81 FR 46675 - Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 137 (July 18, 2016)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a request for extension of an approved information collection entitled Emergency Epidemic Investigation Data Collections (OMB Control No. 0920-1011). CDC will use the information collected to identify prevention and control measures in response to outbreaks and other public health events.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 137 (Monday, July 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46675-46677]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16882]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-16-1011; Docket No. CDC-2016-0061]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a request for 
extension of an approved information collection entitled Emergency 
Epidemic

[[Page 46676]]

Investigation Data Collections (OMB Control No. 0920-1011). CDC will 
use the information collected to identify prevention and control 
measures in response to outbreaks and other public health events.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 16, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2016-
0061 by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection Review Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS-
D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to Regulations.gov.

    Please note:  All public comment should be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking portal (Regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the 
address listed above.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact the Information Collection Review Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS-
D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-
up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services 
to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. 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.

Proposed Project

    Emergency Epidemic Investigation Data Collections (OMB control 
number 0920-1011), Expiration 03-31-2017-Extension--Division of 
Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for 
Surveillance, Education, and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    CDC previously conducted Emergency Epidemic Investigations (EEIs) 
under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0920-0008. 
In 2013, CDC received OMB approval (OMB control number 0920-1011) for a 
new OMB generic clearance for a 3-year period to collect vital 
information during EEIs in response to urgent outbreaks or events 
(i.e., natural, biological, chemical, nuclear, radiological) 
characterized by undetermined agents, undetermined sources, 
undetermined transmission, or undetermined risk factors. CDC seeks OMB 
approval for an extension of this generic clearance (OMB control number 
0920-1011) for a 3-year period.
    Supporting effective emergency epidemic investigations is one of 
the most important ways that CDC protects the health of the public. CDC 
is frequently called upon to conduct EEIs at the request of local, 
state, or international health authorities seeking support to respond 
to urgent outbreaks or urgent public health-related events. In response 
to external partner requests, CDC provides necessary epidemiologic 
support to identify the agents, sources, modes of transmission, or risk 
factors to effectively implement rapid prevention and control measures 
to protect the public's health. Data collection is a critical component 
of the epidemiologic support provided by CDC; data are analyzed to 
determine the agents, sources, modes of transmission, or risk factors 
so that effective prevention and control measures can be implemented. 
During an unanticipated outbreak or event, immediate action by CDC is 
necessary to minimize or prevent public harm. The legal justification 
for EEIs are found in the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 
301[241](a).
    Successful investigations are dependent on rapid and flexible data 
collection that evolves during the investigation and is customized to 
the unique circumstances of each outbreak or event. Data collection 
elements will be those necessary to identify the agents, sources, mode 
of transmission, or risk factors. Examples of potential data collection 
methods include telephone or face-to-face interview; email, web or 
other type of electronic questionnaire; paper-and-pencil questionnaire; 
focus groups; medical record review; laboratory record review; 
collection of clinical samples; and environmental assessment. 
Respondents will vary depending on the nature of the outbreak or event; 
examples of potential respondents include health care professionals, 
patients, laboratorians, and the general public. Participation in EEIs 
is voluntary and there are no anticipated costs to respondents other 
than their time. CDC will use the information gathered during EEIs to 
rapidly identify and effectively implement measures to minimize or 
prevent public harm.
    CDC projects 60 EEIs in response to outbreaks or events 
characterized by undetermined agents, undetermined sources, 
undetermined transmission, or undetermined risk factors annually. The 
projected average number of respondents is 200 per EEI, for a total of 
12,000 respondents. CDC estimates the average burden per response is 
0.5 hours and each respondent will be asked to respond once. Therefore, 
the total estimated annual burden hours are 6,000. These estimates are 
based on the reported burden for EEIs that have been performed during 
the previous two years.

[[Page 46677]]

    OMB approval is requested for three years. Participation is based 
on previous Emergency Epidemic Investigations. There are no costs to 
respondents.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                   Total number   Average burden   Total burden
      Type of respondent            Form name        Number of     of responses    per response      hours (in
                                                    respondents   per respondent    (in hours)        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency Epidemic              Emergency                 12,000               1           30/60           6,000
 Investigation Participants.     Epidemic
                                 Investigation
                                 Data Collection
                                 Instruments.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           6,000
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Acting Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of 
Scientific Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, 
Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-16882 Filed 7-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P