[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 46 (Monday, March 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13304-13305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05077]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-14-0636]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Send written comments 
to CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 
20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Written comments should be received 
within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Secure Public 
Health Emergency Response Communications Network (Epi-X) (OMB Control 
No. 0920-0636, exp. 5/31/2014)--Revision--Office of Public Health 
Preparedness and Response (OPHPR), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The effectiveness and efficiency of CDC's response to any public 
health incident depends on information at the agency's disposal to 
characterize and monitor the incident, make timely decisions, and take 
appropriate actions to prevent or reduce the impact of the incident.
    Available information in anticipation of, during and following 
public health incident responses is often incomplete, is not easily 
validated by state and local health authorities, and is sometimes 
conflicting. This lack of reliable information often creates a high 
level of uncertainty with potential negative impacts on public health 
response operations. Secure communications with CDC's state, local, 
territorial, and tribal public health partners is essential to resolve 
conflicting information, validate incident status, and establish and 
maintain situational awareness. Reliable, secure communications are 
essential for the agency to gain and maintain accurate situational 
awareness, make informed decisions, and to respond in the most 
appropriate manner possible in order to minimize the impact of an 
incident on the public health of the United States.
    This generic Information Collection Request (ICR) is being revised 
to: (1) Remove verbiage limiting data collection to activation of the 
Incident Management Structure, (2) broaden categories under which data 
may be collected to increase its utilization, and (3) provide clarity 
regarding the data elements.
    (Epi-X) is CDC's Web-based communication system for securely 
communicating in immediate anticipation of, during and following public 
health emergencies that have multi-jurisdictional impacts and 
implications. The incidents of September 11, 2001 illustrated the need 
for an encrypted and secure communications system that would permit CDC 
to communicate urgently with partners at the state and local levels, 
and to notify them ``24 hours a day, 7 days a week'', when necessary. 
Similarly, Epi-X was specifically designed to provide public health 
decision-makers at the state and local levels a secure, reliable tool 
for communicating sensitive, unusual, or urgent public health incidents 
to neighboring jurisdictions as well as to CDC.
    CDC has recognized a need to expand the use of Epi-X to collect 
specific response related information in anticipation of, during and 
following public health emergencies. Proposed data collection 
instruments under this generic ICR will be designed to ensure ready 
access to public health and disease epidemiology information.
    Authorized officials from state and local health departments 
affected by the public health incident will be informed of this data 
collection first through an Epi-X Facilitator, who will work closely 
with Epi-X program staff and the Epi-X Information Collection Request 
Liaison to ensure that Epi-X incident specific information collections 
are understood. The survey instruments will contain specific questions 
relevant to the current and ongoing public health incident and response 
activities.
    Respondents will receive the survey instrument(s) as an official 
CDC email, which is clearly labeled, ``Epi-X Emergency Public Health 
Incident Information Request.'' The email message will be accompanied 
by a link to an Epi-X Forum discussion Web page. Respondents can 
provide their answers to the survey questions by posting information 
within the discussion.
    The estimated annual burden to respondents is 24,400 hours. The 
total estimated burden for the generic information collection is 73,200 
hours for three years.
    There are no costs to respondents except their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                      Number      Average burden
          Type of respondent                    Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
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State Epidemiologists.................  Epi-X Emergency Public                50             104               1
                                         Health Incident
                                         Information Request.
County Health Officials...............  Epi-X Emergency Public             1,600              12               1
                                         Health Incident
                                         Information Request.
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[[Page 13305]]

Leroy Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2014-05077 Filed 3-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P