[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 194 (Friday, October 4, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 51787-51788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25428]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service

42 CFR Part 57

RIN 0906-AA40


Grants for Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwifery Programs

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.


[[Page 51788]]


ACTION: Final regulation.

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SUMMARY: This final rule revises the existing regulations governing the 
program for Grants for Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwifery Programs 
authorized by section 822(a) of the Public Health Service Act (the 
Act), to make a technical change by deleting a program requirement for 
projects to collect and evaluate certain data. The specified data are 
no longer needed by the Department.

EFFECTIVE DATE: These regulations are effective October 4, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Burks, Chief, Planning, 
Evaluation, and Legislation Branch, Office of Research and Planning, 
Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, room 8-67, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857; telephone: (301) 443-1590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule amends the existing 
regulations for the Grants for Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwifery 
Programs, governed by section 822(a) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 296m) to remove an existing requirement in Sec. 57.2405 
which is no longer needed by the Department.
    Section 57.2405(c) currently requires collection and evaluation of 
program data for the following:
    (1) Systematic evaluation by faculty and students of the program 
curriculum in relation to the purposes, objectives, and conceptual 
framework of the program.
    (2) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in relation to 
its purposes and objectives.
    (3) Information concerning the number of student applicants and 
students enrolled, student characteristics (such as age, sex, race, 
education background, and previous work experience including type of 
position, speciality, and work setting), and student performance in 
classroom work and clinical practice.
    (4) Information concerning the number of graduates per class, the 
attrition rate, characteristics of graduates (such as age, sex, race, 
educational background, and previous work experience, including type of 
position, speciality, and work setting), employment after graduation 
(including setting and location) and utilization and performance of 
graduates (including employer assessment.)
    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 states in 44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(1)(A)(I) that with respect to the collection of information and 
the control of paperwork, each agency shall ``review each collection of 
information before submission to the Director for review under this 
chapter, including (I) an evaluation of the need for the collection of 
information; . . .''. The movement of these programs from certificate 
level (housed in a variety of entities) to masters level programs 
(housed in universities) no longer requires the collection of data 
listed in Sec. 57.2405(c)(1), (c)(3), and (c)(4) to assure quality. 
Both university approval systems and accreditations criteria now assure 
minimal quality requirements. Therefore, we are revising paragraph (c) 
to remove these data elements from the regulations.

Justification for Omitting Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    Since this amendment is of a technical nature, the Secretary has 
determined, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 and departmental policy, that it 
is unnecessary and impractical to follow proposed rulemaking procedures 
or to delay the effective date of this regulation.

Economic Impact

    Executive Order 12866 requires that all regulations reflect 
consideration of alternative, of costs, of benefits, of incentives, of 
equity, and of available information. Regulations must meet certain 
standards, such as avoiding unnecessary burden. Regulations which are 
``significant'' because of costs, adverse effects on the economy, 
inconsistency with other agency actions, effects on the budget, or 
novel legal or policy issues, require special analysis.
    The Department believes that the resources required to implement 
the requirement in this final rule is minimal. This rule removes a 
project requirement for collecting specific data which removes an added 
burden on small entities. Therefore, in accordance with the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA), and the Small Business Regulatory 
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 which amended the RFA, the Secretary 
certifies that these regulations will not have a significant impact on 
a substantial number of small entities. For the same reasons, the 
Secretary has also determined that this is not a ``significant'' rule 
under Executive Order 12866.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980

    This final rule removes a reporting requirement for program 
projects which is currently approved by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 under assigned 
control number 0915-0060. The reporting requirements for data 
collection in Sec. 57.2405(c)(1), (c)(3), and (c)(4) are no longer 
useful for program purposes. These requirements will be removed from 
this clearance package at its next renewal.

List of Subjects under 42 CFR Part 57

    Aged, Dental health, Education of the disadvantaged, Educational 
facilities, Educational study programs, Grant programs--education, 
Grant programs--health, Health facilities, Health professions, Loan 
programs--health, Medical and dental schools, Student aid, Reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements, Scholarships and fellowships.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, No. 93.298, Grants for 
Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery Program)

    Approved: September 30, 1996.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration.

    Accordingly, 42 CFR part 57, subpart Y is amended to read as set 
forth below:

PART 57--GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TEACHING FACILITIES, 
EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT LOANS

Subpart Y--Grants for Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwifery Programs

    1. The authority for subpart Y continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sec. 215 of the Public Health Service Act, 58 Stat. 
690, as amended, 63 Stat. 35 (42 U.S.C. 216); sec. 822(a) of the 
Public Health Service Act, 89 Stat. 361, as amended by 99 Stat. 394-
395 and 548 (42 U.S.C. 296m).

    2. Section 57.2405 is amended by revising paragraph (c) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 57.2405  Project requirements.

* * * * *
    (c) In accordance with the plan set forth in its approved 
application, the project shall evaluate the effectiveness of the 
program in relation to its purposes and objectives.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-25428 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]
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