Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Performance Measures, OMB No. 0906-XXXX-New
In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit...
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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 ICR should be received no later than July 27, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
Submit your comments to
paperwork@hrsa.gov
or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 13N82, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 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
paperwork@hrsa.gov
or call Samantha Miller, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at (301) 443-3983.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the ICR title for reference.
Information Collection Request Title:
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Performance Measures, OMB No. XXXX-XXX—New.
Abstract:
HRSA administers the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), which is authorized by Section 711(b)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 912(b)(5)) and is a multi-initiative program that aims to: (1) support treatment for and prevention of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD); and (2) reduce morbidity and mortality associated with SUD, including OUD, by improving access to and delivering prevention, treatment, and recovery support services to high-risk rural communities. To support this purpose, RCORP grant initiatives include:
RCORP—Northern Border Rural Workforce: This program aims to improve health care in rural areas within the Northern Border Regional Commission's service area by enhancing behavioral health workforce capacity.
RCORP—Pathways: This program aims to create innovative new youth-focused behavioral health care support programs, while also offering behavioral health care career pathway opportunities in rural communities.
RCORP—Overdose Response: This program addresses immediate needs in rural areas through improving access to, capacity for, and sustainability of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for SUD.
Need and Proposed Use of the Information:
Due to the growth in the number of grant initiatives included within RCORP, as well as emerging SUD and other behavioral health trends in rural communities, HRSA is submitting a new ICR that includes performance measures for the new RCORP—Northern Border Rural Workforce, Pathways, and Overdose Response grant programs. HRSA developed performance measures to provide data on each RCORP initiative and to enable HRSA to provide aggregate program data required by Congress under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. This collection supplements the approved RCORP grantee data collection, which covers all other RCORP grant initiatives (OMB Control No. 0906-0044; expires February 28, 2029).
These measures cover the principal topic areas of interest to HRSA, including: (a) provision of, and referral to, rural behavioral health care services, including SUD prevention, treatment and recovery support services; (b) behavioral health care, including SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery process and outcomes; (c) provider prevention, treatment, and recovery services; (d) sustainability; and (e) development of workforce/career pathway programs. Performance measures for the RCORP initiative include common elements about consortium/network activities, direct services provided and service access, workforce, and sustainability while also capturing tailored measures for each specific program.
Likely Respondents:
The respondents will be recipients of RCORP—Northern Border Rural Workforce, Pathways, and Overdose Response 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 ICR are summarized in the table below.
( printed page 31465)
Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
Form name
Number of
respondents
Number of
responses per
respondent
Total
responses
Average
burden per
response
(in hours)
Total burden
hours
RCORP—Northern Border Rural Workforce
8
1
8
1.21
9.68
RCORP—Pathways
12
1
12
2.72
32.64
RCORP—Overdose Response
37
1
37
0.70
25.90
Total
57
57
68.22
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.