Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission
Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the Violence Against
Women Act as Amended and the Prison Rape Elimination Act for Applicants to the STOP
(Services* Training* Officers* Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program
A. Justification
Statutorily-Mandated Need for Information
The primary goal of the STOP (Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (STOP Formula Grant Program) is to develop and strengthen the criminal justice system's response to violence against women and to support and enhance services for victims. The STOP Formula Grant Program was authorized through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 and reauthorized and amended in 2000, 2005 and 2013. Eligible applicants for the STOP Formula Grant Program include any state within the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands- hereinafter referred to collectively as states. Grant awards are made to state governments and administered through a STOP State Administrator. Each state and territory must allocate OVW grant funds to law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services within the statutory parameters.
As a result of the Reauthorization of VAWA 2013 and the penalty provision of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), States will be required to certify that they are in compliance with PREA and if they are not in compliance, States will have the option of forfeiting 4.75 percent of STOP Formula Grant funds or executing an assurance that 4.75 percent of STOP Formula Grant funds will be used towards coming into compliance. The new certification form is needed because the FY 2014 STOP awards must adhere to these new statutory provisions and this tool is needed in order to assist States in ensuring they appropriately document compliance with PREA.
2. Use of Information
OVW will use the information as a material representation of fact that the applicant to the STOP Formula Grant Program has complied or has represented that it will comply with the PREA requirements.
Use of Information Technology
The collection of information will involve the use of automated, electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. State STOP Administrators will submit this certification which will be sent to the OVW electronically through the Office of Justice Programs= Grants Management System (GMS).
Duplication of Information Request
There is no other mechanism by which OVW collects this information.
Impact on Small Entities
Because the respondents to the information request are applicants under the STOP Formula Grant Program - states, territories and the District of Columbia-- there is no impact on small businesses.
Consequences to Federal Programs or Policy
The STOP Formula Grant Program supports important programs that provide critical training to address violence against women, provide victims services, and support community responses to the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The STOP Formula Grant Program promotes a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to improving the criminal justice system’s response to violence against women and supports partnerships among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim advocacy organizations to enhance victim safety and to increase offender accountability. If OVW was not able to collect the information from applicants, OVW would not be able to determine whether applicants are in compliance with the Reauthorization of VAWA 2013 and the penalty provision of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA),
Special Circumstances
There are no special circumstances as identified in the specific instructions for a supporting statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.
Federal Register Publication
OVW has solicited public comment on this form in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act. A 60 day notice was published in the Federal Register on February 25, 2014 (Federal Register, Volume 79, page 10557) and a 30-day was notice was published in the Federal Register on May 5, 2014 (Federal Register, Volume 79, page 25618). OVW did not receive any comments.
Payment or Gift to Respondents
There will no payment or gift to respondents.
Confidentiality
This form will not include any personal information about victims that could identify them as specific individuals. It is strictly a certification of compliance with certain statutory requirements.
Specific Questions
The form will not contain any questions of a personal, sensitive nature such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.
Hour Burden of the Collection of Information
This certification form is not overly burdensome. It will be available to all STOP State administrators. It will be completed once during the award process. The burden hours will vary according to the PREA compliance status of the state. There are 2 states will full compliance. The form will only take two minutes for them because they will just need to sign it. There are seven states which submitted neither certifications nor assurances. These states will be losing the 4.75 percent of STOP funds. The form will take them about 5 minutes because it will show them more specific impact of the lost funds. The third category is the states that submitted assurances. There are 47 states in this category. The form will take them about an hour to complete because they will need to engage in conversation with their state departments of corrections to determine the best ways to spend STOP funds that will support PREA compliance for the state and fit within the STOP program requirements. Thus, the total burden hours is approximately 48 hours.
13. Cost Burden of the Collection of Information
OVW does not believe that there is any annual cost burden on respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of this information.
Annualized Costs to the Federal Government
The annualized costs to the Federal Government resulting from the OVW staff review of the certifications submitted by applicants are estimated to be $560.
Program Changes or Adjustments
There are no program changes or adjustments for the estimates identified in Section 13 and in Section 14.
Published Results of Information Collections
There will be no complex analytical techniques used in connection with the publication of
information collected under the request. The information will not be published. It will be used to determine whether an applicant has certified compliance with PREA.
Display of the Expiration Date of OMB Approval
OVW will display the Expiration Date of OMB Approval in the upper right hand corner of the certification form.
18. Exception to the Certification Statement
OVW is not seeking any exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19, Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions, of OMB Form 83-I.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | Cathy Poston |
| Last Modified By | Murray, Lynn (JMD) |
| File Modified | 2014-07-28 |
| File Created | 2014-07-28 |