42 U.S.C. § 629k — Reduction of administrative burden

Page 2270 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 629k § 629k. Reduction of administrative burden (a) In general The Secretary shall reduce the burden of ad- ministering this part imposed on the recipients of funds under this part, by— (1) reviewing and revising administrative data collection instruments and forms to eliminate duplication and streamline report- ing requirements for the recipients while col- lecting all data required under this part; (2) in coordination with activities required under the Paperwork Reduction Act, con- ducting an analysis of the total number of hours reported by the recipients to comply with paperwork requirements and exploring, in consultation with the recipients, how to re- duce the number of hours required for the compliance by at least 15 percent; (3) collecting input from the recipients with respect to fiscal and oversight requirements and making changes to ensure consistency with standards and guidelines for other Fed- eral formula grant programs based on the input; and (4) respecting the sovereignty of Indian tribes when complying with this subsection. (b) Limitation on applicability Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any reporting or data collection otherwise re- quired by law that would affect the ability of the Secretary to monitor and ensure compliance with State plans approved under this part or en- sure that funds are expended consistent with this part. (Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 441, as added Pub. L. 118–258, title I, § 106(f)(1), Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2952.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Paperwork Reduction Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), probably means chapter 35 (§ 3501 et seq.) of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents. See Short Title note set out under section 3501 of Title 44. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Oct. 1, 2025, and applicable to pay- ments under this part for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, with delay permitted if either State legislation or tribal action is required to meet additional requirements, see section 117 of Pub. L. 118–258, set out as an Effective Date of 2025 Amendment note under section 622 of this title. IMPLEMENTATION Pub. L. 118–258, title I, § 106(f)(2), Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2953, provided that: ‘‘Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 4, 2025], the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall— ‘‘(A) comply with section 441 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 629k], as added by the amendment made by paragraph (1); and ‘‘(B) notify each recipient of funds under part B of title IV of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 620 et seq.] of any change made by the Secretary pursuant to such section affecting the recipient.’’ § 629l. Public access to State plans The Secretary shall— (1) create a standardized format for State plans required under sections 622 and 629b of this title used to monitor compliance with those sections; (2) produce comparisons and analyses of trends in State plans to inform future tech- nical assistance and policy development; (3) make the State plans available on a pub- lic website; and (4) include on the website aggregated na- tional summaries of State submissions as the Secretary deems appropriate. (Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 442, as added Pub. L. 118–258, title I, § 106(f)(1), Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2953.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Oct. 1, 2025, and applicable to pay- ments under this part for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, with delay permitted if either State legislation or tribal action is required to meet additional requirements, see section 117 of Pub. L. 118–258, set out as an Effective Date of 2025 Amendment note under section 622 of this title. SUBPART 3—COMMON PROVISIONS § 629m. Data exchange standards for improved interoperability (a) Designation The Secretary shall, in consultation with an interagency work group established by the Of- fice of Management and Budget and considering State government perspectives, by rule, des- ignate data exchange standards to govern, under this part and part E— (1) necessary categories of information that State agencies operating programs under State plans approved under this part are re- quired under applicable Federal law to elec- tronically exchange with another State agen- cy; and (2) Federal reporting and data exchange re- quired under applicable Federal law. (b) Requirements The data exchange standards required by para- graph (1) shall, to the extent practicable— (1) incorporate a widely accepted, non-pro- prietary, searchable, computer-readable for- mat, such as the Extensible Markup Lan- guage; (2) contain interoperable standards devel- oped and maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as the National Informa- tion Exchange Model; (3) incorporate interoperable standards de- veloped and maintained by Federal entities with authority over contracting and financial assistance; (4) be consistent with and implement appli- cable accounting principles; (5) be implemented in a manner that is cost- effective and improves program efficiency and effectiveness; and (6) be capable of being continually upgraded as necessary.