[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 197 (Friday, October 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47741-47742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22199]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-17-0728]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information 
collection request titled National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance 
System to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. CDC previously published a ``Proposed Data Collection 
Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations'' notice on December 
26, 2016 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC 
received one comment related to the previous notice. This notice serves 
to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected agency comments.
    CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information 
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly 
interested in comments that:
    (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 agency's 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, 725 17th 
Street NW.,

[[Page 47742]]

Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide written 
comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

    National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (0920-0728, 
January 31, 2019)--Revision--Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and 
Laboratory Services (CSELS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 241) authorizes CDC to 
disseminate nationally notifiable condition information. The National 
Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) is based on data 
collected at the state, territorial and local levels as a result of 
legislation and regulations in those jurisdictions that require health 
care providers, medical laboratories, and other entities to submit 
health-related data on reportable conditions to public health 
departments. These reportable conditions, which include infectious and 
non-infectious diseases, vary by jurisdiction depending upon each 
jurisdiction's health priorities and needs. Infectious disease agents 
and environmental hazards often cross geographical boundaries. Each 
year, the Council of State and Territorial Disease Epidemiologists 
(CSTE), supported by CDC, determines which reportable conditions should 
be designated nationally notifiable or under standardized surveillance 
and voluntarily submitted to CDC so that information can be shared 
across jurisdictional boundaries and surveillance and prevention and 
control activities can be coordinated at regional and national levels.
    CDC requests a three-year approval for this Revision, which 
includes requests to receive: (1) Case notification data from the 
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 
and the Republic of Palau (independent nations that operate under a 
Compact of Free Association with the United States of America that are 
commonly referred to as ``freely associated states''); (2) new 
laboratory data elements for all conditions; (3) new data elements for 
all vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs); (4) new data elements for the 
following conditions that are already approved: Congenital Rubella 
Syndrome (CRS), Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Campylobacteriosis, Shiga 
toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Hepatitis, and Hantavirus 
Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS); (5) case notification data for histoplasmosis 
which is now under standardized surveillance; (6) case notification 
data for Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) which is now under standardized 
surveillance; and (7) case notification data for all enteric 
Escherichia coli infections should any of them become nationally 
notifiable or be placed under standardized surveillance. CDC already 
has approval to receive case notification data for STEC, which is 
nationally notifiable.
    The burden estimates include the number of hours that the public 
health department uses to process and send case notification data from 
their jurisdiction to CDC. Specifically, the burden estimates include 
separate burden hours incurred for automated and non-automated 
transmissions, separate weekly burden hours incurred for modernizing 
surveillance systems as part of NNDSS Modernization Initiative (NMI) 
implementation, separate burden hours incurred for annual data 
reconciliation and submission, and separate one-time burden hours 
incurred for the addition of new diseases and data elements. These 
estimates are based on information from CDC employees that manage the 
NMI effort and conduct site visits to provide technical assistance to 
help the public health departments modernize their surveillance 
systems. The estimated annual burden is 18,529 hours.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
          Type of respondents                   Form name           respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
States................................  Weekly (Automated)......              50              52           20/60
States................................  Weekly (Non-automated)..              10              52               2
States................................  Weekly (NMI                           50              52               4
                                         Implementation).
States................................  Annual..................              50               1              75
States................................  One-time Addition of                  50               1               8
                                         Diseases and Data
                                         Elements.
Territories...........................  Weekly (Automated)......               1              52           20/60
Territories...........................  Weekly, Quarterly (Non-                5              56           20/60
                                         automated).
Territories...........................  Weekly (NMI                            5              52               4
                                         Implementation).
Territories...........................  Annual..................               5               1               5
Territories...........................  One-time Addition of                   1               1           10/60
                                         Diseases and Data
                                         Elements.
Freely Associated States..............  Weekly, Quarterly (Non-                3              56           20/60
                                         automated).
Freely Associated States..............  Annual..................               3               1               5
Cities................................  Weekly (Automated)......               2              52           20/60
Cities................................  Weekly (Non-automated)..               2              52               2
Cities................................  Weekly (NMI                            2              52               4
                                         Implementation).
Cities................................  Annual..................               2               1              75
Cities................................  One-time Addition of                   2               1               8
                                         Diseases and Data
                                         Elements.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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. 2017-22199 Filed 10-12-17; 8:45 am]
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