[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17433-17434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8594]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-02-38]


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) 498-1210.
    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 Anne O'Connor, 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: Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT) 
(CDC 72.9A, 72.9B, 72.9C) OMB No. 0920-0026--Extension--National Center 
for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National 
Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), Division of 
Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE), proposes to continue data collection 
for the Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT) (CDC 72.9A, 
72.9B, 72.9C), previously approved under OMB No. 0920-0026 in 1992, 
1995, 1998, and 2001. This request is for a 3-year revision of OMB 
clearance approval beginning January 1, 2003 (current OMB No. 0920-0026 
expiration date is December 31, 2002). CDC is requesting OMB clearance 
for revision of the RVCT which will change the race and ethnicity 
variables on the RVCT form to comply with the OMB ``Standards for 
Maintaining, Collecting, and Processing Federal Data on Race and 
Ethnicity''.
    To accomplish the CDC goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the 
United States, CDC maintains the national TB surveillance system. The 
system, initiated in 1953, has been modified several times to better 
monitor and respond to changes in TB morbidity. The most recent 
modification was implemented in 1993 when the RVCT was expanded in 
response to the TB epidemic of the late 1980s and early 1990s and 
incorporated into a CDC software for electronic reporting of TB case 
reports to CDC. The expanded system improved the ability of CDC to 
monitor important aspects of TB epidemiology in the United States, 
including drug resistance, TB risk factors, including HIV coinfection, 
and treatment. The timely system also enabled CDC to monitor the 
recovery of the nation from the resurgence and identify that current TB 
epidemiology supports the renewed national goal of elimination. To 
measure progress in achieving this goal, as well as continue to monitor 
TB trends and potential TB outbreaks, identify high risk populations 
for TB, and gauge program performance, CDC proposes to extend use of 
the RVCT.
    Data are collected by 60 Reporting Areas (the 50 states, the 
District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and 7 jurisdictions 
in the Pacific and Caribbean) using the RVCT. An RVCT is completed for 
each reported TB case and contains demographic, clinical, and 
laboratory information. A comprehensive software package, the 
Tuberculosis Information Management

[[Page 17434]]

System (TIMS) is used for RVCT data entry and electronic transmission 
of TB case reports to CDC. TIMS provides reports, query functions, and 
export functions to assist in analysis of the data. CDC publishes an 
annual report summarizing national TB statistics and also periodically 
conducts special analyses for publication in peer-reviewed scientific 
journals to further describe and interpret national TB data. These data 
assist public health officials and policy makers in program planning, 
evaluation, and resource allocation. Reporting Areas also review and 
analyze their RVCT data to monitor local TB trends, evaluate program 
success, and assist in focusing resources to eliminate TB.
    No other federal agency collects this type of national TB data. In 
addition to providing technical assistance for use of the RVCT, CDC 
also provides Reporting Areas with technical support for the TIMS 
software. There is no cost to respondents.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden  Total response
                   Respondents                       Number of     responses per   per response     burden  (in
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local/State/Territorial Health Department.......              60             278           30/60            8340
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            8340
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: April 2, 2002.
Nancy E. Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-8594 Filed 4-9-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P