[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54147-54148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22081]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day-20-0215; Docket No. CDC-2019-0085]


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 Application Form and Related 
Forms for the Operation of the National Death Index. The National Death 
Index (NDI) is designed to allow NCHS to collect mortality data, to 
support epidemiological research and to furnish mortality information.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before December 9, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2019-
0085 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].

[[Page 54148]]


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

    Application Form and Related Forms for the Operation of the 
National Death Index (NDI) (OMB Control No. 0920-0215, Exp. 12/31/
2019)--Revision--National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C.), as 
amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on the extent and 
nature of illness and disability of the population of the United 
States.
    The National Death Index (NDI) is a national database containing 
identifying death record information submitted annually to NCHS by all 
the state vital statistics offices, beginning with deaths in 1979. 
Searches against the NDI file provide the states and dates of death, 
and the death certificate numbers of deceased study subjects.
    Using the NDI Plus service, researchers have the option of also 
receiving cause of death information for deceased subjects, thus 
reducing the need to request copies of death certificates from the 
states. The NDI Plus option currently provides the International 
Classification of Disease (ICD) codes for the underlying and multiple 
causes of death for the years 1979-2018. Health researchers must 
complete administrative forms in order to apply for NDI services, and 
submit records of study subjects for computer matching against the NDI 
file. A three-year revision request is submitted to continue the use of 
the three administrative forms (the application form, repeat request 
form, and transmittal form) utilized in the operation of the National 
Death Index (NDI) program. These forms are submitted by NDI users when 
applying for use of the NDI and when actually using the service. In 
addition, this request includes the introduction of electronic versions 
that will ultimately replace the three paper documents, one of which 
will include a minor reduction in the number of data collection items. 
There is no cost to respondents except for their time. The total 
estimated annual burden hours are 417. While the estimated annual 
number of application forms has increased from 100 to 120, the revised 
estimate of the time required to complete the application form results 
in an overall net decrease by 40 burden hours from the previously 
approved 457 hours.

                                                          Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                             Number of       Number of      burden per     Total  burden
               Type of respondent                               Form name                   respondents    responses per   response (in        hours
                                                                                                            respondent        hours)
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Researcher.....................................  Application Form--Paper................              20               1               3              60
Researcher.....................................  Application Form--Electronic...........             100               1               3             300
Researcher.....................................  Repeat Request Form--Paper/Electronic..              70               1           18/60              21
Researcher.....................................  Transmittal Form--Paper/Electronic.....             120               1           18/60              36
                                                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  .......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             417
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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. 2019-22081 Filed 10-8-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P