[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24478-24479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11399]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-18-18AAE; Docket No. CDC-2018-0039]


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 effort to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed 
information collection project titled National HIV Behavioral 
Surveillance among Transgender women (NHBS-Trans). CDC is requesting a 
new 2-year approval to pilot collecting standardized HIV-related 
behavioral data from transgender women at risk for HIV systematically 
selected from 9 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) throughout the 
United States.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before July 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2018-
0039 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, 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. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to Regulations.gov.

    Please note:  Submit all comments 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 Leroy A. Richardson, 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 the OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. 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;
    2. 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;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. 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 
submissions of responses.
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System--among Transgender 
women (NHBS-Trans)--New--National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, 
STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The purpose of this data collection is to monitor behaviors related 
to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission and prevention in 
the United States of transgender women, who are known to be at high 
risk for HIV infection, and to assess barriers to, and best strategies 
for, conducting bio-behavioral surveys among minority transgender women 
in nine cities. This includes recruiting, interviewing and providing 
HIV testing and referral to services (as needed) following CDC protocol 
based on an existing HIV Behavioral Surveillance system. The proposed 
respondents are 200 adult minority trangender women in each of nine 
cities (1,800 interviews total) who will each respond one time over the 
course of the two year pilot. The information will be collected over a 
two year period beginning no later than two months after OMB approval.
    NHBS-Trans provides information to help prevent HIV among 
transgender women. Preventing HIV, especially among high-risk groups, 
is an effective strategy for reducing individual, local, and national 
healthcare costs. The utility of this information is to provide CDC and 
local health department staff with data for evaluating progress towards 
local and national public health

[[Page 24479]]

goals, such as reducing new HIV infections, increasing the use of 
condoms, and targeting high risk groups by describing and monitoring 
the HIV risk behaviors, HIV seroprevalence and incidence, and HIV 
prevention experiences of persons at highest risk for HIV infection.
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention request two year 
approval for a new information collection. Data will be collected 
through anonymous, in-person interviews conducted with persons 
systematically selected from nine Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) 
throughout the United States; these nine MSAs were chosen based on 
having high HIV prevalence. A brief screening interview will be used to 
determine eligibility for participation in the behavioral assessment. 
Participants will be recruited through respondent-driven sampling, a 
scientifically proven recruitment strategy for reaching hidden, hard-
to-reach, or stigmatized populations. Interview data will be recorded 
on secure portable computers, without internet connections. Data will 
be transferred to secure, encrypted data servers. Data will be stored 
at CDC and shared with local health departments in accordance with 
existing data use agreements and the Assurance of Confidentiality for 
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data. Data will be disseminated in aggregate 
through academic and agency publications, presentations, and reports. 
All data collection and activities will be anonymous.
    Personally identifiable information (PII) is not included in the 
data collection. The CDC Privacy Officer has assessed this package for 
applicability of 5 U.S.C. 552a. The Privacy Act is not applicable 
because PII is not being collected under this CDC funded activity. The 
NHBS-Trans formative interview and optional HIV testing are anonymous 
(neither names nor Social Security numbers are collected). Data that 
will be collected through NHBS-Trans, while sensitive, are not 
personally identifying.
    The data from the behavioral assessment will provide estimates of 
(1) behavior related to the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted 
diseases, (2) prior testing for HIV, (3) and use of HIV prevention 
services. All persons interviewed will also be offered an HIV test, and 
will participate in a pre-test counseling session. No other federal 
agency systematically collects this type of information from persons at 
risk for HIV infection. These data have substantial impact on 
prevention program development and monitoring at the local, state, and 
national levels.
    The Burden Table below shows the estimated annualized burden hours 
for the participants' time. Annually, 990 participants will complete an 
eligibility screener (an average of 5 minutes to complete), 900 
participants will complete the Behavioral Assessment (an average of 40 
minutes to complete), and 900 will complete the Recruiter Debriefing 
Form (an average of two minutes to complete). The estimated total 
annualized burden would be 713 hours. Participation of respondents is 
voluntary. There are no costs 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    Total burden
                                                                                            respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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Persons Screened...............................  Eligibility Screener...................             990               1            5/60              83
Eligible Participant...........................  Behavioral Assessment..................             900               1           40/60             600
Peer Recruiters................................  Recruiter Debriefing...................             900               1            2/60              30
                                                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  .......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             713
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Acting 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. 2018-11399 Filed 5-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P