[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 217 (Friday, November 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 68143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28471]



[[Page 68143]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Proposed Information Collection

AGENCY: Indian Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Request for Public Comment: 30-day Proposed Information 
Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed 
information collection projects, the (HHS) has submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the 
information collection listed below. This proposed information 
collection project was published in the Federal Register (67 FR 53956) 
and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comment was received 
in response to the notice. The purpose of this notice is to allow 30 
days for public comment to be submitted to OMB.

Proposed Collection:

    Title: 09-17-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment 
Program.''
    Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently 
approved collection.
    Form Number: None.
    Forms: The IHS Loan Repayment Program Information Booklet contains 
the instructions and the application formats.
    Need and Use of Information Collection: The IHS Loan Repayment 
Program (LRP) identifies health professionals with pre-existing 
financial obligations for education expenses that meet program criteria 
and who are qualified and will 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 the 
indebtedness for professional 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: Individual and households.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals.
    Burden Hours: The table below provides the estimated burden hours 
for this information collection.
    Burden is the time it takes for respondents to complete the data 
collection instruments:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Estimated Burden Hours
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                                                                               Average burden
       Data collection instrument         Estimated no. of    Responses per       hour per        Total annual
                                             respondents       respondent         response*        burden hrs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section I...............................               425                 1    0.25 (15 mins)             106.0
Section II..............................               425                 1    0.50 (30 mins)             213.0
Section III.............................               425                 4    0.25 (15 mins)             425.0
Contract................................               425                 1    0.33 (20 mins)             140.0
Affidavit...............................               425                 1    0.17 (10 mins)              72.0
Lender Certificate......................              1700                 1    0.25 (15 mins)             425.0
                                         -------------------
    Total...............................              2125  ................  ................             1381
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*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 IHS processes the information collected in a 
useful and timely fashion; (c) the accuracy of the 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.
    Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions 
regarding the proposed information collection contained in this notice, 
especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated 
response time, should be directed to: Office of Management and Budget, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, New Executive Office 
Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for 
IHS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the proposed information 
collection and supporting documents may be obtained from Mr. Lance 
Hodahkwen, Sr., M.P.H., IHS Reports Clearance Officer, 12300 Twinbrook 
Parkway, Suite 450, Rockville, MD 20852.1601. Telephone non-toll free 
(301) 443-5938; Fax: (301) 443-2316, or e-mail: [email protected].
    Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received on or before 
December 9, 2002.

    Dated: October 24, 2002.
Charles W. Grim,
Assistant Surgeon General, Interim Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 02-28471 Filed 11-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-16-M