[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29520-29521]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11184]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Indian Health Service


Request for Public Comment: 60-Day Proposed Information 
Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program

AGENCY: Indian Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, which requires 60 days for public comment on 
proposed information collection projects, the Indian Health Service 
(IHS) is publishing for comment a summary of a proposed information 
collection to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
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, 0917-
0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' Form(s): 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 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

[[Page 29521]]

part or all of their indebtedness for professional training time in IHS 
health care facilities. This program is necessary to augment the 
critically low health professional staff at IHS health care facilities.
    Any health professional wishing to have their health education 
loans repaid may apply to the IHS Loan Repayment Program. A two-year 
contract obligation is signed by both parties, and the individual 
agrees to work at an IHS location and provide health services to Native 
American and Alaska Native individuals.
    The information collected from individuals is analyzed and a score 
is given to each applicant. This score will determine which applicants 
will be awarded each fiscal year. The administrative scoring system 
assigns a score to the geographic location according to vacancy rates 
for that fiscal year and also considers whether the location is in an 
isolated area. When an applicant takes employment at a location, they 
in turn ``pick-up'' the score of that location. Affected Public: 
Individuals and households. Type of Respondents: Individuals.
    The table below provides: Types of data collection instruments, 
Estimated number of respondents, Number of responses per respondent, 
Annual number of responses, Average burden hour per response, and Total 
annual burden hour(s).

                                             Estimated Burden Hours
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                                                     Estimated                        Average
           Data collection instrument                number of     Responses per    burden hour    Total annual
                                                    respondents     respondent     per response    burden hours
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Section I.......................................             510               1           18/60           153.0
Section II......................................             510               1           30/60           255.0
Section III.....................................             510               4           15/60           128.0
Contract........................................             510               1           20/60           170.0
Affidavit.......................................             510               1           10/60            85.0
Lender's Certification..........................           2,000  ..............           15/60           500.0
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................           4,650  ..............  ..............         1,282.0
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    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 estimates 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, requests for more information on the proposed 
collection, or requests to obtain a copy of the data collection 
instrument(s) and instructions to: Ms. Chria Rouleau, IHS Reports 
Clearance Officer, 801 Thompson Avenue, TMP 450, Rockville, MD 20852-
1627; call non-toll free (301) 443-5938; send via facsimile to (301) 
594-0899; 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 full effect if received within 60 
days of the date of this publication.

    Dated: May 13, 2008.
Robert G. McSwain,
Director, Indian Health Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-11184 Filed 5-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-16-M