FR 2025-05333

The document from the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice is a call for public comments concerning an information collection request related to the Abuse in Later Life Program. This program aims to provide training to law enforcement, prosecutors, and court officials to better address elder abuse and violence against older individuals. The initiative requests the renewal of a data collection already in place, involving approximately 15 grantees who will complete progress reports twice a year. The form's completion is estimated to take around one hour per report. The public is invited to comment on this data collection until April 28, 2025. Overall, the DOJ seeks to extend this effort for another three years.

Significant Issues or Concerns

One potential issue with the document is the lack of detailed explanation regarding the methodologies and assumptions used to estimate the public burden. Such information is crucial for accurately evaluating the agency's burden estimate, and its absence could lead to questions about the validity of the provided figures. Additionally, the document states the cost associated with staff reviewing the reports ($2016) but does not break down these expenses, reducing transparency in the cost analysis.

The guidelines for submitting comments are likely unclear to those unfamiliar with platforms like reginfo.gov. For greater accessibility, the document could offer more detailed instructions or provide a direct link to the online system. Another area where clarity could be enhanced is by summarizing outcomes or insights from the previous 60-day comment period to provide context for ongoing discussions. The document also repeats the total annual burden figure, which could be streamlined for easier understanding.

Impact on the Public

Broadly, this document calls upon public participation and comment, offering an opportunity for valuable community input. The public has the chance to evaluate and influence the DOJ's approach to addressing elder abuse, a critical social issue. However, the document's complexity and jargon may limit its accessibility to general readers, potentially reducing public participation from diverse demographics.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For the 15 grantees involved in the Abuse in Later Life Program, the document portrays continuity in their reporting obligations. While this continuation ensures ongoing oversight and support from the DOJ, grantees might find the one-hour average time estimate to complete the reports either burdensome or underestimated, based on their individual capacities and organizational structures.

Moreover, stakeholders like law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and court officials might indirectly benefit from improved training outcomes, should the collected data effectively enhance the program's frameworks. On the flip side, if the methodology and assumptions underlying progress assessments are flawed, potential improvements in tackling elder abuse might not fully materialize.

In summary, while the document addresses a crucial societal concern, its impact on both the public and specific stakeholders could be enhanced through clearer communication and comprehensive explanation of methodologies involved.

The document outlines a financial element concerning the information collection conducted by the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice. It provides an estimate of the annual cost burden the Federal Government will incur due to the review process of semiannual progress reports submitted by grantees. Specifically, the annualized costs are estimated to be $2016. This figure represents the expense associated with the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) staff reviewing the progress reports submitted by the grantees of the Abuse in Later Life Program.

The estimate of $2016 serves as a vital component of the total financial implications of this information collection process. While this sum may appear modest in the broader context of government expenditure, it still represents a clear allocation of resources to ensure compliance and thoroughness in overseeing grantee activities. This cost figure is essential for budgetary transparency and provides insight into the administrative side of managing federally funded programs aimed at enhancing training and services to combat elder abuse.

However, the document falls short in several areas. One issue identified is the lack of detail concerning the methodologies and assumptions used to calculate the public burden and the total cost estimate. This absence could impact the evaluation of the accuracy of these financial estimates. Without a breakdown of the costs leading to the $2016 estimate, stakeholders may find it challenging to gauge the appropriateness of this allocation or to verify its sufficiency for covering the anticipated activities.

To enhance understanding, the document could include a more detailed explanation of how the $2016 was calculated. For instance, specifying the number of staff involved, their hourly rates, and the estimated time required for reviewing each report could provide clearer insight. Moreover, understanding the staffing and procedural aspects involved in arriving at this total would promote transparency and allow stakeholders an opportunity to comment more constructively on the financial components.

By providing this additional context and detail, the document would better support the overarching goal of evaluating and streamlining the resources devoted to such critical social programs. This increased transparency could encourage more informed public commentary and aid in refining the allocation of government resources.