[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 123 (Monday, June 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41540-41541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15087]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-16-0639]


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]. Written comments and/or 
suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice should be 
directed 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

    EEOICPA Special Exposure Cohort Petitions (OMB No. 0920-0639 exp. 
7/31/2016)--Extension--National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    On October 30, 2000, the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 
Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA), 42 U.S.C. 7384-7385 [1994, 
supp. 2001] was enacted. The Act established a compensation program to 
provide a lump sum payment of $150,000 and medical benefits as 
compensation to covered employees suffering from designated illnesses 
incurred as a result of their exposure to radiation, beryllium, or 
silica while in the performance of duty for the Department of Energy 
and certain of its vendors, contractors and subcontractors. This 
legislation also provided for payment of compensation for certain 
survivors of these covered employees. This program has been mandated to 
be in effect until Congress ends the funding.
    Among other duties, the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) was directed to establish and implement procedures for 
considering petitions by classes of nuclear weapons workers to be added 
to the ``Special Exposure

[[Page 41541]]

Cohort'' (the ``Cohort''). In brief, EEOICPA authorizes HHS to 
designate such classes of employees for addition to the Cohort when 
NIOSH lacks sufficient information to estimate with sufficient accuracy 
the radiation doses of the employees, and if HHS also finds that the 
health of members of the class may have been endangered by the 
radiation dose the class potentially incurred. HHS must also obtain the 
advice of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (the 
``Board'') in establishing such findings. On May 28, 2004, HHS issued a 
rule that established procedures for adding such classes to the Cohort 
(42 CFR part 83). The rule was amended on July 10, 2007.
    The HHS rule authorizes a variety of respondents to submit 
petitions. Petitioners are required to provide the information 
specified in the rule to qualify their petitions for a complete 
evaluation by HHS and the Board. HHS has developed two forms to assist 
the petitioners in providing this required information efficiently and 
completely. Form A is a one-page form to be used by EEOICPA claimants 
for whom NIOSH has attempted to conduct dose reconstructions and has 
determined that available information is not sufficient to complete the 
dose reconstruction. Form B, accompanied by separate instructions, is 
intended for all other petitioners. Forms A and B can be submitted 
electronically as well as in hard copy. Respondent/petitioners should 
be aware that HHS is not requiring respondents to use the forms. 
Respondents can choose to submit petitions as letters or in other 
formats, but petitions must meet the informational requirements stated 
in the rule. NIOSH expects, however, that all petitioners for whom Form 
A would be appropriate will actually use the form, since NIOSH will 
provide it to them upon determining that their dose reconstruction 
cannot be completed and encourage them to submit the petition. NIOSH 
expects the large majority of petitioners for whom Form B would be 
appropriate will also use the form, since it provides a simple, 
organized format for addressing the informational requirements of a 
petition.
    NIOSH will use the information obtained through the petition for 
the following purposes: (a) Identify the petitioner(s), obtain their 
contact information, and establish that the petitioner(s) is qualified 
and intends to petition HHS; (b) establish an initial definition of the 
class of employees being proposed to be considered for addition to the 
Cohort; (c) determine whether there is justification to require HHS to 
evaluate whether or not to designate the proposed class as an addition 
to the Cohort (such an evaluation involves potentially extensive data 
collection, analysis, and related deliberations by NIOSH, the Board, 
and HHS); and, (d) target an evaluation by HHS to examine relevant 
potential limitations of radiation monitoring and/or dosimetry-relevant 
records and to examine the potential for related radiation exposures 
that might have endangered the health of members of the class.
    Finally, under the rule, petitioners may contest the proposed 
decision of the Secretary to add or deny adding classes of employees to 
the cohort by submitting evidence that the proposed decision relies on 
a record of either factual or procedural errors in the implementation 
of these procedures. NIOSH estimates that the time to prepare and 
submit such a challenge is 5 hours. Because of the uniqueness of this 
submission, NIOSH is not providing a form. The submission will 
typically be in the form of a letter to the Secretary.
    The estimated annual Burden Hours are 41. There are no costs to 
respondents unless a respondent/petitioner chooses to purchase the 
services of an expert in dose reconstruction, an option provided for 
under the rule.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
          Type of respondents                   Form name           respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Petitioners...........................  Form A 42 CFR 83.9......               2               1            3/60
                                        Form B 42 CFR 83.9......               5               1               5
Petitioners using a submission format   42 CFR 83.9.............               1               1               6
 other than Form B (as permitted by
 rule).
Petitioners Appealing final HHS         42 CFR 83.18............               2               1               5
 decision (no specific form is
 required).
Claimant authorizing a party to submit  Authorization Form 42                  3               1            3/60
 petition on his/her behalf.             CFR 83.7.
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
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. 2016-15087 Filed 6-24-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P