[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17165-17166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06885]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-16-0853]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted 
the following information collection request to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The notice for the proposed 
information collection is published to obtain comments from the public 
and affected agencies.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are 
encouraged. Your comments should address any of the following: (a) 
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 
accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; (d) Minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses; and 
(e) Assess information collection costs.
    To request additional information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Direct written comments 
and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice to the 
Attention: 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

    Asthma Information Reporting System (AIRS)--Revision--National 
Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    In 1999, the CDC began its National Asthma Control Program (NACP), 
a public health approach to address the burden of asthma. The program 
supports the goals and objectives of ``Healthy People 2020'' for asthma 
and is based on the public health principles of surveillance, 
partnerships, interventions, and evaluation. The CDC requests to revise 
the ``Asthma Information Reporting System (AIRS)'' (OMB Control No. 
0920-0853; expiration date 5/31/2016). Specifically, CDC seeks to make 
the following changes:
     Rather than using the web-based system, state awardees 
will use AIRS Excel spreadsheets to report CDC-developed process and 
outcome performance measures.
     The performance measures will be collected annually, 
rather than biannually, as previously approved.
    The goal of this data collection is to provide NCEH with routine 
information about the activities and performance of the state and 
territorial awardees funded under the NACP through an annual reporting 
system. NACP requires awardees to report activities related to 
partnerships, infrastructure, evaluation and interventions to monitor 
the state programs' performance in reducing the burden of asthma. AIRS 
also includes two forms to collect aggregate ED and HD data from 
awardees.
    AIRS was first approved by OMB in 2010 to collect data in a web-
based system to monitor and guide participating state health 
departments. Since implementation in 2010, AIRS and the technical 
assistance provided by CDC staff have provided states with uniform data 
reporting methods and linkages to other states' asthma program 
information and resources. Thus, AIRS has saved state resources and 
staff time

[[Page 17166]]

when asthma programs embark on asthma activities similar to those done 
elsewhere.
    In the past three-years, AIRS data were used to:
     Serve as a resource to NCEH when addressing congressional, 
departmental and institutional inquiries.
     Help the branch align its current interventions with CDC 
goals and allowed the monitoring of progress toward these goals.
     Allow the NACP and the state asthma programs to make more 
informed decisions about activities to achieve objectives.
     Facilitate communication about interventions across 
states, and enable inquiries regarding interventions by populations 
with a disproportionate burden, age groups, geographic areas and other 
variables of interest.
    A revision to this data collection is necessary because: (1) The 
web-based reporting platform is no longer supported by CDC; (2) in 
collaboration with state asthma programs, reporting requirements have 
been prioritized to provide specific information on the two main 
strategies in the associated Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA): 
Services and health systems strategies; (3) CDC now endorses limiting 
state program reporting to once a year; and (4) the number of state 
awardees has been reduced from 34 to 23 states.
    There will be no cost for respondents other than their time to 
complete the three AIRS spreadsheets annually. The estimated annualized 
burden hours are 82.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of        burden
          Type of respondents                   Form name           respondents    responses per     response
                                                                                    respondent        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Asthma Program Awardees.........  AIRS Performance                      23               1          150/60
                                         Measures Reporting
                                         Spreadsheets.
                                        AIRS Emergency                        23               1           30/60
                                         Department Visits
                                         Reporting Form.
                                        AIRS Hospital Discharge               23               1           30/60
                                         Reporting Forms.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leroy A. 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. 2016-06885 Filed 3-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P