[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46535-46536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-19019]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-19-1011; Docket No. CDC-2019-0075]


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 request for 
extension of an approved information collection titled Emergency 
Epidemic Investigation Data Collections (OMB Control No. 0920-1011). 
CDC will use the information collected to identify prevention and 
control measures in response to outbreaks and other public health 
events.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before November 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2019-
0075 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 Jeffrey M. Zirger, 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

    Emergency Epidemic Investigation Data Collections (OMB Control No. 
0920-1011, Exp. 01/31/2020)--Extension--Division of Scientific 
Education and Professional Development (DSEPD), Center for 
Surveillance, Education, and Laboratory Services (CSELS), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    CDC previously conducted Emergency Epidemic Investigations (EEIs) 
under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 0920-0008. 
In 2013, CDC received OMB approval (OMB Control Number 0920-1011) for a 
new OMB generic clearance for a 3-year period to collect vital 
information during EEIs in response to urgent outbreaks or events 
(i.e., natural, biological, chemical, nuclear, radiological) 
characterized by undetermined agents, undetermined sources, 
undetermined transmission, or undetermined risk factors. This generic 
clearance was approved for a three-year extension, which expires on 1/
31/2020. CDC seeks OMB approval for an extension of this generic 
clearance for a three-year period.
    Supporting effective emergency epidemic investigations is one of 
the most important ways that CDC protects the health of the public. CDC 
is frequently called upon to conduct EEIs at the request of local, 
state, or international health authorities seeking support to respond 
to urgent outbreaks or urgent public health-related events. In response 
to external partner requests, CDC provides necessary epidemiologic 
support to identify the agents, sources, modes of transmission, or risk 
factors to effectively implement rapid prevention and control measures 
to protect the public's health. Data collection is a critical component 
of the epidemiologic support provided by CDC; data are analyzed to 
determine the agents, sources, modes of transmission, or risk factors 
so that effective prevention and control measures can be implemented. 
During an unanticipated outbreak or event, immediate action by CDC is 
necessary to minimize or prevent public harm. The legal justification 
for EEIs are found in the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 301 
[241] (a)).
    Successful investigations are dependent on rapid and flexible data 
collection that evolves during the investigation and is customized to 
the unique circumstances of each outbreak or event. Data collection 
elements will be those necessary to identify the agents, sources, mode 
of transmission, or risk factors. Examples of potential data collection 
methods include telephone or face-to-face interview; email, web or 
other type of electronic questionnaire; paper-and-pencil questionnaire; 
focus groups; medical record review; laboratory record review; 
collection of clinical samples; and environmental assessment. 
Respondents will vary depending on the nature of the outbreak or event. 
Examples of potential respondents include health care professionals, 
patients, laboratorians, and the general public. Participation in EEIs 
is voluntary and there are no anticipated costs to respondents other 
than their time. CDC will use the information gathered during EEIs to 
rapidly identify and effectively implement measures to minimize or 
prevent public harm.
    CDC projects 60 EEIs in response to outbreaks or events 
characterized by

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undetermined agents, undetermined sources, undetermined transmission, 
or undetermined risk factors annually. The projected average number of 
respondents is 200 per EEI, for a total of 12,000 respondents. CDC 
estimates the average burden per response is 0.5 hours and each 
respondent will be asked to respond once. Therefore, the total 
estimated annual burden hours are 6,000. These estimates are based on 
the reported burden for EEIs that have been performed during the 
previous two years. OMB approval is requested for three years. There 
are no costs to respondents.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden   Total burden
      Type of respondent            Form name        Number of     responses per   per response      hours (in
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency Epidemic              Emergency                 12,000               1           30/60           6,000
 Investigation Participants.     Epidemic
                                 Investigation
                                 Data Collection
                                 Instruments.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           6,000
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2019-19019 Filed 9-3-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P