[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51274-51275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21755]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

    Periodically, the Health Resources and Services Administration 
(HRSA) publishes abstracts of information collection requests under 
review by the Office of Management and Budget, in compliance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). To request a 
copy of the clearance requests submitted to OMB for review, call the 
HRSA Reports Clearance Office on (301) 443-1129.

Proposed Project: Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency 
(CARE) Act and Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) Consultation Form--New

    The purpose of the Ryan White CARE Act is to provide emergency 
assistance to localities that are disproportionately affected by the 
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and to make financial 
assistance available for the development, organization, coordination, 
and operation of more effective and cost-efficient systems for the 
delivery of essential services to persons with HIV disease. The CARE 
Act also provides grants to States, eligible metropolitan areas, 
community-based programs, and early intervention programs for the 
delivery of services to individuals and families with HIV infection.
    The HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) administers Titles I, II, III, and 
IV of the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990, as amended by the Ryan White 
CARE Act Amendments of 1996 and 2000 (codified under Title XXVI of the 
Public Health Service Act).
    In 1998, President Clinton declared that HIV was a severe and 
ongoing health crisis among racial/ethnic minority communities. In 
response to the President's declaration, in fiscal year 1999 the 
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) announced funding of a new initiative 
to address the disproportionate impact of HIV on African-American and 
Hispanic communities. Since 1999, the initial CBC initiative has been 
broadened to address the HIV epidemic in other racial and ethnic 
minority communities. Currently, the HRSA, the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Office 
of Public Health and Sciences' Office of Minority Health, the Indian 
Health Service, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration allocate MAI funds. Direct service providers receiving 
MAI funds through HAB include organizations whose board of directors 
and/or direct service employees are racial/ethnic minorities, as well 
as organizations whose mission is focused on providing care to racial/
ethnic minority populations.
    The Fax Consultation Form for Minority Providers and Providers 
Receiving MAI Funds is designed to collect information from (1) service 
providers receiving MAI funds and (2) service providers funded by the 
Ryan White CARE Act whose board members or direct service staff are 
predominantly racial/ethnic minority members. The Fax Consultation Form 
will address several over-arching questions including: (1) Have the MAI 
funds increased the number of persons served and the type and 
availability of services provided in communities of color; (2) have the 
MAI funds increased the capacity of minority and other CARE Act service 
providers to provide care and services in communities of color; (3) 
what has been the impact of MAI funded training, technical assistance 
(TA), and capacity building of minority and other organizations; and 
(4) what administrative impact have MAI funds had on CARE Act programs? 
Information obtained from the Fax Consultation Form for Minority 
Providers and Providers Receiving MAI Funds will be used to address the 
over-arching questions, plan new technical assistance and capacity 
development activities, and inform HAB policies and program management.
    The Fax Consultation Form for Minority Providers and Providers 
Receiving MAI Funds will be transmitted by facsimile to service 
providers who meet the criteria for completing the form. Responding 
service providers will return their completed forms by the United 
States Postal Service, an Internet web-based response form, or by 
facsimile. The form will be designed to include check box responses and 
open-ended questions. The form will not require additional data to be 
collected or analyzed by the responding provider. The form will take no 
longer than 20 minutes to complete. The form will include questions 
regarding facilitators and barriers to CARE Act and MAI funding, 
training and technical assistance needs, ways in which the number of 
minority service providers engaged in HIV care might be increased, new 
and expanded activities funded by MAI, extent to which MAI funds have 
met the needs of racial/ethnic communities, the impact of MAI funds on 
the administration activities, and methods used to track MAI funds.
    The estimated response burden for service providers is as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Estimated
  number of      Estimated      Estimated      Estimated      Estimated
   provider    responses per   minutes per   total minutes   total hour
 respondents      provider       response        burden        burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
       1,500              1             20         30,000           500
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 51275]]

    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to: 
Allison Eydt, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management 
and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503, Fax Number, 202-395-6974.

    Dated: August 19, 2003.
Jane M. Harrison,
Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 03-21755 Filed 8-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P