[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 20, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12995-12996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6680]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-02-36]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 487-1210.
    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; and (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. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: The CDC/ATSDR Educational Loan Repayment Program 
(ELRP)--New--Office of the Director, Human Resources Management Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR).
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) intends to 
implement an Educational Loan Repayment Program (ELRP) authorized under 
42 U.S.C. Sect. 247b-7 as a recruitment and retention incentive for 
highly qualified health professionals in hard-to-fill positions. The 
ELRP will be implemented on a pilot basis with up to fifteen (15) 
loans.
    Under the ELRP, a maximum of $35,000 a year (plus 39 per cent of 
total loan repayment for tax credit as loan repayment benefits 
represent taxable income) may be repaid toward a participant's 
outstanding eligible educational debt. The participant is responsible 
for a loan repayment equal to a total of 10 percent of his/her annual 
CDC base salary, while the ELRP will repay at a rate of one-third (\1/
3\) of the remaining repayable debt (up to the maximum allowable) for 
each of the three (3) years. The participant must sign a contract 
agreeing to remain employed by CDC for a period of not less than three 
years. Failure to complete the minimum three-year service agreement 
period will be considered a breach of contract and will subject the 
ELRP participant to assessment of monetary penalties and damages. 
Actual loan repayment amounts are based on the proportion of a 
participant's qualifying debt relative to his/her beginning CDC base 
salary.
    Overall ELRP eligibility requirements:
    a. Be a citizen of the United States;
    b. Hold a relevant Doctoral degree or equivalent;
    c. Have been selected for a vacant position or is currently 
assigned to a covered hard-to-fill health professional occupational 
series at CDC/ATSDR; and,
    d. Have a qualifying educational debt in excess of 20 percent of 
their annual CDC base salary.
    There are no costs to respondents.

[[Page 12996]]



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                                                                                    Avg. burden
                   Respondents                       Number of      Responses/     per  response   Total  burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs)        (in hrs)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supervisor......................................              15               1           15/60               4
Applicant.......................................              15               1           15/60               4
Lender..........................................              45               1           30/60              23
    Total.......................................                                                              31
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    --Dated: March 14, 2002.
Nancy E. Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-6680 Filed 3-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P