[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53956-53957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21104]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program

AGENCY: Indian Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Request for public comment: 60-day Proposed Information 
Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and 
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program 
helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired 
format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Indian Health Service (IHS) is providing a 60-day 
advance opportunity for public comment on a proposed extension of 
current information collection activity to be submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget for review.

Proposed Collection

    Title: 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' 
Type of Information Collection Request: Extension, without revision, of 
currently approved information collection. Form Number: None. Forms: 
The IHS Loan Repayment Program Information Booklet contains the 
instructions and the application formats. Need and Uses of Information 
Collection: The IHS Loan Repayment Program identifies health 
professionals with pre-existing financial obligations for education 
expenses that meet program criteria and who are qualified and willing 
to serve at, often remote, IHS health care facilities. Under the 
program, eligible health professionals sign a contract under which the 
IHS agrees to repay part or all of their indebtedness for professional

[[Page 53957]]

training education. In exchange, the health professionals agree to 
serve for a specified period of time in IHS health care facilities. 
Eligible health professionals that wish to apply must submit an 
application to participate in the program. The application requests 
personal, demographic and educational training information, including 
information on the educational loans of the individual for which 
repayment is being requested (i.e., date, amount, account number, 
purpose of each loan, interest rate, the current balance, etc). The 
data collected is needed and used to evaluate applicant eligibility; 
rank and prioritize applicants by specialty; assign applicants to IHS 
health care facilities; determine payment amounts and schedules for 
paying the lending institutions; and to provide data and statistics for 
program management review and analysis. Affected Public: Individuals 
and households. Type of Respondents: Individuals. Burden Hours: The 
table below provides the estimated burden hours for this information 
collection:

                                             Estimated Burden Hours
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                                                                                  Average burden
                                                     Estimated     Responses per     hour per      Total annual
           Data collection instrument                number of      respondent      response *     burden hours
                                                    respondents                      (minutes)
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Section I.......................................             425               1       0.25 (15)             106
Section II......................................             425               1       0.50 (30)             213
Section II......................................             425               4       0.25 (15)             425
Contract........................................             425               1       0.33 (20)             140
Affidavit.......................................             425               1       0.17 (10)              72
Lender Certificate..............................            1700               1       0.25 (15)             425
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................            2125  ..............  ..............           1381
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* For ease of understanding, burden hours are also provided in actual minutes.

    There are no Capital Costs, Operating Costs and/or Maintenance 
Costs to report.

Request for Comments

    Your written comments and/or suggestions are invited on one or more 
of the following points: (a) Whether the information collection 
activity is necessary to carry out an agency function; (b) whether the 
agency processes the information collected in a useful and timely 
fashion; (c) the accuracy of public burden estimate (the estimated 
amount of time needed for individual respondents to provide the 
requested information); (d) whether the methodology and assumptions 
used to determine the estimate are logical; (e) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and 
(f) ways to minimize the public burden through the use of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Send Comments and Requests For Further Information: Send your 
written comments and requests for more information on the proposed 
collection or requests to obtain a copy of the data collection 
instrument(s) and instructions to: Mr. Lance Hodahkwen, Sr., M.P.H., 
IHS Reports Clearance Officer, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 450, 
Rockville, MD 20852.1601, call non-toll free (301) 443-5938, send via 
facsimile to (301) 443-2316, or send your e-mail requests, comments, 
and return address to: [email protected].
    Comment Due Date: Your comments regarding this information 
collection are best assured of having their full effect if received 
within 60-days of the date of this publication.

    Dated: August 13, 2002.
Michel E. Lincoln,
Acting Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 02-21104 Filed 8-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-16-M