[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 216 (Thursday, November 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52045-52046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24418]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-18-1036]


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 Community Assessment for Public Health 
Emergency Response (CASPER) 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 May 31, 2017 to obtain comments from the public and affected 
agencies. CDC did not receive comments 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 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]. 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., Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide 
written comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

    Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) 
(OMB Control Number 0920-1036, Expiration 12/31/2017)--Revision--
National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) is requesting a 
revision of a currently approved generic information collection plan to 
reduce the number of burden hours associated with conducting Community 
Assessments for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPERs). 
Specifically, NCEH seeks to make the following changes:
     Decrease the number of proposed CASPERs conducted annually 
from 15 to 6.
     Decrease the number of total annual respondents from 3,200 
to 1,284, resulting in a burden reduction of 946 hours.
     Update respondent costs to reflect current wage data from 
2015.
    CASPER is an effective public health tool designed to quickly 
provide low-cost, household-based information about a community's needs 
and health status in a simple, easy-to-understand format for decision-
makers during a public health emergency. A CASPER can be conducted as 
part of disaster/emergency response to help inform decision-making and 
resource distribution.
    CASPERs comprise household interviews (approximately 30-minutes 
long) with an adult (>=18 years of age) household member. Households 
are identified using a 2-stage process so that they are representative 
of an entire area. Data are collected about the current household needs 
(e.g., water, medicine, medical services), aggregated, and provided to 
the state or other responding agency.
    Each time a CASPER is conducted, it is tailored to the current 
needs of public health and, if appropriate, emergency managers. Because 
these CASPERs are requested by states during disasters or emergencies, 
it is important that CDC have the ability to gain urgent approval for 
data collection.
    In the past three years, CDC has conducted two CASPERs. These 
CASPERs were in support of the California Drought in Mariposa County 
and the West Virginia Flooding of 2016. The 2016 California Drought 
CASPER

[[Page 52046]]

was a successful collaboration between California Department of Public 
Health, the Mariposa County Health Department, and CDC, which helped 
characterize the impacts of drought in Mariposa County as well as 
actions households have taken. These results were useful in allocating 
resources for response to the drought and in strengthening the 
emergency preparedness capacity of Mariposa County. The 2016 West 
Virginia Flood CASPERs assessed household disaster preparedness, access 
to health care, health impacts due to flood damage, health information 
sources, and stage of disaster recovery. Approval of this revised 
generic information collection plan will allow CDC to continue to 
provide low-cost, household-based information about a community's needs 
and health status in a simple, easy-to-understand format for decision 
makers during public health emergencies.
    Based on the experience of the past three years, NCEH requests 
changes to this generic information collection plan to reduce the 
number of CASPERs conducted annually, reduce the number of referral 
forms completed, and update respondent costs to reflect wage data from 
2015. The revised estimated burden is based on conducting 6 emergency 
CASPERs per year, interviewing 210 households (the respondents) per 
CASPER, and completing 24 referral forms per year. The total burden 
requested for this generic information collection plan is 631 hours 
from 1,284 respondents (see table below). This is a reduction in burden 
of 946 hours from the previously approved generic information 
collection plan. There is no cost to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
         Type of  respondents                   Form name            Number of    responses  per   per response
                                                                    respondents      respondent     (in hours)
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Households in the selected geographic   CASPER Questionnaire....           1,260               1           30/60
 area to be assessed.
Households in the selected geographic   Referral Form...........              24               1            2/60
 area to be assessed.
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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. 2017-24418 Filed 11-8-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P