NonSub Change - UHP Pop and gender categories

To: Jordan Cohen

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Carl Rubenstein

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: July 13, 2022

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request –Refugee Data Submission for Formula Funds Allocations (ORR-5) (OMB #0970-0043)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved Refugee Data Submission for Formula Funds Allocations (ORR-5) (OMB #0970-0043)

Background

The ORR-5 data submission provides ORR data that helps establish resource allocation for the Refugee Support Services (RSS) grant including set-asides; overall service information for Refugee Cash Assistance, Refugee Medical Assistance, Medical Screening, and RSS; and outcomes in the RSS program for clients and their family members with a Family Self-Sufficiency Plan.

The Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (AUSAA) authorizes ORR to provide resettlement assistance and other benefits available for refugees to specific Ukrainian populations and other non-Ukrainian individuals in response to their displacement from Ukraine and entry into the United States. The current OMB approved ORR-5 form already collects eligible immigration status or category of individual. There is no existing option available to accurately capture the newly authorized Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee (UHP) population and U.S. born UHP. ORR is requesting to add the UHP options to the existing OMB approved form. ORR also requests to revise existing gender markers to be in alignment with recent updates made by the State Department to gender categories on passports. Other minor revisions are requested to improve clarity and precision of the Instructions.

Overview of Requested Changes

ORR-5 Form

• Revise the title of field #21 and #22 from “Refugee Medical Screening” to “Medical Screening”, to be consistent with 45 CFR § 400.107 and other ORR data collections.

ORR-5 Instruction Attachment

• Add “UHP” and “U.S. born UHP” as new immigration status or category options under the existing section: “8. Status or Category”.

• Replace a current Gender marker “Non Binary” with “Unspecified or another gender identity” under the existing section: “9. Gender” to ensure that gender categories provide enough detail for programs purpose and for consistency across ORR and other government forms and IDs.  

ORR-5 Instructions

• Under existing section: “Purpose and Overview,” update the name of RADS system¹ and specify the matching data source to be more precise.

• Revise the title of “Refugee Medical Screen (RMS)” to “Medical Screening” throughout the Instructions to be consistent with ORR-5 Form revision.

• Update existing section: “Instructions” and data fields #1, #8 and #14 instructions to reflect the inclusion of the new UHP population and their eligibility date.

• Under existing data filed #1: “Alien Number”, include clear instructions on how to create an ORR alternative identifier if ORR-eligible individuals are not in possession of an Alien Number at the time of program enrollment.

• Revise gender marker instructions (field #9) to improve accuracy.

• Add language to existing data field #10: “Nationality” to provide clear reporting guidance for ORR-eligible children.

• Update existing field #14: “Eligibility Date” to improve clarity of instructions for ORR-eligible populations. Add reference to the ORR Policy Letters (PL) 22-13 on updated population eligibility and eligibility date.

• Update the ORR PL 19-07 to PL 21-06, which supersedes the prior on “Family Self-Sufficiency Plan Requirements”, throughout Section II.

• Make minor and non-substantive revisions to existing data fields #16, #26, #27, #28 to improve consistency across field instructions.

Time Sensitivities

Ukrainian humanitarian parolees became newly eligible for applicable ORR benefits and services starting May 21, 2022, or the individual’s date of humanitarian parole, whichever is later. Without a timely approval on adding this newly authorized eligibility type and immigration status/category for the data collection form, ORR is unable to ensure accurate data collection and reporting on services provided to the Ukrainian humanitarian parolees.

1 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/08/2022-02535/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records