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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2021 / Notices states and outlying areas in order to aggregate information on performance of the program at the national level.
National aggregation of data related to these goals is necessary for the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 GPRAMA
Pub. L. 111352, as well as an Annual Report to Congress see Section 7
Requirements Necessitating Collection below.
Therefore, this data collection instrument provides a way for all 56
grantees50 U.S. states, DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to collect and report data on their performance in a consistent manner, including a uniform survey to be given to consumers. This uniform survey is included as part of the data collection package.
Annual Reports: In addition to submitting a State Plan every three years, states and outlying areas are required to submit annual progress reports on their activities. The data required in that progress report is specified in Section 4f of the AT Act.
Section 7d of the AT Act requires that ACL submit to Congress an annual report on the activities conducted under the Act and an analysis of the progress of the states and outlying areas in meeting their measurable goals.
This report must include a compilation and summary of the data collected under Section 4f. In order to make this possible, states and outlying areas must provide their data uniformly.
This data collection instrument was developed to ensure that all 56 states and outlying areas report data in a consistent manner in alignment with the requirements of Section 4f.
As stated above, ACL will use the information collected via this instrument to:
1 Complete the annual report to Congress required by the AT Act;
2 Comply with reporting requirements under the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 GPRAMA Pub. L. 111
352; and 3 Assess the progress of states and outlying areas regarding measurable goals in their State Plans for AT.
Data collected from the grantees will provide a national description of activities funded under the AT Act to increase the access to and acquisition of AT devices and services through statewide AT programs for individuals with disabilities. Data collected from grantees will also provide information for usage by Congress, the Department, and the public. In addition, ACL will
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use this data to inform program management, monitoring, and technical assistance efforts. While States will be able to use the data for internal management and program improvement.
Comments in Response to the 60-Day Federal Register Notice A notice published in the Federal Register on September 28, 2020 in 85
FR 60803. There were 32 public comments received during the 60-day FRN comment period.
Proposed change in State Financing Activities: Financial Loanpartnership loans reported with no guarantee or interest buy-down have narrative description added to document subsidy/
investment.
Comment Summary: Two State AT
Act Program grantees commented in support. One organization representing the State AT Act Programs requested clarification.
ACL Response: Sentence identified as confusing has been deleted in the AT
APRIC document.
Proposed change in Reuse:
Exchangeoption for automatic exclusion of exchange recipients from performance measure data collection eliminated.
Comment Summary: Two AT grantees commented in support. One AT
organization requested clarification.
ACL Response: Clarification text has been added into the AT APRIC
document.
Proposed change in Device Loan separate type of borrower and type of device data reporting tables by purposed of loan.
Comment Summary: Three AT
grantees commented in support. One requested clarification of timeline for implementation.
ACL Response: No changes made.
ACL will clarify the timeline for implementation to begin with federal fiscal year 2022, with first data collection October 1, 2021 to provide time for data system revision.
Proposed change in Device Demonstrationseparate decisionmaking participant from other participants reported in participant type table.
Comment Summary: Three AT
grantees commented in support. One grantee and one organization commented in opposition with one saying this is duplicative data reporting and one saying it is understood that an individual with a disability is the decision-maker unless unable to be and then it is the caregiver/provider role.
One grantee requested clarification of the timeline for implementation.

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ACL Response: The proposed change is designed to support data fidelity by ensuring the decision-maker is identified by type within what can be a larger number of participants reported for each demonstration event. Currently all participants are reported by type. As a result, this change does not duplicate or increase data reporting burden. It only separates the decision-maker participant type reported from the type or types reported for all other participants. No change is made. ACL
will clarify the timeline for implementation to begin with federal fiscal year 2022, with first data collection October 1, 2021 to provide time for data system revision.
Updated Outcome MeasuresOverall acquisition and access performance measure tables and consumer satisfaction tables updated to align with outcome/output data and targets used by ACL for program evaluation and budget justification since FY18.
Comment Summary: One AT
organization requested clarification.
ACL Response: Clarification has been added to the AT APRIC document.
Proposed new data elements in Public Awareness and Information &
AssistanceNew question added for description of partnerships as part of public awareness, new data table added to report how individuals learned about the AT Program, new information request in Notes for description of partnerships that increase referrals.
Comment Summary: Five AT grantees and one AT organization commented in opposition to these changes and the new data element. All commenters expressed concern about lack of clarity and significant new data burden both for AT Programs and consumers associated with the proposed new data collection requirements.
Commenters suggested these new data elements be removed and requested ACL work with AT Act grantees to determine the most efficient and effective way to report referral source data in a future information collection.
ACL Response: ACL is appreciative of the participation of AT stakeholders in the Federal Register Notice comment process and values the submission of comments on the proposed updates to the Public Awareness and Information and Assistance sections of the AT APR
data collection instrument. Once approved, ACL intends to address and work through these changes with AT
stakeholders to identify the most efficient and effective way to collect referral source data in the Information Collection.
State Improvement Outcomesnew optional section added to collect data on
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