American Rescue Plan Act
Emergency Rural Health Care (ERHC) Grant Program
New
collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)
No
Emergency
07/16/2021
07/06/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
6 Months From Approved
44,693
0
198,792
0
0
0
On March 11, 2021, the President
signed the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARPA) which appropriated
$500 million in grant funding for the establishment of an emergency
pilot program to assist eligible Communities Facilities (CF)
applicants to broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care
services, and food assistance through food banks and food
distribution facilities, and engage in projects supporting the
long-term sustainability of health care in eligible rural
communities. This program is named the Emergency Rural Health Care
(ERHC) Grant Program.
As part of the American
Recovery Plan, 2021, the Rural Housing Service’s Community
Facilities (CF) Program received $500 million for an emergency
grant program to help rural hospitals and local communities broaden
access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services, and food
assistance. The statutory deadline to establish the emergency
program is 150 days. Therefore, RHS is requesting an emergency
approval of the new information collection package no later than
July 6, 2021. In the NOFA, RHS is requesting comments on the
American Rescue Plan’s Rural Health Care Grants information
collection request in order to submit the regular request to get a
3-year approval from OMB after receiving the 6-month OMB emergency
approval.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.