[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 40 (Thursday, March 2, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12359-12360]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04047]



[[Page 12359]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-17-0138; Docket No. CDC-2017-0026]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on the proposed 
information collection request revision to the project titled 
``Pulmonary Function Testing Course Approval Program.'' Potential 
sponsors (university, hospital, and private consulting firms) apply to 
this program to receive NIOSH-approval to conduct training courses that 
teach technicians to perform spirometry as specified under the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Cotton Dust Standard, 
29 CFR 1020.1043.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 1, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2017-
0026 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to Regulations.gov.

    Please note: All public comment should be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking portal (Regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the 
address listed above.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact the Information Collection Review Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS-
D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-
up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services 
to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. 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.

Proposed Project

    Pulmonary Function Testing Course Approval Program, (OMB Control 
No. 0920-0138, Expiration 04/30/2017)--Revision--The National Institute 
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    NIOSH has the responsibility under the Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration's Cotton Dust Standard, 29 CFR 1920.1043, for 
approving courses to train technicians to perform pulmonary function 
testing in the cotton industry. Successful completion of a NIOSH-
approved course is mandatory under this Standard. In addition, 
regulations at 42 CFR 37.95(a) specify that persons administering 
spirometry tests for the national Coal Workers' Health Surveillance 
Program must successfully complete a NIOSH-approved spirometry training 
course and maintain a valid certificate by periodically completing 
NIOSH-approved spirometry refresher training courses. Also, 29 CFR 
1910.1053(i)(2)(iv), 29 CFR 1910.1053(i)(3), 29 CFR 1926.1153(h)(2)(iv) 
and 29 CFR 1926.1153(h)(3) specify that pulmonary function tests for 
initial and periodic examinations in general industry and construction 
performed under the respirable crystalline silica standard should be 
administered by a spirometry technician with a current certificate from 
a NIOSH-approved spirometry course. NIOSH is requesting a three-year 
approval.
    To carry out its responsibility, NIOSH maintains a Pulmonary 
Function Testing Course Approval Program. The program consists of an 
application submitted by potential sponsors (universities, hospitals, 
and private consulting firms) who seek NIOSH approval to conduct 
courses, and if approved, notification to NIOSH of any course or 
faculty changes during the approval period, which is limited to five 
years. The application form and added materials, including an agenda, 
curriculum vitae, and course materials are reviewed by NIOSH to 
determine if the applicant has developed a program which adheres to the 
criteria required in the Standard. Following approval, any subsequent 
changes to the course are submitted by course sponsors via letter or 
email and reviewed by NIOSH staff to assure that the changes in faculty 
or course content continue to meet course requirements. Course sponsors 
also voluntarily submit an annual report to inform NIOSH of their class 
activity

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level and any faculty changes. Sponsors who elect to have their 
approval renewed for an additional 5 year period submit a renewal 
application and supporting documentation for review by NIOSH staff to 
ensure the course curriculum meets all current standard requirements.
    Approved courses that elect to offer NIOSH-Approved Spirometry 
Refresher Courses must submit a separate application and supporting 
documents for review by NIOSH staff. Institutions and organizations 
throughout the country voluntarily submit applications and materials to 
become course sponsors and carry out training. Submissions are required 
for NIOSH to evaluate a course and determine whether it meets the 
criteria in the Standard and whether technicians will be adequately 
trained as mandated under the Standard. NIOSH will disseminate a one-
time customer satisfaction survey to course directors and sponsor 
representatives to evaluate our service to courses, the effectiveness 
of the program changes implemented since 2005, and the usefulness of 
potential Program enhancements.
    The annualized figures slightly over-estimate the actual burden, 
due to rounding of the number of respondents for even allocation over 
the three-year clearance period. The estimated annual burden to 
respondents is 159 hours. There will be no cost to respondents.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
      Type of respondents           Form name       respondents    responses per   response  (in    (in hours)
                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Potential Sponsors............  Initial                        3               1               8              24
                                 Application.
                                Annual Report...              30               1           30/60              15
                                Report for                    24               1           30/60              12
                                 course changes.
                                Renewal                       13               1               6              78
                                 Application.
                                Refresher Course               3               1               8              24
                                 Application.
                                One-time                      32               1           12/60               6
                                 Customer
                                 Satisfaction.
                                Survey..........
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............             159
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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. 2017-04047 Filed 3-1-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P