19504 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 1998 / Notices

Dated: April 3, 1998.

John P. Burke III,

HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA,

Office of Information Services, Information

Technology Investment Management Group,

Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–10348 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–03–U

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Care Financing Administration

[HCFA–R–118]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Health Care Financing Administration

(HCFA), Department of Health and

Human Services, has submitted to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) the following proposal for the

collection of information. Interested

persons are invited to send comments

regarding the burden estimate or any

other aspect of this collection of

information, including any of the

following subjects: (1) The necessity and

utility of the proposed information

collection for the proper performance of

the agency’s functions; (2) the accuracy

of the estimated burden; (3) ways to

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity

of the information to be collected; and

(4) the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology to minimize the information

collection burden.

Type of Information Collection

Request: Reinstatement Without change,

of a previously approved collection for

which approval has expired; Title of

Information Collection: Peer Review

Organization Contracts; Solicitation

Statements of Interest from In-State

Organizations, General Notice and

Supporting Regulations 42 CFR 462.102,

.103, .104; Form No.: HCFA–R–118,

OMB #0938–0526; Use: This notice is a

solicitation of sources sought for the

procurement of medical review services.

This information is required for

potential contractors to demonstrate that

they meet the statutory requirements as

a Peer Review Organization.; Frequency:

On occasion; Affected Public: Business

or other for-profit; Number of

Respondents: 53; Total Annual

Responses: 53; Total Annual Hours: 1.

To obtain copies of the supporting

statement for the proposed paperwork

collections referenced above, or E-mail

your request, including your address

and phone number, to

Paperwork@hcfa.gov, or call the Reports

Clearance Office on (410) 786–1326.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collections must be mailed

within 30 days of this notice directly to

the OMB Desk Officer designated at the

following address: OMB Human

Resources and Housing Branch,

Attention: Allison Eydt, New Executive

Office Building, Room 10235,

Washington, D.C. 20503.

Dated: April 9, 1998.

John P. Burke III,

HCFA Reports Clearance Officer, HCFA,

Office of Information Services, Information

Technology Investment Management Group,

Division of HCFA Enterprise Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–10349 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–03–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration

Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 Funding

Opportunities

AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

SUMMARY: The Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse

Treatment (CSAT) announces the

availability of FY 1998 funds for grants

for the following activity. This activity

is discussed in more detail under

Section 4 of this notice. This notice is

not a complete description of the

activity; potential applicants must

obtain a copy of the Guidance for

Applicants (GFA) before preparing an

application.

Activity Application

deadline

Estimated

funds available

Estimated No.

of awards

Project

period

Targeted Capacity Expansion .................................................................................. 6/19/98 $18M 40–50 3 yrs.

Note: SAMHSA also published notices of

available funding opportunities for FY 1998

in the Federal Register on January 6, 1998,

January 20, 1998, February 26, 1998, March

20, 1998, April 8, 1998, and on April 16,

1998.

The actual amount available for

awards and their allocation may vary,

depending on unanticipated program

requirements and the volume and

quality of applications. Awards are

usually made for grant periods from one

to three years in duration. FY 1998

funds for activities discussed in this

announcement were appropriated by the

Congress under Pub. L. No. 105–78.

SAMHSA’s policies and procedures for

peer review and Advisory Council

review of grant and cooperative

agreement applications were published

in the Federal Register (Vol. 58, No.

126) on July 2, 1993.

The Public Health Service (PHS) is

committed to achieving the health

promotion and disease prevention

objectives of Healthy People 2000, a

PHS-led national activity for setting

priority areas. The SAMHSA Centers’

substance abuse and mental health

services activities address issues related

to Healthy People 2000 objectives of

Mental Health and Mental Disorders;

Alcohol and Other Drugs; Clinical

Preventive Services; HIV Infection; and

Surveillance and Data Systems.

Potential applicants may obtain a copy

of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report:

Stock No. 017–001–00474–0) or

Summary Report: Stock No. 017–001–

00473–1) through the Superintendent of

Documents, Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC 20402–9325

(Telephone: 202–512–1800).

General Instructions

Applicants must use application form

PHS 5161–1 (Rev. 5/96; OMB No. 0937–

0189). The application kit contains the

GFA (complete programmatic guidance

and instructions for preparing and

submitting applications), the PHS 5161–

1 which includes Standard Form 424

(Face Page), and other documentation

and forms. Application kits may be

obtained from the organization specified

for each activity covered by this notice

(see Section 4).

When requesting an application kit,

the applicant must specify the particular

activity for which detailed information

is desired. This is to ensure receipt of

all necessary forms and information,

including any specific program review

and award criteria.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 1998 / Notices 19505

The PHS 5161–1 application form and

the full text of each of the activities (i.e.,

the GFA) described in Section 4 are

available electronically via SAMHSA’s

World Wide Web Home Page (address:

http://www.samhsa.gov).

Application Submission

Unless otherwise stated in the GFA,

applications must be submitted to:

SAMHSA Programs, Center for

Scientific Review, National Institutes of

Health, Suite 1040, 6701 Rockledge

Drive MSC–7710, Bethesda, Maryland

20892–7710*.

(* Applicants who wish to use express

mail or courier service should change

the zip code to 20817.)

APPLICATION DEADLINES: The deadlines

for receipt of applications are listed in

the table above. Please note that the

deadlines may differ for the individual

activities.

Competing applications must be

received by the indicated receipt dates

to be accepted for review. An

application received after the deadline

may be acceptable if it carries a legible

proof-of-mailing date assigned by the

carrier and that date is not later than

one week prior to the deadline date.

Private metered postmarks are not

acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

Applications received after the

deadline date and those sent to an

address other than the address specified

above will be returned to the applicant

without review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for activity-specific technical

information should be directed to the

program contact person identified for

each activity covered by this notice (see

Section 4).

Requests for information concerning

business management issues should be

directed to the grants management

contact person identified for each

activity covered by this notice (see

Section 4).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To

facilitate the use of this Notice of

Funding Availability, information has

been organized as outlined in the Table

of Contents below. For each activity, the

following information is provided:

• Application Deadline

• Purpose

• Priorities

• Eligible Applicants

• Grants/Cooperative Agreements/

Amounts

• Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number

• Contacts

• Application Kits

Table of Contents

1. Program Background and Objectives

2. Special Concerns

3. Criteria for Review and Funding

3.1 General Review Criteria

3.2 Funding Criteria for Scored

Applications

4. Special FY 1998 SAMHS Activities

4.1 Grants

4.1.1 Grants to Expand Substance Abuse

Treatment Capacity in Targeted Areas of

Need

5. Public Health System Reporting

Requirements

6. PHS Non-use of Tobacco Policy Statement

7. Executive Order 12372

1. Program Background and Objectives

SAMHSA’s mission within the

Nation’s health system is to improve the

quality and availability of prevention,

early intervention, treatment, and

rehabilitation services for substance

abuse and mental illnesses, including

co-occurring disorders, in order to

improve health and reduce illness,

death, disability, and cost to society.

Reinventing government, with its

emphases on redefining the role of

Federal agencies and on improving

customer service, has provided

SAMHSA with a welcome opportunity

to examine carefully its programs and

activities. As a result of that process,

SAMHSA moved assertively to create a

renewed and strategic emphasis on

using its resources to generate

knowledge about ways to improve the

prevention and treatment of substance

abuse and mental illness and to work

with State and local governments as

well as providers, families, and

consumers to effectively use that

knowledge in everyday practice.

SAMHSA’s FY 1998 Knowledge

Development and Application (KD&A)

agenda is the outcome of a process

whereby providers, services researchers,

consumers, National Advisory Council

members and other interested persons

participated in special meetings or

responded to calls for suggestions and

reactions. From this input, each

SAMHSA Center developed a ‘‘menu’’

of suggested topics. The topics were

discussed jointly and an agency agenda

of critical topics was agreed to. The

selection of topics depended heavily on

policy importance and on the existence

of adequate research and practitioner

experience on which to base studies.

While SAMHSA’s FY 1998 KD&A

programs will sometimes involve the

evaluation of some delivery of services,

they are services studies and application

activities, not merely evaluation, since

they are aimed at answering policyrelevant questions and putting that

knowledge to use.

SAMHSA differs from other agencies

in focusing on needed information at

the services delivery level, and in its

question-focus. Dissemination and

application are integral, major features

of the programs. SAMHSA believes that

it is important to get the information

into the hands of the public, providers,

and systems administrators as

effectively as possible. Technical

assistance, training, preparation of

special materials will be used, in

addition to normal communications

means.

SAMHSA also continues to fund

legislatively-mandated services

programs for which funds are

appropriated.

2. Special Concerns

SAMHSA’s legislatively-mandated

services programs do provide funds for

mental health and/or substance abuse

treatment and prevention services.

However, SAMHSA’s KD&A activities

do not provide funds for mental health

and/or substance abuse treatment and

prevention services except sometimes

for costs required by the particular

activity’s study design. Applicants are

required to propose true knowledge

application or knowledge development

and application projects. Applications

seeking funding for services projects

under a KD&A activity will be

considered nonresponsive.

Applications that are incomplete or

nonresponsive to the GFA will be

returned to the applicant without

further consideration.

3. Criteria for Review and Funding

Consistent with the statutory mandate

for SAMHSA to support activities that

will improve the provision of treatment,

prevention and related services,

including the development of national

mental health and substance abuse goals

and model programs, competing

applications requesting funding under

the specific project activities in Section

4 will be reviewed for technical merit in

accordance with established PHS/

SAMHSA peer review procedures.

3.1 General Review Criteria

As published in the Federal Register

on July 2, 1993 (Vol. 58, No. 126),

SAMHSA’s ‘‘Peer Review and Advisory

Council Review of Grant and

Cooperative Agreement Applications

and Contract Proposals,’’ peer review

groups will take into account, among

other factors as may be specified in the

application guidance materials, the

following general criteria:

• Potential significance of the

proposed project;

• Appropriateness of the applicant’s

proposed objectives to the goals of the

specific program;
19506 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 1998 / Notices

• Adequacy and appropriateness of

the proposed approach and activities;

• Adequacy of available resources,

such as facilities and equipment;

• Qualifications and experience of the

applicant organization, the project

director, and other key personnel; and

• Reasonableness of the proposed

budget.

3.2 Funding Criteria for Scored

Applications

Applications will be considered for

funding on the basis of their overall

technical merit as determined through

the peer review group and the

appropriate National Advisory Council

(if applicable) review process.

Other funding criteria will include:

• Availability of funds.

Additional funding criteria specific to

the programmatic activity may be

included in the application guidance

materials.

4. Special FY 1998 SAMHSA Activities

4.1 Grants

4.1.1 Grants to Expand Substance

Abuse Treatment Capacity in Targeted

Areas of Need (Short Title: Targeted

Capacity Expansion, GFA No. TI 98–

006)

• Application Deadline: June 19,

1998.

• Purpose: The Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse

Treatment (CSAT), announces the

availability of funds for grants to

address gaps in treatment capacity by

supporting rapid and strategic responses

to demand for substance abuse

(including alcohol and drugs) treatment

services. The response to treatment

capacity problems may include

communities with serious, emerging

drug problems as well as communities

with innovative solutions to unmet

need. The goal of this program is to

create or expand a community’s or

cluster of communities’ ability to

provide an integrated creative and

community-based response to a

targeted, well documented substance

abuse treatment capacity problem.

SAMHSA/CSAT believe that the

accomplishment of this goal requires

that applications be submitted by the

political entities that are responsible for

the funding or provision of services in

the targeted area. Applicants may either

apply to expand an existing treatment

program or create a new program. The

proposed treatment services should be

based on sound, scientifically-based

theory or empirical evidence of

effectiveness. Further, the services

should be designed to significantly

impact the identified treatment gap

issue within the three year grant period

and a plan for continuation of the effort

beyond the life of the grant should be

presented if such continuation is

expected to be necessary. Finally, the

proposed services should be consistent

with and fit within the overall response

to substance abuse problems in the

target area.

SAMHSA/CSAT encourages

applications from a wide variety of

sources including: Local governmental

entities such as cities, towns, counties,

and; regional governmental entities; and

States, Territories, and Indian Tribal

Governments. SAMHSA is also

interested in applications in which

several jurisdictions propose to work

together to address an emerging or

previously emerged need that cuts

across their geographical boundaries.

Finally, SAMHSA is interested in

applications in which the proposed

services are embedded within an

integrated, creative and communitybased response to substance abuse

problems.

• Priorities: None.

• Eligible Applicants: Applications

may be submitted by units of State, local

(including cities, towns, or counties), or

Indian Tribal Governments. Eligibility is

being limited to units of government in

recognition of the primacy of their

responsibility for, and interest in,

providing for the needs of their citizens

and because the success of the program

will depend upon the authority and

ability available to units of government

to broadly coordinate the variety of

other resources necessary to full

program success.

Applications covering more than one

unit of government at the same or

different levels must be submitted by

one agency which would be the grantee

on behalf of all participating units and

be accompanied by letters of

endorsement from the heads of the other

participating units.

• Grants/Amounts: Approximately

$18 million will be available to support

awards under this GFA in FY 1998.

Awards are expected to range in amount

from $100,000 to $750,000 in total

(direct plus indirect) costs. It is planned

that these funds will be reserved in

three pools based on the size of the

population in the geographical area to

be served (as opposed to the population

in need of services). For example, if the

State applied on behalf of a rural

community, it would be the population

of that community, not the State

population or the estimated number of

persons needing services, that would

determine the appropriate funding pool.

Indian Tribal Governments will be

included in one of the pools without

regard to the size of population to be

served. Only after applicants with

acceptable technical merit scores in the

first two pools have been funded will

any amount in excess from those two

pools be distributed to the third pool.

The three pools are:

$3 million is reserved for rural

projects serving areas with populations

of 30,000 or fewer people and projects

proposed by Indian Tribal Governments;

$3 million is reserved for projects

serving areas with populations of 30,000

or fewer people whether urban or rural;

and

$12 million is reserved for projects

serving areas with populations of more

than 30,000 (of this amount a minimum

of $2 million is reserved for cities with

a population of more than 30,000).

• Catalog of Domestic Federal

Assistance: 93.230

• Program Contact: For programmatic

or technical assistance (not for

application kits) contact: Jane Taylor,

Ph.D., Director, Division of Practice and

Systems Development Center for

Substance Abuse Treatment, SAMHSA,

Rockwall II, 8th Floor, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443–

3820.

• For grants management assistance,

contact: Ms. Andrea Brandon, Division

of Grants Management, OPS, SAMHSA,

Rockwall II, Suite 360, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443–

9667.

• Application Kits are available from:

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and

Drug Information, P.O. Box 2345,

Rockville, Maryland 20847–2345, 1–

800–729–6686.

5. Public Health System Reporting

Requirements

The Public Health System Impact

Statement (PHSIS) is intended to keep

State and local health officials apprised

of proposed health services grant and

cooperative agreement applications

submitted by community-based

nongovernmental organizations within

their jurisdictions.

Community-based nongovernmental

service providers who are not

transmitting their applications through

the State must submit a PHSIS to the

head(s) of the appropriate State and

local health agencies in the area(s) to be

affected not later than the pertinent

receipt date for applications. This

PHSIS consists of the following

information:

a. A copy of the face page of the

application (Standard form 424).

b. A summary of the project (PHSIS),

not to exceed one page, which provides:
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 1998 / Notices 19507

(1) A description of the population to

be served.

(2) A summary of the services to be

provided.

(3) A description of the coordination

planned with the appropriate State or

local health agencies.

State and local governments and

Indian Tribal Authority applicants are

not subject to the Public Health System

Reporting Requirements.

Application guidance materials will

specify if a particular FY 1998 activity

described above is/is not subject to the

Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

6. PHS Non-use of Tobacco Policy

Statement

The PHS strongly encourages all grant

and contract recipients to provide a

smoke-free workplace and promote the

non-use of all tobacco products. In

addition, Pub. L. 103–227, the ProChildren Act of 1994, prohibits smoking

in certain facilities (or in some cases,

any portion of a facility) in which

regular or routine education, library,

day care, health care, or early childhood

development services are provided to

children. This is consistent with the

PHS mission to protect and advance the

physical and mental health of the

American people.

7. Executive Order 12372

Applications submitted in response to

all FY 1998 activities listed above are

subject to the intergovernmental review

requirements of Executive Order 12372,

as implemented through DHHS

regulations at 45 CFR part 100. E.O.

12372 sets up a system for State and

local government review of applications

for Federal financial assistance.

Applicants (other than Federally

recognized Indian tribal governments)

should contact the State’s Single Point

of Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to

alert them to the prospective

application(s) and to receive any

necessary instructions on the State’s

review process. For proposed projects

serving more than one State, the

applicant is advised to contact the SPOC

of each affected State. A current listing

of SPOCs is included in the application

guidance materials. The SPOC should

send any State review process

recommendations directly to: Office of

Extramural Activities Review,

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration, Parklawn

Building, Room 17–89, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

The due date for State review process

recommendations is no later than 60

days after the specified deadline date for

the receipt of applications. SAMHSA

does not guarantee to accommodate or

explain SPOC comments that are

received after the 60-day cut-off.

Dated: April 14, 1998.

Patricia S. Bransford,

Acting Executive Officer, Substance Abuse

and Mental Health Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–10315 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4162–20–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants: Extension of Comment

Period for Availability of an

Environmental Assessment/Habitat

Conservation Plan and Receipt of

Application for Incidental Take Permit

for the City of Austin for the Operation

and Maintenance of Barton Springs

Pool and Adjacent Springs

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior

ACTION: Notice: extension of comment

period.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) provides notice that

the public comment period is extended

for a Section 10(a)(1)(B) permit. The

City of Austin has applied to the Service

for an incidental take permit pursuant to

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered

Species Act (Act). The applicant has

been assigned permit number PRT–

839031. The requested permit, which is

for a period of 15 years, would authorize

incidental take of the endangered Barton

Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum).

The proposed take would occur as a

result of the operation and maintenance

of Barton Springs Pool and adjacent

springs in Austin, Travis County, Texas.

The City of Austin has prepared the

Environmental Assessment/Habitat

Conservation Plan (EA/HCP) for the

incidental take application. Neither a

determination of whether jeopardy to

the species is likely to occur, nor a

Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) will be made before April 30,

1998. This notice is provided pursuant

to Section 10(c) of the Act and National

Environmental Policy Act regulations

(40 CFR 1506.6).

DATES: Written comments on the

application should be received on or

before April 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the application may obtain a copy by

writing to the Regional Director, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box

1306, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103.

Persons wishing to review the EA/HCP

may obtain a copy by contacting

Matthew Lechner, Austin Ecological

Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet

Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78758

(512–490–0057). Documents will be

available for public inspection by

written request, by appointment only,

during normal business hours (7:30 to

4:30) at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Austin Ecological Services

Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200,

Austin, Texas 78758 (512–490–0057).

Written data or comments concerning

the application and EA/HCP should be

submitted to the Field Supervisor,

Ecological Services Field Office, Austin,

Texas (see address above). Please refer

to permit number PRT–839031 when

submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Matthew Lechner at the above Austin

Field Office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9

of the Act prohibits the ‘‘taking’’ of

threatened and endangered species such

as the Barton Springs salamander.

However, the Service, under limited

circumstances, may issue permits to

take threatened or endangered wildlife

species when such taking is incidental

to, and not the purpose of, otherwise

lawful activities. Regulations governing

permits for endangered species are at 50

CFR 17.22.

Applicant: The City of Austin plans to

operate Barton Springs pool and the

adjacent springs in Austin, Travis

County, Texas. This action may cause

the incidental take of less than 20

salamanders per year for the 15-year

term of the permit. The applicant

proposed to minimize and mitigate for

the incidental take of the Barton Springs

salamander by placing 10 percent of the

total revenues generated at Barton

Springs Pool into a conservation fund.

The fund would be used for enhancing

habitat and for ecological and biological

research on the included habitat

conservation plan. In addition,

mitigation measures are included in the

Habitat Conservation Plan.

Nancy M. Kaufman,

Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 98–10065 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

Technology Transfer Act of 1986

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey,

Interior.