearance Officer
INQUIRIES: Lauren Christopher, Program Analyst
Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services, ACF, HHS
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20447
Telephone: (202) 401-4870
Fax: (202) 401-5661
E-mail: lauren.christopher@acf.hhs.gov
ATTACHMENTS: A Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 166, pages 50923-
50924, published on August 28, 2006
B Proposed LIHEAP Household Report for FY 2007
C Proposed Instructions for LIHEAP Household Report
for FY 2007
______________/s_____________
Josephine B. Robinson
Director
Office of Community Services
Attachment A
[Federal Register: August 28, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 50923-50924]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28au06-43]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Proposed Project:
Title: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Household
Report.
OMB No.: 0970-0060
Description: This statistical report is an annual activity required
by statute (42 U.S.C. 8629) and Federal regulations (45 CFR 96.92) for
the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Submission of
the completed report is one requirement for LIHEAP grantees applying
for Federal LIHEAP block grant funds. States, the District of Columbia,
and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are required to report statistics
for the previous Federal fiscal year on the number and income levels of
LIHEAP applicants and assisted households, as well as the number of
LIHEAP-assisted households with at least one member who is elderly,
disabled, or a young child.
The statistical report requires States, the District of Columbia,
and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to report on assisted households
having at least one elderly person who is homebound; an unduplicated
count of assisted households having at least one member who is elderly,
disabled, or a young child; and an unduplicated count of assisted
households receiving one or more types of LIHEAP assistance.
Insular areas receiving less than $200,000 annually in LIHEAP funds
and Indian Tribal Grantees are required to submit data only on the
number of households receiving heating, cooling, energy crisis, or
weatherization benefits. 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 additional data elements will
improve the accuracy of measuring LIHEAP targeting performance and
LIHEAP cost efficiency.
Respondents: State Governments, Tribal Governments, Insular Areas,
the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
[[Page 50924]]
Annual Burden Estimates
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Average burden
Instrument Number of responses per hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assisted Household Report-Long Form...........52 1 35 1,820
Assisted Household Report-Short Form.........140 1 1 140
Applicant Household Report................... 52 1 13 676
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,636.
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 Promenade,
SW., Washington, DC 20447, attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail
address: rsargis@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.
Dated: August 22, 2006.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-7190 Filed 8-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M
