The American Rescue Plan Act Emergency
Rural Health Care Grant Program was authorized by the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to assist rural hospitals and local
communities broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care
services, and food assistance through food banks and food
distribution facilities, and projects supporting the long-term
sustainability of rural health care. As authorized under Section
1002 of the American Rescue Plan Act, funds will be made available
to eligible applicants to offer support for rural health care
services in the form of immediate relief, longer-term funding to
advance ideas and solutions to support long-term sustainability of
rural health and provide expeditious relief to address the current
economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 emergency.
Requesting a 30 Day
extension for the publishing of the 30 Day FRN.
This submission lowers the
estimated number of respondents in response to actual applications
received to date. Applicants grant requests are higher than
initially estimated. Therefore, with the limited funding available,
the program will fund fewer applicants than initially proposed.
This change resulted in a significant decrease in the total number
of annual responses from 54,300 to 15,389, and an overall number of
burden hours from 201,272 to 71,681.
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.