11542 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 36 / Thursday, February 25, 2021 / Notices 

1Benson, W.F; Aldrich, N. Raising Awareness 

and Seeking Solutions to the Opioid Epidemic’s 

Impact on Rural Older Adults. 

2Blog Post (March 4, 2019): https://

eldermistreatment.usc.edu/opioids-and-elderabuse-a-disquieting-connection/. 

3Washington Post Article (June 17, 2019): https:// 

www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/06/17/ 

how-opioid-crisis-is-leading-elder-financial-abuse/ 

?utm_term=.594b4dd84d9d. 

4https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/missourisaps-response-to-the-opioid-crisis/. 

Community Living) first developed a 

State Program Report (SPR) in 1996 as 

part of its National Aging Program 

Information System (NAPIS). The SPR 

collects information about the national 

Aging Network, how State Agencies on 

Aging expend their OAA funds as well 

as funding from other sources for OAA 

authorized supportive services. The SPR 

also collects information on the 

demographic and functional status of 

the recipients, and is a key source for 

ACL performance measurement. This 

previously approved ‘‘New SPR’’ was a 

revision of the currently active version 

(effective 2019–2022) and was approved 

on 2018, also assigned with the same 

OMB Control Number #0985–0001. This 

previously approved collection reduces 

the number of data elements reported by 

70% compared to the 2019–2022 SPR. 

ACL intends to seek a new OMB 

Control Number for the for the new SPR 

effective FY 2022–2025. This request 

applies only to making an 

administrative change to the 2018 

approved version of the State 

Performance Report for State Units on 

Aging (Older Americans Act Titles III 

and VII (Chapters 3 and 4) (‘‘new SPR’’). 

ACL intends to use this proposed data 

to collect information with the FY 2022 

reporting year. 

To view and comment on this 

information collection please visit 

Administration for Community Living 

public input page: https://acl.gov/aboutacl/public-input. 

Estimated Program Burden: ACL 

estimates an annual burden of 1,876 

hours: 

Respondent/data collection activity Number of 

respondents 

Responses 

per 

respondent 

Hours per 

response 

Annual 

burden 

hours 

SPR .................................................................................................................. 56 1 33.5 1,876 

Total .......................................................................................................... 56 1 33.5 1,876 

Dated: February 19, 2021. 

Alison Barkoff, 

Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary 

for Aging. 

[FR Doc. 2021–03862 Filed 2–24–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4154–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Community Living 

[OMB No. 0985–0067] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission for OMB 

Review; Public Comment Request; The 

Study on the Impact of COVID–19 on 

Adult Protective Service (APS) 

Programs 

AGENCY: Administration for Community 

Living, HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Administration for 

Community Living is announcing that 

the proposed collection of information 

listed above has been submitted to the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review and clearance as 

required under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. This 30-Day 

notice collects comments on the 

information collection requirements 

related to requirements related to the 

extension with change to the Study on 

the impact of COVID–19 on Adult 

Protective Service (APS) Programs. 

DATES: Submit written comments on the 

collection of information by March 29, 

2021. 

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments 

and recommendations for the proposed 

information collection within 30 days of 

publication of this notice to 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain 

Find the information collection by 

selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day 

Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or 

by using the search function. By mail to 

the Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, OMB, New Executive Office 

Bldg., 725 17th St. NW, Rm. 10235, 

Washington, DC 20503, Attn: OMB Desk 

Officer for ACL. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephanie Whittier Eliason, 

Administration for Community Living, 

Washington, DC 20201 Phone: (202) 

795–7467 Email: 

Stephanie.WhittierEliason@acl.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, ACL 

has submitted the following proposed 

collection of information to OMB for 

review and clearance. The 

Administration for Community Living 

(ACL) requests an extension with 

change to the approved data collection 

for a study on the impact of COVID–19 

on Adult Protective Service (APS) 

Programs (OMB 0985–0067). Some elder 

advocates and law enforcement officers 

believe that the opioid epidemic is 

contributing to the increase in elder 

abuse.1 Even during the COVID–19 

epidemic, regular press, briefs and 

editorials continue to report that the 

opioid abuse is still rising. Aging 

services and APS networks are likely to 

deal with more complex clients with 

opioid-related issues, placing enormous 

pressure on health care systems, 

emergency response services, law 

enforcement and other community 

services.234

In the context of COVID–19, we need 

to make extra efforts to look at these 

challenges and look for ways to 

effectively meet the needs of these 

clients. The purpose of this 7-month 

study is to understand the nature, 

extent, and impact of opioids on older 

adults and their families by 

interviewing APS staff. The study will 

look magnitude and characteristics of 

these cases. It will look at what 

investigative methods and challenges 

are specific to opioid cases. Because of 

the COVID–19 pandemic, attention will 

also be made to the effects of pandemic 

on client circumstances, service gaps 

and needs, and outcomes. These are the 

objectives of the study: 

• Identify the scope and characteristics 

of APS caseloads involving opioid 

abuse before and during COVID–19 

• Identify investigative methods used 

and challenges to using these methods 

• Identify interventions used and 

challenges to implementing these 

interventions 

• Identify additional services needed 

• Identify challenges that are particular 

to the COVID–19 pandemic 

• Assist ACL and other federal partners 

in targeting needed resources to have 

the highest impact 

Findings from this important study 

will shed light on what and how to 

improve APS responses to opioidVerDate Sep<11>2014 17:04 Feb 24, 2021 Jkt 253001 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\25FEN1.SGM 25FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 36 / Thursday, February 25, 2021 / Notices 11543 

related cases. Findings will be 

distributed via the APS–TARC website, 

a technical assistance resource center 

for APS programs. ACL will also explore 

other opportunities where findings can 

be shared via blogs, briefs, conference 

presentations and webinars. 

Comments in Response to the 60-Day 

Federal Register Notice 

ACL published a 60-day Federal 

Register Notice in the Federal Register 

soliciting public comments on this 

request. The 60-day FRN published on 

December 1, 2020, Vol. 85, No. 231 page 

77217. There were no public comments 

received. 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Form name Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Total 

responses 

Average 

burden 

per response 

(in hours) 

Total burden 

hours 

APS Administrator Interview Guide ..................................... 12 1 12 .75 9 

APS Local Staff Interview Guide ......................................... 60 1 60 .75 45 

Total .............................................................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ 54 

Dated: February 19, 2021. 

Alison Barkoff, 

Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary 

for Aging. 

[FR Doc. 2021–03867 Filed 2–24–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4154–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Community Living 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission for OMB 

Review; Public Comment Request; 

Inventory of Adult Protective Services 

Practices and Service Innovations 

AGENCY: Administration for Community 

Living, HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Administration for 

Community Living is announcing that 

the proposed collection of information 

listed above has been submitted to the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review and clearance as 

required under section 506(c)(2)(A) of 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

This 30-Day notice collects comments 

on the information collection 

requirements related to requirements 

related to a new information collection 

0985-New Inventory of Adult Protective 

Services Practices and Service 

Innovations. 

DATES: Submit written comments on the 

collection of information by March 29, 

2021. 

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments 

and recommendations for the proposed 

information collection within 30 days of 

publication of this notice to 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

Find the information collection by 

selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day 

Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or 

by using the search function. By mail to 

the Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, OMB, New Executive Office 

Bldg., 725 17th St. NW, Rm. 10235, 

Washington, DC 20503, Attn: OMB Desk 

Officer for ACL. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Stephanie Whittier Eliason, 

Administration for Community Living, 

Washington, DC 20201 Phone: (202) 

795–7467, Email: 

Stephanie.WhittierEliason@acl.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, ACL 

has submitted the following proposed 

collection of information to OMB for 

review and clearance. The 

Administration for Community Living 

(ACL) is requesting approval for a new 

information collection 0985–New 

Inventory of Adult Protective Services 

Practices and Service Innovations. The 

Elder Justice Act of 2009 requires the 

Secretary of the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services to carry out 

a number of activities related to adult 

protective services (APS) (42 U.S.C. 

1397m–1), including developing and 

disseminating information on APS best 

practices and conducting research 

related to the provision of APS. 

Furthermore, the Elder Justice 

Coordinating Council included as its 

third recommendation for increasing 

federal involvement in addressing elder 

abuse, neglect, and exploitation: 

‘‘develop a national APS system based 

upon standardized data collection and a 

core set of service provision standards 

and best practices.’’ 

Background 

The Administration for Community 

Living (ACL) in the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS) 

plans to initiate an Inventory of Adult 

Protective Services Practices and 

Service Innovations (APS Practice 

Survey) in early 2021. Under a contract 

with ACL, the National Adult Protective 

Services Technical Assistance Resource 

Center (APS TARC) is conducting a 

national program evaluation of APS 

programs. As part of this evaluation, the 

APS Practice Survey will identify 

barriers to meeting policy mandates, 

and practice innovations and model 

programs that address such barriers and 

community-identified needs. It also 

seeks to identify practice variations in 

the way APS programs serve older 

adults and adults with disabilities. The 

results of the survey will serve to 

advance the field of APS and will be 

useful to many audiences. It will 

provide baseline information regarding 

the status of APS programs and services, 

and the resulting information will help 

states and territories compare their 

program characteristics with those of 

other states and territories. The survey 

will provide a context for other 

researchers examining APS programs. It 

will inform ACL’s efforts to support 

improvement of APS programs through 

activities such as innovation grants. 

Finally, it will inform the APS TARC 

team’s efforts to develop resources to 

enhance APS programs around the 

country. This survey has been 

developed to gather information on APS 

practices that is not available from other 

sources. As part of the National Adult 

Maltreatment Reporting System 

(NAMRS), ACL collects descriptive data 

on state and territory agency policies 

through the Agency Component of that 

data collection. 

Therefore, the proposed survey will 

not collect any background policy or 

data items. As part of the APS Program 

Evaluation, the APS TARC also 

conducted a detailed examination of 

state APS policies through development 

of individual state policy profiles. The 

profiles were based exclusively on 

extant information sources obtained 

without additional data requests from