NonSub Change - Waivers

To: Jordan Cohen

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Carl Rubenstein

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: November 30, 2021

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request – State Plan for Grants to States for Refugee Resettlement (OMB #0970-0351)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, State Plan for Grants to States for Refugee Resettlement (OMB #0970-0351).

Background

A State Plan is a required comprehensive narrative description of the nature and scope of a state’s or Replacement Designees (RDs) Refugee Resettlement Program. It outlines detailed plans for a state’s and RD’s implementation of the required components.

Included in H.R. 5305, the “Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act,” are Afghan Supplemental Assistance funds: $1.68 billion for ORR to support Afghan arrivals and $7.7 million for administrative expenses to carry out services in support of Afghan parolees. The continuing resolution (CR) also authorizes the eligibility of Afghan Humanitarian Parolees for ORR services and benefits. ORR is seeking additions to the State Plan template for refugee resettlement for states and RDs to describe plans for serving Afghan individuals and families in their Refugee Support Services (RSS) services and set-aside services using Afghan Supplemental Appropriation (ASA) funds.

The current OMB approved State Plan already collects state or RD’s plan to prepare itself and subrecipients to continue services in an emergency. State or RD’s have previously requested ORR waivers to implement alternate methods for eligibility determinations and extensions of the RSS eligibility period after the emergency or disaster occurred. In order to have the authority to act immediately and enable the vulnerable clients to access critical assistance and services in a timely manner, ORR is asking states and RDs to indicate if it is requesting waiver(s) within the existing description.

Overview of Requested Changes

Under the existing section of “Refugee Support Services (RSS) - 45 CFR 400 Subpart I”, ORR requests to add descriptions of the RSS and RSS set-aside services provided to Afghan individuals and families using ASA funds. Under the same sections, ORR requests to update newly published Policy Letter reference of 21-06, 22-06, 22-07, 22-08, 22-09 which supersede ORR PL 19-07, 19-01, 19-02, and 19-03. A new PL 22-06 is also added and applies to Refugee Health Promotion Program, in addition to PL 20-05. ORR also requests to include “Early Refugee School Impact” and “Refugee Mental Health Initiatives” services to be more accurate and comprehensive when providing examples of specific services.

Under the existing section of “Coordination and Access” where state or RD describing how it prepares to continue services to the highest level possible in an emergency, ORR requests the state or RD to indicate whether it is requesting waivers regarding confirmation of applicants’ eligibility and RSS and RSS set-aside eligibility period, which is consistent with ORR Policy Letter 22-05.

Time Sensitivities

States and RDs are currently preparing state plans for submission in January 2022 using this template to outline detailed plans for implementation of the required components of their refugee resettlement programs. Afghan Humanitarian Parolees and SIV holders have begun arriving in communities and are being be served by the state and RD refugee resettlement programs. Without a timely approval on adding service description and plan for the hereinbefore forms, ORR is unable to review, approve, and ensure timely services to be provided to the Afghan individuals and families.