[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23558-23559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09824]


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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 (LRP)

AGENCY: Indian Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments. Request for extension of 
approval.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.), which requires 60 days 
for public comment on proposed information collection projects, the 
Indian Health Service (IHS) invites the general public to take this 
opportunity to comment on the information collection Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 0917-0014, titled, ``IHS 
Loan Repayment Program (LRP).''
    This previously approved information collection project was last 
published in the Federal Register (77 FR 27467) on May 10, 2012, and 
allowed 30 days for public comment. No public comment was received in 
response to the notice. This notice announces our intent to submit this 
collection, which expires May 31, 2015, to OMB for approval of an 
extension and solicit comments on specific aspects for the proposed 
information collection.
    A copy of the draft supporting statement is available at 
www.regulations.gov (see Docket ID IHS-2015-0003).
    Proposed Collection: Title: 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan 
Repayment Program.'' Type of Information Collection Request: Extension 
of currently approved information collection, 0917-0014, ``Indian 
Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' The LRP application is 
available in an electronically fillable and fileable format. Form(s): 
The IHS LRP Information Booklet contains the instructions and the 
application formats. Need and Use of Information Collection: The IHS 
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 through which the IHS agrees to repay part or all of their 
indebtedness in exchange for an initial two-year service commitment to 
practice fulltime at an eligible Indian health program. 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 LRP. A two-year contract obligation 
is signed by both parties, and the individual agrees to work at an 
eligible Indian health program location and provide health services to 
American Indian and Alaska Native individuals.
    The information collected via the on-line application from 
individuals is

[[Page 23559]]

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 accepts employment at a location, the applicant in turn 
``picks-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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Number of     Average  burden    Total annual
        Data collection instrument(s)            Number of      responses per    per  response    responses  (in
                                                respondents       respondent       (in hours)         hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LRP Application.............................             816                1              1.5            1,224
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    There are no Capital Costs, Operating Costs, and/or Maintenance 
Costs to report.
    Requests For Comments: Your 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) how the newly created online application assists the applicant 
efficiently and effectively.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Jackie Santiago by one of the following 
methods:
     Mail: Jackie Santiago, Chief, Loan Repayment Program, 801 
Thompson Avenue, TMP, STE 450, Rockville, MD 20852-1627.
     Phone: 301-443-2486.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 301-443-4815.
    To Request More Information On The Proposed Collection, Contact: 
Jackie Santiago through one of the following methods:
     Mail: Jackie Santiago, Chief, Loan Repayment Program, 801 
Thompson Avenue, TMP, STE 450, Rockville, MD 20852-1627.
     Phone: 301-443-2486.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 301-443-4815.
    Comment Due Date: June 29, 2015. 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: April 13, 2015.
Robert G. McSwain,
Acting Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-09824 Filed 4-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-16-P