[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5584-5585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00998]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request; NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection 
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB).

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than March 20, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N-39, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: NURSE Corps Loan Repayment 
Program OMB No. 0915-0140--Revision
    Abstract: The NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program (NURSE Corps LRP), 
formerly known as the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program, assists 
in the recruitment and retention of professional Registered Nurses 
(RNs), including advanced practice RNs (e.g., nurse practitioners, 
certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, 
clinical nurse specialists), dedicated to working at eligible health 
care facilities with a critical shortage of nurses (i.e., a Critical 
Shortage Facility) or working as nurse faculty in eligible, accredited 
schools of nursing, by decreasing the financial barriers associated 
with pursuing a nursing education. The NURSE Corps LRP provides loan 
repayment assistance to these nurses to repay a portion of their 
qualifying educational loans in exchange for full-time service at a 
public or private nonprofit Critical Shortage Facility or in an 
eligible, accredited school of nursing.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The need and purpose of 
this information collection is to obtain information for NURSE Corps 
LRP applicants and participants. The information is used to consider an 
applicant for a NURSE Corps LRP contract award and to monitor a 
participant's compliance with the service requirements. Individuals 
must submit an application to participate in the program. The 
application asks for personal, professional, educational, and financial 
information required to determine the applicant's eligibility to 
participate in the NURSE Corps LRP. The semi-annual employment 
verification form asks for personal and employment information to 
determine if a participant is in compliance with the service 
requirements. The Authorization to Release Employment Information form 
is now a self-certification within the NURSE Corps LRP application 
process with applicants clicking a box. This decreases the overall time 
burden by eliminating a form and not increasing

[[Page 5585]]

the ``average'' time required to complete the NURSE Corps LRP 
application.
    Likely Respondents: Professional RNs or advanced practice RNs who 
are interested in participating in the NURSE Corps LRP, and official 
representatives at their service sites.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this Information Collection Request are summarized in the tables below.
    Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours:
    The estimates of reporting burden for applicants are as follows:

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                                     Number of      Responses/         Total         Hours per     Total burden
           Instrument               respondents     respondents      responses       response          hours
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NURSE Corps LRP Application *...           5,500               1           5,500             2.0          11,000
Authorization to Release                   5,500               1           5,500             .10             550
 Information Form...............
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    Total.......................           5,500  ..............          11,000  ..............          11,550
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* Please note that the burden hours associated with this instrument account for both new and continuation
  applications. Additional (uploaded) supporting documentation is included as part of this instrument and
  reflected in the burden hours.

    The estimates of reporting burden for participants are as follows:

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                                     Number of      Responses/         Total         Hours per     Total burden
           Instrument               respondents     respondents      responses       response          hours
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Participant Semi-Annual                    2,300               2           4,600              .5           2,300
 Employment Verification Form...
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    Total.......................           2,300  ..............           4,600  ..............           2,300
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        Total for Applicants and           7,800  ..............          15,600  ..............          13,850
         Participants...........
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Jason E. Bennett,
Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2017-00998 Filed 1-17-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-15-P