[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 92 (Thursday, May 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30413-30414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11877]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES


Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegations of Authority

AGENCY: Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget (OLAB)/ACF/DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This Notice amends Part K of the Statement of Organization, 
Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) 
as follows: Chapter KT, Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget 
(OLAB), (63 FR 45510), as last amended, August 26, 1998. This notice 
reflects the consolidation of the two budget divisions in the Office of 
Legislative Affairs and Budget into one division to improve its 
efficiency and effectiveness. Specifically, delete Chapter KT in its 
entirety, and replace with the following:
    KT.00 Mission. The Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget (OLAB) 
provides leadership in the development of legislation, budget, and 
policy, ensuring consistency in these areas among ACF program and staff 
offices, and with ACF and the Department's vision and goals. It advises 
the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on all policy and 
programmatic matters, which substantially impact the agency's 
legislative program, budget development, budget execution and 
regulatory agenda. The Office serves as the primary contact for the 
Department, the Executive Branch, and the Congress on all legislative, 
budget development and execution and regulatory activities.
    KT.10 Organization. A Director, who reports to the Assistant 
Secretary for

[[Page 30414]]

Children and Families, heads the Office of Legislative Affairs and 
Budget. The Office is organized as follows: Office of the Director 
(KTA), Division of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs (KTB), Division 
of Budget (KTC).
    KT.20 Functions. A. The Office of the Director provides direction 
and executive leadership to the Office of Legislative Affairs and 
Budget in administering its responsibilities. It serves as the 
principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families 
on all policy and programmatic matters which substantially impact on 
legislative affairs, budget development, budget execution and the 
regulatory agenda. It represents the Assistant Secretary on budget, 
policy and legislative matters and serves as the primary ACF contact 
for the Department, the Executive Branch and Congress on these 
activities.
    B. The Division of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs serves as the 
focal point for congressional liaison in ACF; provides guidance to the 
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families and senior ACF staff on 
congressional activities and relations; manages the preparation of 
testimony and briefings for programmatic and budget-related hearings; 
negotiates clearance of testimony; monitors hearings and other 
congressional activities which affect ACF programs; and responds to 
congressional inquiries.
    The Division manages the ACF legislative planning cycle and the 
development of Reports to Congress; reviews and analyzes a wide range 
of congressional policy documents including: legislative proposals, 
pending legislation, and bill reports; solicits and synthesizes 
internal ACF comments on such documents; negotiates legislative policy 
positions with the Department and the Executive Branch; and reviews 
other policy significant documents to ensure consistency with statutory 
and congressional intent and the agency legislative agenda.
    The Division manages the ACF regulatory development process; 
negotiates regulatory policy positions with the Department and the 
Executive Branch; and provides guidance to ACF program and staff 
components on policy and programmatic matters related to the regulatory 
development process.
    C. The Division of Budget manages the development and presentation 
of ACF's budget; provides guidance to ACF program and staff components 
in preparing material in support of budget development; provides 
guidance to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families and 
senior program staff on policy and programmatic matters which 
substantially impact the budget development process; monitors budget-
related hearings and other congressional activities which affect the 
ACF budget; responds to congressional inquiries on the budget; and, 
negotiates budget issues with the Department and the Executive Branch.
    The Division requests apportionments from OMB for appropriated 
funds and issues allotments to program and staff offices; manages 
internal ACF funds control; provides guidance to senior program staff 
and budget contacts in management of their program and administrative 
funds; and, assists in reconciling any discrepancies found in CORE 
accounting reports and data-flow reports.
    The Division manages the preparation of a comprehensive 
administrative (salaries and expenses) budget for ACF; provides 
guidance to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families and 
senior ACF staff on all aspects of the agency's administrative budget; 
provides guidance to ACF program and staff components in preparing 
material in support of the administrative budget and tracking and 
reconciling expenditures throughout the fiscal year to ensure 
appropriate fiscal accountability and prudent spending patterns.
    The Division designs and develops budget estimating modes and 
procedures to project future program costs in order to influence 
decision-making regarding ACF program budgets and policy; evaluates on 
a continuing basis complex national budget issues to assess overall 
impact on immediate, foreseeable, and long-range program direction; 
provides guidance to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families 
and senior ACF staff on budget forecasts for all major ACF programs; 
negotiates budget forecasting issues with the Department and the 
Executive Branch; and responds to Congressional Budget Office, 
Congressional Research Service and general congressional inquiries 
regarding ACF budget projections.
    The Division reviews and analyzes other policy significant 
documents to ensure consistency with ACF's budget, vision and goals.

    Dated: May 8, 2000.
Madeline Mocko,
Director, Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget.
[FR Doc. 00-11877 Filed 5-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P