2011-10729. Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Title: Annual Report on Households Assisted by the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP).

OMB No. 0970-0060.

Description

This report is an annual activity required by statute (42 U.S.C. 8629) and Federal regulations (45 CFR 96.92) for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Submission of the completed report is one requirement for LIHEAP grantees applying for Federal LIHEAP block grant funds.

States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are required to report statistics for the previous Federal fiscal year on:

• Assisted and applicant households, by type of LIHEAP assistance;
• Assisted and applicant households, by type of LIHEAP assistance and poverty level;
• Assisted households, regardless of the type(s) of LIHEAAP assistance;
• Assisted households, by type of LIHEAP assistance, having at least one vulnerable member broken out; by a person at least 60 years or younger, disabled person, or a child five years old or younger;
• Assisted households, by type of LIHEAP assistance, with least one member age 2 years or under;
• Assisted households, by type of LIHEAP assistance, with at least one member ages 3 years through 5 years; and
• Assisted households, regardless of the type(s) of LIHEAP assistance, having at least one member 60 years or older, disabled, or five years old or younger.

Insular areas (other than the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) and Indian Tribal Grantees are required to submit data only on the number of households receiving heating, cooling, energy crisis, or weatherization benefits.

The information is being collected for the Department's annual LIHEAP Report to Congress. The data also provides information about the need for LIHEAP funds. Finally, the data are used in the calculation of LIHEAP performance measures under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. The data elements will allow the accuracy of measuring LIHEAP targeting performance and LIHEAP cost efficiency.

Respondents: State Governments, Tribal Governments, Insular Areas, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Total burden hours
Assisted Household Report—Long Form	52	1	25	1,300
Assisted Household Report—Short Form	164	1	1	164
Applicant Household Report	52	1	13	676
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:				2,140

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: [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.