[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 164 (Friday, August 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52536-52537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20544]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) announces plans to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks 
comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any 
other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on this Information Collection Request must be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 10-29, Parklawn 
Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: Combating Autism Act Initiative 
Evaluation (OMB No. 0915-0335 [Revision]

    Abstract: In response to the growing need for research and 
resources devoted to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other 
developmental disabilities (DD), the U.S. Congress passed the Combating 
Autism Act (CAA) in 2006. The Act included funding for the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and 
Services Administration (HRSA) to increase awareness, reduce barriers 
to screening and diagnosis, promote evidence-based interventions, train 
health care professionals to screen for, diagnose or rule out, and 
provide evidence-based interventions for ASD and other DD. In 2011, the 
Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA) was signed into law, 
reauthorizing funding for the CAA's programs for an additional 3 years 
at the existing funding levels. Through the CARA, HRSA is tasked with 
increasing awareness of ASD and other DD, reducing barriers to 
screening and diagnosis, promoting evidence-based interventions, and 
training health care professionals in the use of valid and reliable 
screening and diagnostic tools.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA's activities under 
the CARA legislation are delegated to the Maternal and Child Health 
Bureau (MCHB), which is implementing the Combating Autism Act 
Initiative (CAAI) in response to the legislative mandate. The purpose 
of this evaluation is to design and implement an evaluation to assess 
the effectiveness of MCHB's activities in meeting the goals and 
objectives of the CAAI, and to provide sufficient data to inform MCHB 
and the Congress as to the utility of the grant programs funded under 
the Initiative. The evaluation will focus on indicators related to: (1) 
Increasing awareness of ASD and other DD among health care providers, 
other MCH professionals, and the general public; (2) reducing barriers 
to screening and diagnosis; (3) supporting research on evidence-based 
interventions; (4) promoting the development of evidence-based 
guidelines and tested/validated intervention tools; (5) training 
professionals; and (6) building capacity for systems of services in 
states.
    Likely Respondents: Grantees funded by HRSA under the CAAI will be 
the respondents for this data collection activity. The programs to be 
evaluated are listed below.

[[Page 52537]]

1. Training Programs

     Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities 
(LEND) training programs with forty-three grantees;
     Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) training 
programs with ten grantees; and
     A National Combating Autism Interdisciplinary Training 
Resource Center grantee.

2. Research Networks Program

     Two Autism Intervention Research Networks that focus on 
intervention research, guideline development, and information 
dissemination; and
     20 R40 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Autism Intervention 
Research Program grantees that support research on evidence-based 
practices for interventions to improve the health and well-being of 
children and adolescents with ASD and other DD.

3. State Implementation Program Grants for Improving Services for 
Children and Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Other 
Developmental Disabilities (DD)

     18 grantees will implement state autism plans and develop 
models for improving the system of care for children and youth with ASD 
and other DD;
     4 grantees will design state plans for improving the 
system for children and youth with ASD and other DDs; and
     A State Public Health Coordinating Resource Center 
grantee.
    The data gathered through this evaluation will be used to:
    1. Evaluate the grantees' performance in achieving the objectives 
of the CAAI during the three year grant period;
    2. Assess the short- and intermediate-term impacts of the grant 
programs on children and families affected by ASD and other DD; and
    3. Measure the CAAI outputs and outcomes for the report to 
Congress.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below. The Principal Investigator 
or Project Director from each grant program will be interviewed. The 
questionnaires for the Research Programs and the State Implementation 
grant programs will be completed by each Principal Investigator/Project 
Director.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                       Average
                                       Number of       Number of         Total        burden per    Total burden
      Grant program/form name         respondents    responses per     responses     response (in      hours
                                                      respondent                        hours)
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LEND Interview Protocol...........              43               1              43           1             43
DBP Interview Protocol............              10               1              10           1             10
State Implementation Program                    22               1              22           1             22
 Interview Protocol...............
State Implementation Program                    22               1              22            .75          16.5
 Questionnaire....................
Research Program Interview                       2               1               2           1              2
 Protocol (Networks only).........
Research Program Questionnaire....              20               1              20            .75          15
Resource Centers Interview                       2               1               2           1              2
 Protocol.........................
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    Total.........................             121                             121                        110.50
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) The necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

    Dated: August 16, 2013.
Bahar Niakan,
Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.
[FR Doc. 2013-20544 Filed 8-22-13; 8:45 am]
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