Request for comments on extension of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the Carryover and Reallotment Report
THIS CONTAINS INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION FOR
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN LIHEAP INFORMATION MEMORANDUM TRANSMITTAL
NO. LIHEAP-IM-2007-10, DATED 8/14/07
TO: LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP)
GRANTEES AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
SUBJECT: Request for comments on extension of Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the
Carryover and Reallotment Report
RELATED Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act, Title XXVI
REFERENCES: of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981,
Public Law 97-35, as amended; notice of request
for comments on the proposed Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Carryover and
Reallotment Report, as published in the Federal
Register on July 24, 2007 (72 FR 40301); LIHEAP-
AT-2007-4, dated June 27, 2007 (Carryover and
Reallotment Report); OMB Control No. 0970-0106
(Expiration Date - 4/30/2008); and Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995.
PURPOSE: To request comments and suggestions on the
proposed Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Carryover and Reallotment Report.
BACKGROUND: Section 2607(b)(2)(B) of the Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35,
as amended, and 45 CFR 96.81 of the LIHEAP
regulations require grantees to report information
to HHS concerning funds to be carried forward and
funds subject to reallotment. The 1994
reauthorization of the LIHEAP statute, the Human
Services Amendments of 1994 (Public Law 103-252),
requires that the carryover and reallotment report
for one fiscal year be submitted to HHS by the
grantee before the allotment for the next fiscal
year may be awarded.
Consequently, HHS will not make a grant award to
a grantee for FY 2008 until we have received that
grantee's carryover and reallotment report for FY
2007. Because the Carryover and Reallotment
Report was due August 1, before the end of the
fiscal year, grantees may find that estimates
later prove to be inaccurate. If this occurs,
they should submit a corrected report as soon as
possible.
If more than 10% of a grantee's funds payable
remains unobligated at the end of the fiscal year
for which they were allotted, these excess funds
must have been returned to HHS and were subject
to reallotment among all grantees in the next
fiscal year.
The 10% carryover limit applies to regular LIHEAP
block grant funds. It does not apply to LIHEAP
leveraging incentive award funds. The period of
obligation for the entire amount of leveraging
incentive funds awarded to a grantee is the award
period (the fiscal year in which these funds were
awarded) and the following fiscal year, as
explained in the LIHEAP regulations at 45 CFR
96.87(k).
Under the terms of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, agencies must receive approval from OMB for
each information collection activity in which the
same question(s) is asked of 10 or more persons,
even though the activity may be required by
statute. Section 3506(c)(2)(A)of the 1995 Act
also requires that the public be given 60 days to
comment on the specific details of the information
collection activity. The current OMB approval for
the LIHEAP Carryover and Reallotment Report will
expire on April 30, 2008 (OMB Control No.
0970-0106).
We collect the required information through the
Carryover and Reallotment Report and propose to
continue collecting this information annually
using this format. Use of the form makes it clear
what information should be submitted and ensures
the provision of all of the required information.
The data covered by this approval are grantees'
requests to carry forward from one fiscal year to
the next up to 10% of the amount payable to the
grantee for the first fiscal year. The funds that
are carried over must be obligated by the grantee
by the end of the fiscal year following the year
in which they are appropriated.
We are requesting comments on the information
collection and on the Carryover and Reallotment
Report Form. Completion of the form is voluntary
but will clarify what information should be and is
being included in the report.
CONTENT: On July 24, 2007, an information collection
notice was published in the Federal Register (72
FR 40301) requesting comments and suggestions
about the Carryover and Reallotment Report. The
Carryover and Reallotment Report is the same as
those of previous years. The form should clarify
the information being requested and ensure the
submission of all the required information. We do
not expect use of the report to increase the
information collection burden on grantees. A
copy of the Federal Register notice, the
instructions, and the report form are attached.
Comments and suggestions received by September 24,
2007 (60 days after publication of the notice)
will be considered. At that time, the Carryover
and Reallotment Report Form For FY 20__ will be
submitted to OMB for approval, along with a
summary of any comments received and action taken
on them.
The Department specifically requests comments on:
(a) whether the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper perfof 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.
Please review the proposed instructions and
Carryover and Reallotment Report Form for FY__. All
comments and suggestions should be identified by the
title of the information collection, i.e., Carryover
and Reallotment Report, and be sent in writing to:
Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Administration
Office of Information Services, 370
L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447
E-mail address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov
ATTACHMENTS: (A) Federal Register Notice, Vol. 72, No. 141,
page 40301, published on July 27, 2007
(B) Simplified Instructions for Timely Obligation
of FY 2007 LIHEAP Funds and Reporting Funds for
Carryover and Reallotment
(C) Carryover and Reallotment Report for FY 20__
_____________/s_____________
Nick St. Angelo
Director
Division of Energy Assistance
Office of Community Services
ATTACHMENT A
[Federal Register: July 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 141)]
[Notices]
[Page 40301]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jy07-67]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Proposed Projects
Title: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Carryover
and Reallotment Report.
OMB No.: 0970-0106.
Description: The LIHEAP statute and regulations require LIHEAP
grantees to report certain information to HHS concerning funds
forwarded and funds subject to reallotment. The 1994 reauthorization of
the LIHEAP statute, the Human Service Amendments of 1994 (Public Law
103-252), requires that the Carryover and Reallotment Report for one
fiscal year be submitted to HHS by the grantee before the allotment for
the next fiscal year may be awarded. The Administration for Children
and Families is requesting no changes in the collection of data with
the Carryover and Reallotment Report for FY 20--, a form for the
collection of data, and the Simplified Instructions for Timely
Obligations of FY-- LIHEAP Funds and Reporting Funds for Carryover and
Reallotment. The form clarifies the information being requested and
ensures the submission of all the required information. The form
facilitates our response to numerous queries each year concerning the
amounts of obligated funds. Use of the form is voluntary. Grantees have
the option to use another format.
Respondents: State Governments, Tribal Governments, Insular Areas,
the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Annual Burden Estimates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average burden
Instrument Number of Number of hours per Total burden
respondents responses per response hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carryover and Reallotment...192 1 3 576
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 576.
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: 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
perfof 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: July 18, 2007.
Robert Sargis,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-3568 Filed 7-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M
ATTACHMENT B
SIMPLIFIED INSTRUCTIONS
FOR TIMELY OBLIGATION OF FY 2007 LIHEAP FUNDS
AND REPORTING FUNDS FOR CARRYOVER AND REALLOTMENT
1. Add together the funds you received from HHS in FY 2007 in
the form of LIHEAP block grant awards, any emergency
contingency funds that may have been awarded in 2007, and
any oil overcharge funds designated for use in LIHEAP for FY
2007. You may carry over up to 10% of this total for
obligation in FY 2008.
2. At least 90% of the total funds available to you in FY 2007,
as calculated in Paragraph #1, must be obligated by you for
use in LIHEAP no later than September 30, 2007, which is the
end of FY 2007. (Please note that this requirement applies
to obligation only, not expenditure of funds.)
3. No more than 10% of the funds available to you for FY 2007,
as calculated in Paragraph #1, may be carried over for
obligation in FY 2008. You must obligate these carryover
funds for use in LIHEAP no later than September 30, 2008, or
they must be returned to HHS.
4. FY 2007 funds that are not obligated by you by September 30,
2007, and that exceed 10% of the total as calculated in
Paragraph #1, must be returned to HHS, which will reallocate
them to LIHEAP grantees in FY 2008.
5. Submit a report to HHS on your estimated carryover and
reallotment by August 1, 2007. Submit the report on the
attached form for submission of the Carryover and
Reallotment Report (OMB approval 0970-0106, expiration date
4/30/08). Include a brief explanation of why you want to
carry over the funds and how you will use them. If you
later find that your estimates are not accurate, submit a
corrected report as soon as possible. FY 2008 grant awards
will not be issued to you until the Carryover and
Reallotment Report for FY 2007 is received by HHS.
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
Public reporting burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 3 hours per response, including the
time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining
the data needed, and reviewing the collection of
information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a
person is not required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
ATTACHMENT C
Carryover and Reallotment Report for FY 20___
Due August 1
Grantee ___________________________ Date___________________
1) Current year amount payable (regular block $__________________
grant funds contingency funds, and oil
overcharge funds)
2) 10 percent of amount payable $__________________
3) Projected unobligated balance $__________________
If line 3 is equal to or less than line 2, report the amount on
line 3 as your Carryover amount below. Report $0 funds for
reallotment.
If line 3 is larger than line 2, then report the amount on line 2
as your Carryover amount below. Report the difference between
line 2 and line 3 as the reallotment amount below.
Carryover amount $___________________
(Funds to be carried over for obligation in the following fiscal
year.)
Reallotment amount $___________________
(Funds that exceed the 10% carryoveramount and are to be returned
the Federal government.)
If you report a Carryover amount above, please provide the
following:
a) briefly state reasons that these funds will not be used in the
fiscal year for which they were allotted
b) briefly describe the types of assistance to be provided with
the amount held available for the following fiscal year:
______________________________________ ______________________
Signature and Title Telephone Number
