SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the ICR title for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: Black Lung Clinics Program Performance Measures, OMB No. 0915-0292—Revision.

Abstract: The Black Lung Clinics Program (BLCP) is authorized under Sec. 427(a) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 937(a)) and accompanying regulations (42 CFR part 55a). The purpose of the BLCP is to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with occupationally related coal mine dust lung disease through the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of active, inactive, retired, and/or disabled coal miners. HRSA currently collects information about BLCP awards using an OMB-approved set of performance measures and seeks to revise the approved collection. The proposed changes are a result of keeping this instrument relevant, responsive to the BLCP needs and to improve clarity and ease of reporting for respondents.

A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register on March 31, 2026, vol. 91, No. 61; pp. 16008-16009. There were no public comments.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA has revised the performance measures which BLCP awardees will submit to HRSA on an annual basis. The purpose of the revised data collection is to assess BLCP awardees' progress toward meeting BLCP program goals (as stated in the authorizing statute) and how well each awardee is meeting the needs of these miners in their communities. The proposed changes include deleting five questions, adding three new questions, and changing three existing questions. These updates were made to streamline data collection and improve usability. Clinical diagnosis fields will be consolidated into a single datapoint, replacing separate fields for primary, secondary, and other diagnoses. The difference between these categories was often subjective, limiting HRSA's ability to use the data to monitor for black lung rates. Filling out three separate questions about diagnoses was also burdensome for clinics. Additionally, COVID-related data fields are removed due to decreased relevance, reducing the reporting burden on awardees. A new cardiology diagnosis field is added to better capture conditions closely linked to pulmonary disease and assist HRSA in tracking population needs and making relevant programmatic updates based on those needs. Benefits counseling measures are also enhanced to collect filing dates and case status details. This update will help HRSA track case timelines, which translates to better monitoring of implementation of benefits counseling services. These changes strengthen HRSA's monitoring and assessment of the impact of the BLCP program and ensure that funds are effectively used to provide services that meet the target population's needs. There is no change in the burden hours.

Likely Respondents: Respondents will be the BLCP award recipients.

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 53885)

91 FR 53884