Notice2022-19477
Notice of Intent To Make Temporary Changes in the State Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Allocations
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 9, 2022
Effective
October 1, 2022
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentHealth Resources and Services Administration
Abstract
HRSA plans to move forward in implementing temporary changes to the method of calculating poverty-based allocations under Title V of the Social Security Act for HRSA's State Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant, beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Since FY 2017, the poverty-based allocation has been based on the U.S. Census Bureau's 3-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates using three pooled 1-year estimates. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were disruptions in the ACS data collection in 2020 resulting in data quality issues that prevented the Census Bureau from releasing standard 1-year ACS estimates; instead, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates. The ACS 2020 experimental estimates will be excluded from calculating Title V MCH Services Block Grant allocations, and the FY 2023 funding allocation will be based on the same poverty data used in the FY 2022 allocation (i.e., pooled 1-year estimates for 2017, 2018, and 2019 ACS). Funding allocations for FY 2024 and FY 2025 will continue to incorporate the latest 1-year ACS data while skipping 2020 (i.e., for FY 2024, the 2018, 2019, and 2021 ACS data will be used; for FY 2025, the 2019, 2021, and 2022 ACS data will be used). In FY 2026, the temporary change to the method for calculating allocations will no longer be necessary, and HRSA will resume pooling of three consecutive 1-year estimates (2021-2023).
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 174 (Friday, September 9, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 174 (Friday, September 9, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55447-55448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19477]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Notice of Intent To Make Temporary Changes in the State Title V
Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Allocations
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department
of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Response to solicitation of comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: HRSA plans to move forward in implementing temporary changes
to the method of calculating poverty-based allocations under Title V of
the Social Security Act for HRSA's State Title V Maternal and Child
Health (MCH) Services Block Grant, beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.
Since FY 2017, the poverty-based allocation has been based on the U.S.
Census Bureau's 3-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates using
three pooled 1-year estimates. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
there were disruptions in the ACS data collection in 2020 resulting in
data quality issues that prevented the Census Bureau from releasing
standard 1-year ACS estimates; instead, the Census Bureau released
experimental estimates. The ACS 2020 experimental estimates will be
excluded from calculating Title V MCH Services Block Grant allocations,
and the FY 2023 funding allocation will be based on the same poverty
data used in the FY 2022 allocation (i.e., pooled 1-year estimates for
2017, 2018, and 2019 ACS). Funding allocations for FY 2024 and FY 2025
will continue to incorporate the latest 1-year ACS data while skipping
2020 (i.e., for FY 2024, the 2018, 2019, and 2021 ACS data will be
used; for FY 2025, the 2019, 2021, and 2022 ACS data will be used). In
FY 2026, the temporary change to the method for calculating allocations
will no longer be necessary, and HRSA will resume pooling of three
consecutive 1-year estimates (2021-2023).
DATES: Effective Date: October 1, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Dykton, Acting Director of
the Division of State and Community Health, Maternal and Child Health
Bureau, HRSA, Room 18N35, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857;
telephone: (301) 433-2204; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#400d0308022c2f232b0732212e3400283233216e272f36"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="94d9d7dcd6f8fbf7ffd3e6f5fae0d4fce6e7f5baf3fbe2">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning in FY 2023, HRSA will temporarily
change the method of calculating the poverty-based allocation to States
and the District of Columbia under section 502(c) of Title V of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 702(c)). Because of data collection
disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau did not
release standard 1-year ACS estimates for 2020. Survey administration
methods (mailed questionnaires and interviewing in-person) were
impacted beginning in March 2020, which affected response rates, in
terms of who was most likely to complete mailed surveys or participate
in interviews, etc.\1\ The Census Bureau concluded that the 2020 ACS 1-
year data were not ``reasonable'' as respondents disproportionately
``had higher levels of education, had more married couples and few
never married citizens, had less Medicaid coverage, had higher median
household incomes, and fewer non-citizens, and were more likely to live
in single-family housing units'' than respondents in previous years.
Instead, the Census Bureau decided to provide only experimental
estimates for 2020 ACS 1-year data.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/2021/acs/2021_CensusBureau_01.html">https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/2021/acs/2021_CensusBureau_01.html</a>.
\2\ The Census Bureau defines experimental data products as
``innovative statistical products created using new data sources or
methodologies that benefit data users in the absence of other data
products . . . Census Bureau experimental data may not meet all of
HRSA's data quality standards. Because of this, HRSA clearly
identifies experimental data products and includes methodology and
supporting research with their release.'' <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/experimental-data-products.html">https://www.census.gov/data/experimental-data-products.html</a>.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HRSA examined the 2020 ACS experimental estimates and compared the
change in poverty share using a 3-
[[Page 55448]]
year estimate incorporating the 2020 experimental estimate with prior
year-to-year changes since 2014--the first year of annual updates to
poverty share data using 3-year ACS estimates. HRSA noted greater
observed data variability and a greater number of States that would
experience large decreases in their poverty share. HRSA was concerned
about the accuracy of the 2020 experimental estimates as applied to the
Title V MCH Services Block Grant allocation.
In order to ameliorate these concerns and because of the nature of
the data, the ACS 2020 experimental estimates will not be used in
calculating Title V MCH Services Block Grant allocations. Instead, HRSA
will base the FY 2023 funding allocation on the same poverty data used
in the FY 2022 allocation (i.e., pooled 1-year estimates for 2017,
2018, and 2019 ACS). Funding allocations for FY 2024 and FY 2025 will
continue to incorporate the latest 1-year ACS data while skipping the
2020 experimental data (i.e., for FY 2024, the 2018, 2019, and 2021 ACS
data will be used; for FY 2025, the 2019, 2021, and 2022 ACS data will
be used). In FY 2026, the temporary change to the method for
calculating allocations will no longer be necessary, and HRSA will
resume pooling of three consecutive 1-year estimates (2021-2023).
The proposed temporary change in State Title V MCH Services Block
Grant allocations was announced in the Federal Register at 87 FR 37873
on June 24, 2022. A comment period of 30 days was established to allow
interested parties to submit comments. HRSA received two responses. One
comment expressed support for the proposed temporary change. HRSA
appreciates this comment. The other comment is beyond the scope of this
notice, as it did not specifically address the proposed changes in the
State Title V MCH Services Block Grant allocation, but instead
expressed concern about child vaccinations.
Diana Espinosa,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-19477 Filed 9-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 9, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.