NonSub Change Memo - LIHEAP HHR - August 2020

To: Jordan Cohen

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Katina Lawson

Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: August 26, 2020

Subject: Non-Substantive Change Request – Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Annual Report on Households Assisted Package (OMB #0970-0060)

This memo requests approval of non-substantive changes to the approved information collection, LIHEAP Household Report (Long and Short) Form Package (OMB #0970-0060).

Background

The LIHEAP statute requires the collection of data on the number of households assisted, their income levels, and vulnerability group, by type of LIHEAP assistance, for inclusion in the Secretary’s annual LIHEAP Report to Congress (42 U.S.C. § 8624(c)(1)(G) and §8629(a)). The data are collected through the LIHEAP Household Report, which consists of the following: (1) a Long Format for state grantees, the District of Columbia, and selected territory grantees, and (2) a Short Format for tribal grantees. OMB last approved the LIHEAP Household Report on 2/13/2019 and the collection is scheduled to expire on 2/28/2022.

The LIHEAP Household Report is an annual data collection effort conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services (OCS) to collect information from LIHEAP grantees to meet statutory requirements and program objectives. The purpose of this request is to make non-substantive, time sensitive changes to the LIHEAP Household Report to meet statutory reporting requirements regarding LIHEAP’s supplemental FY 2020 appropriations acts, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) (P. L. 116-136) and any potential subsequent such supplemental appropriations.

Overview of Requested Changes

The request is to revise the LIHEAP Household Report (Long and Short) form for grantees to report the numbers of new households supported by CARES Act funding, and to reserve the right to repeat the same questions for any future supplemental LIHEAP funding. This will include the following:

1. Add additional sublines to each type of LIHEAP assistance in Section I through VI of the LIHEAP Household Report (Long and Short Form) to include the number of assisted and applicant households who received CARES Act funds and other LIHEAP supplemental funding; and

2. Add a check box that asks grantees to indicate if this is an estimated number of new households served by CARES Act funds and other LIHEAP supplemental funds. If checked, grantees will be required to update the report at a later point with actual household served data.

3. Add a Remarks field box for grantees to explain any concerns regarding data validity or reliability.

ACF also proposes to decrease the number of respondents to the Short Form from 177 to 204 due to a recent reassessment of reporting grantees.

Time Sensitivities

This request is time sensitive due to statutory requirements related to the CARES Act stimulus funding and potential other supplemental funding from Congress. Without grantees’ annual reporting of the LIHEAP household data, HHS will be unable to complete its annual LIHEAP Report to Congress, as required by section 2610(b) of the LIHEAP statute (42 U.S.C. 8629). OCS will be unable to track annual LIHEAP performance output. Finally, OCS also will be unable to obtain data that is necessary in calculating LIHEAP recipiency targeting and outcome developmental performance measures that are included in the President’s annual Congressional Justification.