[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 17198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9024]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:
Comment Request
In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
Title 35, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed
projects being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed
project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans, call the HRSA
Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.
Comments are invited 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) ways to enhance 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.
Proposed Project: Application and Annual Report, Maternal and Child
Health Block Grant Program (OMB No. 0915-0172)--Extension and
Revision--The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
proposes to revise and reformat the Maternal and Child Health Block
Grant Guidance. This guidance is used annually by the 50 States and 9
jurisdictions in making application for Block Grants under Title V of
the Social Security Act, and in preparing the required annual report.
The revisions are designed to simplify and clarify the guidance and
required forms and to reduce duplication, while still allowing for
clear, concise, useful, and accurate communication about the States'
programs. More specifically, the revisions should: (1) Make the program
descriptions more readable; (2) alleviate the disconnect between the
application for the next fiscal year and the annual report for the
previous fiscal year that makes programmatic and data reviews
difficult; (3) clarify budget and expense tables, through better design
of forms and by carrying totals from form to form; (4) report
objectives in a standard format, including the relationship to Healthy
People 2000 goals, to facilitate year to year comparisons and multi-
State tabulations; and, (5) incorporate uniform performance measures
across all States and jurisdictions as well as State/jurisdiction-
specific performance measures.
The HRSA revision would also combine the current three guidance
documents into one document, by eliminating the separate annual
application and annual report in favor of a combined document, and
every fifth year explicitly including the results of the needs
assessment, which would be incorporated only by reference in the
intervening years. The HRSA revision efforts are intended not only to
simplify and expedite the rational submission of necessary data and
reports, but also to reduce the burden on States and jurisdictions by
eliminating duplicative requirements and streamlining the presentation
of information. It is expected that a 10% reduction in burden can be
achieved. Estimates of burden to complete the application and annual
report are as follows:
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Responses Burden Total
Type of form Number of per hours per burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Application and Annual Report (without needs assessment)*
States.................................................. 50 1 495 24,750
Jurisdictions........................................... 9 1 200 1,800
Five-Year Application and Annual Report (with needs
assessment)*
States.................................................. 50 1 675 33,750
Jurisdictions........................................... 9 1 360 3,240
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*The Annual Application and Annual Report, without needs assessment, will be submitted in FY 1998 and FY 1999.
The five-year Annual Application and Annual Report will be submitted in FY 2000. The average annual response
burden for the next three years is 30,030 hours.
The HRSA revision plan calls for copies of the draft version of the
new guidance package to be mailed to the Maternal and Child Health
Directors in all States and jurisdictions on or about April 15th, 1997.
Copies will also be available to all other interested parties who
request one from: Peter C. van Dyck, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Office of
State and Community Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Room 18-
31, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. His
phone number is (301) 443-2204.
Send comments to Patricia Royston, HRSA Reports Clearance Officer,
Room 14-36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.
Written comments should be received within 60 days of this Notice.
Dated: April 2, 1997.
J. Henry Montes,
Director, Office of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 97-9024 Filed 4-8-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-M
