E6-22030. Office on Violence Against Women; Agency Information Collection Activities: Extension of a Currently Approved Collection

ACTION:

60-Day Notice of Information Collection Under Review: Annual Progress Report for the STOP Formula Grants Program.

The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has submitted the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for “sixty days” until February 26, 2007. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice, especially the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to The Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention Department of Justice Desk Officer, Washington, DC 20503. Additionally, comments may be submitted to OMB via facsimile to [phone].

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection: Extension of a currently approved collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Annual Progress Report for the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department of Justice sponsoring the collection: Form Number: 1122-0003. U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: The affected public includes the 56 STOP state administrators (from 50 states, the District of Columbia and five territories and commonwealths (Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands)) and their subgrantees. The STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program was authorized through the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) and reauthorized and amended by the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA 2000) and by the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005). Its purpose is to promote a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to improving the criminal justice system's response to violence against women. The STOP Formula Grant Program envisions a partnership among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim advocacy organizations to enhance victim safety and hold offenders accountable for their crimes of violence against women. The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women administers the STOP Formula Grant Program. The grant funds must be distributed by STOP state administrators to subgrantees according to a statutory formula (as amended by VAWA 2000 and by VAWA 2005).

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond/reply: It is estimated that it will take the 56 respondents (STOP administrators) approximately one hour to complete an annual progress report. It is estimated that it will take approximately one hour for roughly 2500 subgrantees ^[1] to complete the relevant portion of the annual progress report. The Annual Progress Report for the STOP Formula Grant Program is divided into sections that pertain to the different types of activities that subgrantees may engage in and the different types of subgrantees that receive funds, i.e. law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, courts, victim services agencies, etc.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total annual hour burden to complete the annual progress report is 2556 hours.

If additional information is required contact: Lynn Bryant, Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Suite 1600, Patrick Henry Building, 601 D Street NW., Washington, DC 20530.

Dated: December 20, 2006.

Lynn Bryant,

Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice.

Footnotes

1.  Each year the number of STOP subgrantees changes. The number 2,500 is based on the number of reports that OVW has received in the past from STOP subgrantees.