The American Rescue Plan Act Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to assist rural hospitals and local communities broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services, and food assistance through food banks and food distribution facilities, and projects supporting the long-term sustainability of rural health care. As authorized under Section 1002 of the American Rescue Plan Act, funds will be made available to eligible applicants to offer support for rural health care services in the form of immediate relief, longer-term funding to advance ideas and solutions to support long-term sustainability of rural health and provide expeditious relief to address the current economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 emergency.
Requesting a 30 Day extension for the publishing of the 30 Day FRN.
This submission lowers the estimated number of respondents in response to actual applications received to date. Applicants grant requests are higher than initially estimated. Therefore, with the limited funding available, the program will fund fewer applicants than initially proposed. This change resulted in a significant decrease in the total number of annual responses from 54,300 to 15,389, and an overall number of burden hours from 201,272 to 71,681.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.