ADM sgnd Tab A_Letter to OIRA Administrator

Health Resources and Services
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Administration
Rockville, MD 20857

May 20, 2020

Mr. Paul Ray
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20503
Dear Mr. Ray:
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is requesting an expedited review of
the attached Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) COVID-19 Data Report (CDR) module.
This new data report was developed by the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) to support a
requirement to monitor and report on funds distributed under the fiscal year (FY) 2020
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act appropriated
$90 million to the HRSA HAB Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) to prevent, prepare
for, and respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among RWHAP clients and immediate
household members. As the CARES Act was signed into law only recently on March 27, 2020,
no existing data collection system currently captures the information contained in the proposed
CDR.
The CDR will collect monthly, aggregate data on the allowable RWHAP service categories
provided and number of people served for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 among
RWHAP. The CDR module will be housed in the Electronic Handbooks (EHB), an existing
website for RWHAP recipients to enter other data required for RWHAP-funded agencies,
such as the Grantee Contract Management System (GCMS), RWHAP Services Report
(RSR), and the Allocations and Expenditures Reports. The integration of the CDR module
into the existing EHB ensures that respondents will be familiar with the data collection
method and streamlines users’ access and technology knowledge. The EHB also allows
some information to pre-populate from other systems, particularly organization details, so
that users can easily update or change their data.
HRSA aims to open the CDR for reporting on the first of each month (beginning on June 1,
2020). Respondents will have until the 15th of each month to complete the module.
Information provided by RWHAP providers via the CDR will be compiled in a summary
report, to include counts of the number of clients newly diagnosed (or presumed positive)
with COVID-19, the total number of clients with COVID-19 served, the number of clients
who received RWHAP services in each service category using COVID-19 funding, and the
use of telehealth technology to provide services.

Mr. Paul Ray
Page 2
The CDR is both time-sensitive and urgent in order to meet federal reporting requirements as
outlined in the CARES Act. The original data reporting deadline for RWHAP recipients was
May 15, 2020 (30 days after issuance of the notice of award). Due to the time required to build
the new module in the Bureau Reporting System (BRS), however, this deadline was extended to
June 15, 2020. Additional delays in the initial submission of CDR data could hinder HRSA’s
ability to meet the deadline to submit a quarterly report to the Secretary of Health and Human
Services and to Congress.
The CDR will provide HRSA with frequent and timely data on the use of CARES Act
RWHAP funding by providing information on the number of RWHAP clients and immediate
household members who are provided services to treat or prevent COVID-19. This module
will also support project officer monitoring and HRSA’s understanding of potential changes
in RWHAP needs and service provision during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sincerely,

Thomas J. Engels
Administrator
Enclosure