[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 249 (Friday, December 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79106-79107]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32658]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-03-27]


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: National Coal Workers' Autopsy Study (NCWAS) 
Consent Release and History Form 0920-0021--Extension--National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention.

Background

    Under the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1977, Pub. L. 
91-173 (amended the Federal Coal Mine and Safety Act of 1969), the 
Public Health Service has developed a nationwide autopsy program 
(NCWAS) for underground coal miners. The NCWAS is a service program to 
aid surviving relatives in establishing eligibility for black lung 
compensation. The Consent Release and History Form is primarily used to 
obtain written authorization from the next-of-kin to perform an autopsy 
on the deceased miner. Because a basic reason for the post-mortem 
examination is research (both epidemiological and clinical), a minimum 
of essential information is collected regarding the deceased miners, 
including occupational history and smoking history. The data collected 
will be used by the staff at NIOSH for research purposes in defining 
the diagnostic criteria for coal workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung) 
and pathologic changes that will be correlated with x-ray findings.
    It is estimated that only 5 minutes is required for the pathologist 
to put a statement on the invoice affirming that no other compensation 
is received for the autopsy. From past experience, it is estimated that 
15 minutes is required for the next-of-kin to complete the Consent 
Release and History Form. Since an autopsy report is routinely 
completed by a pathologist, the only additional burden is the specific 
request of abstraction of the terminal illness and final diagnosis 
relating to pneumoconiosis. Therefore, only 5 minutes of additional 
burden is estimated for the autopsy report. There are no costs to 
respondents.

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                                                                                     Averagae
                                                     Number of       Number of        burden/      Total burden
                   Respondents                      respondents     responses/     response (in      (in hrs.)
                                                                    respondent         hrs.)
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Pathologist Invoice.............................              50               1            5/60             4.2
Pathologist Report..............................              50               1            5/60             4.2
Next-of-Kin.....................................              50               1           15/60            12.5
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            20.9
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[[Page 79107]]

    Dated: December 20, 2002.
Nancy E. Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-32658 Filed 12-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P