80 FR 78748 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 242 (December 17, 2015)

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 242 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78748-78749]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31641]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) announces plans to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks 
comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any 
other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on this Information Collection Request must be received 
no later than February 16, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 10-105, Parklawn 
Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: Bureau of Health Workforce 
Performance Data Collection OMB No. 0915-0061--Revision

    Abstract: Over 40 Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) programs award 
grants to health professions schools and training programs across the 
United States to develop, expand, and enhance training, and to 
strengthen the distribution of the health workforce. These programs are 
authorized by the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), 
specifically Titles III, VII, and VIII. Performance information 
regarding these programs is collected in the HRSA Performance Report 
for Grants and Cooperative Agreements (PRGCA). Data collection 
activities consisting of an annual progress and annual performance 
report satisfy statutory and programmatic requirements for performance 
measurement and evaluation (including specific Title III, VII and VIII 
requirements), as well as Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) 
requirements. The performance measures were last revised in 2013 to 
ensure they addressed programmatic changes, met evolving program 
management needs, and responded to emerging workforce concerns--
especially as a result of the changes in the Affordable Care Act (Pub. 
L. 111-148). As these revisions were successful, BHW will continue with 
its current performance management strategy and measures and require 
annual progress and performance reporting.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The purpose of the 
proposed data collection is to analyze and report grantee training 
activities and education, identify intended practice locations and 
report outcomes of funded initiatives. Data collected from these grant 
programs will also provide a description of the program activities of 
approximately 1,700 reporting grantees to better inform policymakers on 
the barriers, opportunities, and outcomes involved in health care 
workforce development. The proposed measures focus on five key 
outcomes: (1) Increasing the workforce supply of diverse well-educated 
practitioners, (2) increasing the number of practitioners that practice 
in underserved and rural areas, (3) enhancing the quality of education, 
(4) increasing the recruitment, training, and placement of under-
represented groups in the health workforce, and (5) supporting 
educational infrastructure to increase the capacity to train more 
health professionals.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents are awardees of BHW health 
professions grant programs.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this Information Collection Request are summarized in the table below.
    Total Estimated Annualized burden hours:

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                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of       Number of         Total        burden per     Total burden
            Form name               respondents    responses per     responses     response  (in       hours
                                                    respondent                        hours)
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Program Aggregate Data                       600               1             600               6           3,600
 Collection*....................
Individual-level Data Collection           1,100               1           1,100               2           2,200
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    Total.......................           1,700  ..............           1,700  ..............           5,800
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* Program aggregate data collection will only be required for programs that do not provide direct financial
  support to all trainees.


[[Page 78749]]

    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Jackie Painter,
Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2015-31641 Filed 12-16-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-15-P