[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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