[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 37 (Thursday, February 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8802-8803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4088]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of 
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects 
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the 
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of 
information are 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.

Proposed Project: Rapid HIV Testing Clinical Information Form for the 
Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) for Ethnic and Racial Minorities at Risk 
for Substance Use and HIV/AID--In Use Without OMB Approval

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 
(SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), is requesting an 
OMB review and approval of the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) Rapid HIV 
Testing Clinical Information Form that will be utilized for ethnic and 
racial minority groups at risk for substance use and HIV/AIDS that are 
served by CSAT's TCE-HIV grantees. The MAI HIV Rapid Testing Clinical 
Information Form would allow SAMHSA/CSAT to collect essential clinical 
information that will be used for quality assurance, quality 
performance, and product monitoring on approximately 30,000 rapid HIV 
test kits to be provided to ethnic and racial minority communities at 
no cost to the recipient provider organizations. The MAI Rapid HIV 
Testing Clinical Information Form would support quality of care, 
provide adequate clinical and product monitoring, and provide 
appropriate safeguards against fraud, waste and abuse of Federal funds. 
SAMHSA's approach would avoid unnecessary delay in informing any person 
potentially adversely affected by a test kit recall or public health 
advisory. This program is authorized under Section 509 of the Public 
Health Service (PHS) Act [42 U.S.C. 290bb-2].
    The goals of SAMHSA's MAI initiative are to: (1) Increase the 
access by racial and ethnic minority communities to HIV testing, 
prevention, care, and treatment services; (2) implement strategies and 
activities specifically targeted to the highest risk and hardest-to-
serve populations; (3) reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS 
screening through outreach and education, and (4) establish 
collaborations or opportunities for programs and/or activities to be 
integrated.
    The target populations for the initiative are African Americans, 
Hispanic/Latinos, and other racial and ethnic minorities that are 
disproportionately impacted by the twin epidemics of HIV/AIDS and 
substance abuse. Since 1981 approximately 1.7 million people are 
estimated to have been infected with HIV in the U.S., and more than 1.1 
million are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS today. Racial and 
ethnic minorities have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, 
and represent the majority of new AIDS cases (70%), new HIV infections 
(54%), prevalent HIV/AIDS cases (65%), and AIDS deaths (72%) (CDC, 
2006). African Americans have been especially affected by HIV/AIDS. 
More than half of all new HIV infections and half of new AIDS diagnoses 
occur in African Americans despite their accounting for approximately 
12% of the U.S. population. A similar impact exists among Latinos, who 
represent 14% of the U.S. population but account for 20% of estimated 
AIDS diagnoses. Together, Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian/
Alaska Natives represent 1%-2% of new AIDS diagnoses.
    The spread of HIV disease in the United States has been partly 
fueled by the use of illicit drugs. Injection drug use (IDU) is 
directly related to HIV transmission through the sharing of drug 
equipment. According to CDC's latest report on 2006 rates, IDUs 
accounted for 12 percent of estimated new HIV infections. CDC's 
historical trend analysis indicates that new infections have declined 
dramatically in this population over time and confirm the substantial 
evidence to date of success in reducing HIV infections among IDUs. 
Despite these declines, rates of HIV and AIDS continue to rise among 
certain groups including men who have sex with men, high risk 
heterosexual women and ethnic and racial minority groups due to non-IDU 
drugs and alcohol that interfere with judgment about sexual and other 
types of behaviors.
    The estimated hour burden is presented in the following table:

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                                                                    Responses/                     Total burden
                      Number of respondents                         respondent     Burden hours        hours
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30,000..........................................................               1            .167           5,010
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    Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
Room 7-1044, One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857 and e-mail her 
a copy at [email protected]. Written comments should be 
received within 60 days of this notice.

    Dated: February 20, 2009.
Elaine Parry,
Director, Office of Program Services.
[FR Doc. E9-4088 Filed 2-25-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P