2013-15674. Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

Title: State Abstinence Education Program.

OMB No.: 0970-0381.

Description: The State Abstinence Program was extended through Fiscal Year 2014 under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Affordable Care Act, hereafter), Public Law 111-148.

The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is accepting applications from States and Territories for the development and implementation of the State Abstinence Program. The purpose of this program is to support decisions to abstain from sexual activity by providing abstinence programming as defined by Section 510(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 710(b)) with a focus on those groups that are most likely to bear children out-of-wedlock, such as youth in or aging out of foster care and other vulnerable populations. States are encouraged to develop flexible, medically accurate and effective abstinence-based plans responsive to their specific needs and inclusive of vulnerable populations. These plans must provide abstinence education, and at the option of the State, where appropriate, mentoring, counseling, and adult supervision to promote abstinence from sexual activity, with a focus on those groups which are most likely to bear children out-of-wedlock. An expected outcome for all programs is to promote abstinence from sexual activity.

OMB approval is requested to solicit comments from the public on paperwork reduction as it relates to ACYF's receipt of the following documents from applicants and awardees:

Application for Mandatory Formula Grant

State Plan

Performance Progress Report

Respondents: 50 States and 9 Territories, to include, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Total burden hours
Application, to include program narrative	59	1	24	1,416
State Plan	59	1	40	2,360
Performance Progress Reports	59	2	30	3,540

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 7,316

In compliance with the requirements of Section 506(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 Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. Email 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.

Robert Sargis,

Reports Clearance Officer.