[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 236 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88684-88685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29399]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-17-0770]


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

    National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System ((NHBS), OMB Control 
No. 0920-0770, exp. 03/31/2017)--Revision--National Center for HIV, 
Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The CDC currently sponsors the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance 
(NHBS) System. The system is designed to describe and monitor the HIV 
risk behaviors, HIV seroprevalence and incidence, and HIV prevention 
experiences of persons at highest risk for HIV infection in the United 
States. NHBS awardees are state and local health departments that 
provide HIV-related services, conduct NHBS interviews, and submit non-
identifiable information to CDC. To be eligible for NHBS funding, a 
health department must serve one of the 30 Metropolitan Statistical 
Areas (MSA) in the U.S. with high HIV prevalence. Twenty-two (22) 
programs receive NHBS funding and technical assistance from CDC at this 
time. Burden estimates are based on current availability of funds and 
recruitment targets for 22 CDC-funded NHBS awardees. If additional 
funding is received to support the participation of additional sites, 
CDC will submit a Change Request to make the appropriate adjustments to 
the total estimated annualized burden.
    Information collection is based on rotating annual ``cycles'' of 
surveillance with three populations: Men who have sex with men (MSM), 
injecting drug users (IDUs), and heterosexuals at increased risk of HIV 
(HET). Screening interviews and specialized behavioral assessment 
interviews are conducted once every three years with each population: 
MSM in year 1, IDU in year 2, and HET in year 3. The target number of 
annual interviews for each NHBS-funded awardee is 500. Due to 
differences in the risk characteristics of the MSM, IDU and HET groups, 
the behavioral assessment is customized for each group. In addition, an 
HIV test and pre-test counseling session are offered to all persons who 
participate in an NHBS interview.
    The surveillance system is focused on behaviors directly related to 
HIV transmission and those that are amenable to intervention through 
prevention programs. Information collected through the NHBS System 
allows CDC to: (a) Describe the prevalence of and trends in risk 
behaviors; (b) describe the prevalence of and trends in HIV testing and 
HIV infection; (c) describe the prevalence of and trends in use of HIV 
prevention services; and (d) identify met and unmet needs for HIV 
prevention services in order to inform health departments, community-
based organizations, community planning groups and other stakeholders. 
No other federal agency systematically collects this type of 
information from persons at risk for HIV infection.
    Venue-based sampling methods are used to identify respondents for 
the MSM information collection cycle and respondent-driven sampling 
methods are used to identify respondents for the IDU cycle and the HET 
cycle. Consistent with these methods, persons who participate in the 
IDU and HET interviews may be trained to recruit additional 
respondents. Each person who serves as a peer recruiter will be asked 
to participate in a short debriefing interview.
    CDC requests OMB approval to continue information collection for 
three years, with revisions. Selected questions in the eligibility 
screener and the behavioral assessment interview instruments will be 
updated to improve usability and data quality, and new questions will 
be added to provide measures of high priority emerging issues including 
pre-exposure prophylaxis, treatment as prevention, and opioid use and 
abuse. Lower priority questions and repetitive content will be deleted 
in order to manage project cost and respondent burden. There are no 
changes to the estimated burden per response for any information 
collection instrument. However, total burden will decrease due to a 
reduction in the number of health departments funded to participate in 
the NHBS System (from 25 to 22). Compared to the previous period of OMB 
approval, this will reduce the total estimated number of interviews for 
each cycle from 12,500 (4,167 annualized) to 11,000 (3,667 annualized).
    Information collected through the NHBS has a substantial impact on 
the design and delivery of targeted prevention programs aimed at 
reducing new HIV infections and evaluating

[[Page 88685]]

progress towards national public health goals. Participation is 
voluntary and there is no cost to respondents other than their time. 
The total estimated annualized burden hours are 8,735.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondent                    Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent        (in hr)
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Persons Screened......................  Eligibility Screener....          13,142               1            5/60
Eligible Participants.................  Behavioral Assessment              3,667               1           30/60
                                         for MSM.
                                        Behavioral Assessment              3,667               1           54/60
                                         for IDU.
                                        Behavioral Assessment              3,667               1           39/60
                                         for HET.
Peer Recruiters.......................  Recruiter Debriefing....           3,667               1            2/60
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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. 2016-29399 Filed 12-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P