AmeriCorps - OMB Supporting Statement 3-10-09

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1.  Need for Information Collection

The Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation) awards grants to states, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. Territories to operate AmeriCorps State, AmeriCorps National, AmeriCorps VISTA, Learn and Serve America, and Senior Corps programs. This information collection comprises the questions applicants will answer to compete for Recovery Act funding through AmeriCorps State and National, which includes State Competitive, State Education Award Program, National Direct, National Education Award Program, Indian Tribes, and State and Territories without Commissions. It also includes reporting requirements for this one-time competition. The Recovery Act can be found here and the relevant citation is attached to this Justification.

A2.  Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used.

Applicants will respond to the questions included in these instructions in order to apply for Recovery Act funding in a one-time only AmeriCorps State and National grant competitions. Applicants will include states, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. Territories. Successful applicants will respond to these questions on a quarterly basis to report on their progress, as required by the OMB Implementation Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

 

 A3.  Minimize Burden: Use of Improved Technology to Reduce Burden

The Corporation will be eliciting and accepting applicants and grantees response to these questions electronically via eGrants, the Corporation’s secure online application system, or via e-mail. If applicants are unable to apply or report on-line, they can use the attached forms and instructions to submit their application.

A4.  Non-Duplication

There are no other sources of information by which the Corporation can meet the purposes described in A2 (above).

 

A5.  Minimizing for economic burden for small businesses or other small entities.

This collection of information does not impact small businesses because they are not eligible to apply for grants. There is no economic burden to any other small entities beyond the cost of staff time to collect and report the data. This is minimized to the degree possible by only asking for the information absolutely necessary to measure progress towards the Corporation’s strategic initiative benchmarks.

A6.  Consideration of Collection

 The Corporation will be unable to conduct the AmeriCorps State and National Recovery Act Funding competitions authorized by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or report on the impact of these funds without approval of this collection.

A7.  Special circumstances that would cause information collection to be collected in the specified ways.

There are no special circumstances that would require the collection of information in any other ways specified.

A8.  Provide copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the Agency’s notice.

The 30 day Notice soliciting comments is expected to be published on Friday, March 13, 2009. The publication date will be entered in ROCIS.

 

 A9.  Payment to Respondents

There are no payments or gifts to respondents

  

A10.  Confidentiality

Information provided by this collection may be shared with federal, state, and local agencies for law enforcement purposes. Information provided by respondents is subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.

A11.  Sensitive Questions

 The information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature.

 

A12. Hour burden of the collection

These are the application instructions and reporting questions for the one-time Recovery Act funding on 2009.

We expect approximately 250 respondents to use these instructions to apply for funding in the AmeriCorps State Competitive, State Education Award Program, National Direct, National Education Award Program, National Professional Corps, Indian Tribes, State and Territories without Commissions, and National Planning grant competitions. The frequency of response for applications will not be greater than annually, and should not exceed 8 hours of effort per respondent. There is no estimated annual hour burden outside of the customary and usual business practices.

We expect approximately 250 respondents to use these instructions to submit quarterly progress reports on the impact of this funding. The frequency of response for reporting will not be greater than quarterly, and should not exceed 8 hours of effort per respondent. There is no estimated annual hour burden outside of the customary and usual business practices.

The total burden for one application and four progress reports (five responses per respondent with a time burden of 8 hours per response) for 250 respondents is 10,000 hours.

A13. Cost burden to the respondent

The total cost burden for applications based on an average cost of $18.77 per hour (value of a volunteer hour according to Independent Sector) is $187,700. The burden of reporting is covered by the grants awarded by the Corporation to successful applicants.

 

A14. Cost to Government

The Corporation is required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to require grantees to quarterly progress reports. The Corporation’s review of the data will be accomplished by internal teams of staffs as part of their regular job functions and will not result in the incurring of additional costs.

A15. Reasons for program changes

Not applicable.

 

 A16.  Publication of results

Not applicable because the responses to this information collection will not be published. 

 

A17.  Explain the reason for seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.

Not applicable.

 

 A18.  Exceptions to the certification statement

There are no exceptions to the certification statement in the submitted ROCIS form.

RELATED AGENCIES

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

OPERATING EXPENSES (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

For an additional amount for ‘‘Operating Expenses’’ to carry

out the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (‘‘1973 Act’’) and

the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (‘‘1990 Act’’),

$160,000,000: Provided, That $89,000,000 of the funds made available

in this paragraph shall be used to make additional awards

to existing AmeriCorps grantees and may be used to provide adjustments

to awards under subtitle C of title I of the 1990 Act made

prior to September 30, 2010 for which the Chief Executive Officer

of the Corporation for National and Community Service (‘‘CEO’’)

determines that a waiver of the Federal share limitation is warranted

under section 2521.70 of title 45 of the Code of Federal

Regulations: Provided further, That of the amount made available

in this paragraph, not less than $6,000,000 shall be transferred

to ‘‘Salaries and Expenses’’ for necessary expenses relating to

information technology upgrades, of which up to $800,000 may

be used to administer the funds provided in this paragraph: Provided

further, That of the amount provided in this paragraph,

not less than $65,000,000 shall be for programs under title I,

part A of the 1973 Act: Provided further, That funds provided

in the previous proviso shall not be made available in connection

with cost-share agreements authorized under section 192A(g)(10)

of the 1990 Act: Provided further, That of the funds available

under this heading, up to 20 percent of funds allocated to grants

authorized under section 124(b) of title I, subtitle C of the 1990

Act may be used to administer, reimburse, or support any national

service program under section 129(d)(2) of the 1990 Act: Provided

further, That, except as provided herein and in addition to requirements

identified herein, funds provided in this paragraph shall

be subject to the terms and conditions under which funds were

appropriated in fiscal year 2008: Provided further, That the CEO

shall provide the Committees on Appropriations of the House of

Representatives and the Senate a fiscal year 2009 operating plan

for the funds appropriated in this paragraph prior to making any

Federal obligations of such funds in fiscal year 2009, but not later

than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and a fiscal

year 2010 operating plan for such funds prior to making any Federal

obligations of such funds in fiscal year 2010, but not later than

November 1, 2009, that detail the allocation of resources and the

increased number of members supported by the AmeriCorps programs:

Provided further, That the CEO shall provide to the Committees

on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the

Senate a report on the actual obligations, expenditures, and unobligated

balances for each activity funded under this heading not

later than November 1, 2009, and every 6 months thereafter as

long as funding provided under this heading is available for obligation

or expenditure.

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

For an additional amount for the ‘‘Office of Inspector General’’,

$1,000,000, which shall remain available until September 30, 2012.

NATIONAL SERVICE TRUST

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

For an additional amount for ‘‘National Service Trust’’ established

under subtitle D of title I of the National and Community

Service Act of 1990 (‘‘1990 Act’’), $40,000,000, which shall remain

available until expended: Provided, That the Corporation for

National and Community Service may transfer additional funds

from the amount provided within ‘‘Operating Expenses’’ for grants

made under subtitle C of title I of the 1990 Act to this appropriation

upon determination that such transfer is necessary to support the

activities of national service participants and after notice is transmitted

to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives

and the Senate: Provided further, That the amount

appropriated for or transferred to the National Service Trust may

be invested under section 145(b) of the 1990 Act without regard

to the requirement to apportion funds under 31 U.S.C. 1513(b).

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