[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54150-54151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22079]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30-Day-20-0639]


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 Energy Employees Occupational Illness 
Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort 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 July 5, 2019 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

    Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 
2000 (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (OMB Control No. 0920-0639, Exp. 
10/31/2019)--Extension--National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    On October 30, 2000, the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 
Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA), 42 U.S.C. 7384-7385 [1994, 
supp. 2001] was enacted. The Act established a compensation program to 
provide a lump sum payment of $150,000 and medical benefits as 
compensation to covered employees suffering from designated illnesses 
incurred as a result of their exposure to radiation, beryllium, or 
silica while in the performance of duty for the Department of Energy 
and certain of its vendors, contractors and subcontractors. This 
legislation also provided for payment of compensation for certain 
survivors of these covered employees. This program has been mandated to 
be in effect until Congress ends the funding.
    Among other duties, the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) was directed to establish and implement procedures for 
considering petitions by

[[Page 54151]]

classes of nuclear weapons workers to be added to the ``Special 
Exposure Cohort'' (the ``Cohort''). In brief, EEOICPA authorizes HHS to 
designate such classes of employees for addition to the Cohort when 
NIOSH lacks sufficient information to estimate with sufficient accuracy 
the radiation doses of the employees, and if HHS also finds that the 
health of members of the class may have been endangered by the 
radiation dose the class potentially incurred. HHS must also obtain the 
advice of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (the 
``Board'') in establishing such findings. On May 28, 2004, HHS issued a 
rule that established procedures for adding such classes to the Cohort 
(42 CFR part 83). The rule was amended on July 10, 2007.
    The HHS rule authorizes a variety of respondents to submit 
petitions. Petitioners are required to provide the information 
specified in the rule to qualify their petitions for a complete 
evaluation by HHS and the Board. HHS has developed two forms to assist 
the petitioners in providing this required information efficiently and 
completely. Form A is a one-page form to be used by EEOICPA claimants 
for whom NIOSH has attempted to conduct dose reconstructions and has 
determined that available information is not sufficient to complete the 
dose reconstruction. Form B, accompanied by separate instructions, is 
intended for all other petitioners. Forms A and B can be submitted 
electronically as well as in hard copy. Respondent/petitioners should 
be aware that HHS is not requiring respondents to use the forms. 
Respondents can choose to submit petitions as letters or in other 
formats, but petitions must meet the informational requirements stated 
in the rule. NIOSH expects, however, that all petitioners for whom Form 
A would be appropriate will actually use the form, since NIOSH will 
provide it to them upon determining that their dose reconstruction 
cannot be completed and encourage them to submit the petition. NIOSH 
expects the large majority of petitioners for whom Form B would be 
appropriate will also use the form, since it provides a simple, 
organized format for addressing the informational requirements of a 
petition.
    NIOSH will use the information obtained through the petition for 
the following purposes: (a) Identify the petitioner(s), obtain their 
contact information, and establish that the petitioner(s) is qualified 
and intends to petition HHS; (b) establish an initial definition of the 
class of employees being proposed to be considered for addition to the 
Cohort; (c) determine whether there is justification to require HHS to 
evaluate whether or not to designate the proposed class as an addition 
to the Cohort (such an evaluation involves potentially extensive data 
collection, analysis, and related deliberations by NIOSH, the Board, 
and HHS); and, (d) target an evaluation by HHS to examine relevant 
potential limitations of radiation monitoring and/or dosimetry-relevant 
records and to examine the potential for related radiation exposures 
that might have endangered the health of members of the class.
    Finally, under the rule, petitioners may contest the proposed 
decision of the HHS Secretary to add or deny adding classes of 
employees to the cohort by submitting evidence that the proposed 
decision relies on a record of either factual or procedural errors in 
the implementation of these procedures. NIOSH estimates that the 
average time to prepare and submit such a challenge is 5 hours. Because 
of the uniqueness of this submission, NIOSH is not providing a form. 
The submission will typically be in the form of a letter to the 
Secretary. There are no changes to the previously approved information 
collection forms, submission procedures, or burden estimates.
    There are no costs to respondents unless a respondent/petitioner 
chooses to purchase the services of an expert in dose reconstruction, 
an option provided for under the rule. The total estimated burden hours 
are 41.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondents                   Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Petitioners...........................  Form A:.................               2               1            3/60
                                        42 CFR 83.9.............
                                        Form B:.................               5               1               5
                                        42 CFR 83.9.............
Petitioners using a submission format   42 CFR 83.9.............               1               1               6
 other than Form B (as permitted by
 rule).
Petitioners Appealing final HHS         42 CFR 83.18............               2               1               5
 decision (no specific form is
 required).
Claimant authorizing a party to submit  Authorization Form: 42                 3               1            3/60
 petition on his/her behalf.             CFR 83.7.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2019-22079 Filed 10-8-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P