ombrocis2020EXTENSIONPREASTOPCERTsupportstatement

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
1.

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.
3.

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).

1

4.

Duplication of Information Request
There is no other mechanism by which OVW collects this information.

5.

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.
6.

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),
7.

Special Circumstances

There are no special circumstances as identified in the specific instructions for a
supporting statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.
8.

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 April
22, 2020, (Federal Register, Volume 85, page 22447) and a 30-day was notice was published in
the Federal Register on June 17, 2020 (Federal Register, Volume 85, page 36617). OVW did not
receive any comments.
9.

Payment or Gift to Respondents
There will no payment or gift to respondents.

10.

Confidentiality
This form will not include any personal information about victims that could identify
2

them as specific individuals. It is strictly a certification of compliance with certain statutory
requirements.
11.

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.
12.

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 application process. OVW is seeking
certification of compliance with PREA. If States cannot certify compliance, they have the option
of forfeiting five percent of covered funds or executing an assurance that five percent of covered
funds will be used towards coming into compliance with PREA. OVW estimates that it will take
approximately 10 minutes for STOP state administrators to determine that their state is in
compliance with the relevant statutory requirements and then complete the certification. Because
OVW anticipates approximately 56 potential applicants, (potential STOP state administrators
who will be completing the certification form) and it will take each applicant approximately 10
minutes to determine that they are in compliance and sign the certification, the total annual hours
requested for the annual reporting and recordkeeping hour burden is less than 10 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.
14.

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.
15.

Program Changes or Adjustments

There are no program changes or adjustments for the estimates identified in Section 13
and in Section 14.
16.

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.

3

17.

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.

4