E8-26004. Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

Title: State High Performance Bonus System (HPBS) Transmission File Layouts for HPBS Work Measures.

OMB No.: 0970-0230.

Description: This revises the notice that appeared in the Federal Register on October 6, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 194). It clarifies the fact that there is no longer a High Performance Bonus associated with this information collection. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-171) eliminated the funding for the High Performance Bonus (HPB), but we are still requesting that States continue to submit data necessary to calculate the work measures previously reported under the HPB.

Specifically, the TANF program was reauthorized under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The statute eliminated the funding for the HPB under section 403(a)(4). Nevertheless the Department is required under section 413(d) to annually rank State performance in moving TANF recipients into private sector employment. We are, therefore, requesting that States continue to transmit monthly files of adult TANF recipients necessary to calculate the work measures performance data. To the extent States do not provide the requested information, we will extract the matching information from the TANF Data Report. This may result in calculation of the work performance measures based on sample data, which would provide us less precise information on States' performance.

The Transmission File Layouts form provides the format that States will continue to use for the quarterly electronic transmission of monthly data on TANF adult recipients. States that have separate TANF-MOE files on these programs are also requested to transmit similar files. We are not requesting any changes to the Transmission File Layouts form.

Respondents: Respondents may include any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Total burden hours
State High Performance Bonus System (HPBS) Transmission File Layouts	54	2	16	1,728
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours				1,728

In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) 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: ACE Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail address: [e-mail]. 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: October 27, 2008.

Janean Chambers,

Reports Clearance Officer.