[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55163-55164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22395]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request Information Collection Request Title: Ending the 
HIV Epidemic (EHE) Triannual Module, OMB No. 0906-xxxx--New.

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection 
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the 
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the 
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than December 
16, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call Lisa Wright-
Solomon, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 
443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) 
Triannual Module, OMB No. 0906-xxxx--New.
    Abstract: HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) funds and 
coordinates with cities, states, and local clinics/community-based 
organizations to deliver efficient and effective HIV care, treatment, 
and support to low income people with HIV. Nearly two-thirds of clients 
(patients) live at or below 100 percent of the Federal poverty level 
and approximately three-quarters of RWHAP clients are racial/ethnic 
minorities. Since 1990, the RWHAP has developed a comprehensive system 
of safety net providers who deliver high quality direct health care and 
support services to over half a million people with HIV--more than 50 
percent of all people with diagnosed HIV in the United States.

Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America

    In February 2019, the Administration announced a new initiative, 
Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE). Authorized by 
section 311(c) and title XXVI of the Public Health Service Act, this 
ten-year initiative beginning in FY 2020 seeks to achieve the important 
goal of reducing new HIV infections in the United States to less than 
3,000 per year by 2030. EHE will focus on 48 counties, Washington, DC, 
San Juan, Puerto Rico, and seven states that have a substantial rural 
HIV burden. By focusing on these jurisdictions in the first phase of 
the EHE, HHS plans to reduce new HIV infections by 75% within five 
years. Across the United States, the EHE will promote and implement 
four Pillars to substantially reduce HIV transmissions--diagnose, 
treat, prevent, and respond. EHE is a collaborative effort among key 
HHS agencies, primarily HRSA, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Indian Health 
Service, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration. RWHAP will focus on implementing activities in the 
Pillar Two: Treat and supporting Pillar Four: Respond for this 
important initiative.
    HRSA identified proposed data collection needs to support HRSA's 
efforts towards ending the HIV Epidemic. In order to reach this goal, 
HRSA needs to have the ability to monitor initiative activities 
including funding allocations, expenditures, service utilization, and 
clients served; and assess progress toward meeting national goals for 
ending the HIV epidemic. HRSA proposes that recipients and service 
providers (subrecipients) who receive EHE initiative funding report on 
the reach of EHE initiative activities in a new EHE Triannual Module.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA proposes that 
service providers who receive EHE Initiative funding report aggregate 
information on the number of clients receiving specific services and 
the number of clients who were prescribed antiretroviral medications in 
the previous four months (beginning in March 2020). This information 
would complement the annual information collected through the Ryan 
White Services Report (RSR) and other reporting mechanisms. Service 
providers will report three times per year on clients who received at 
least one service during the previous four month period.
    This module will provide HRSA with frequent and timely data on EHE 
Initiative progress by providing information on the number of clients 
who are reached through the EHE Initiative during each four month 
reporting period. In addition, HRSA can calculate the number of clients 
who did not receive services in the previous year by subtracting the 
number of clients who received services in the previous year and the 
number of new clients from the total number of clients. This will 
provide valuable information on the scope of outreach to new clients 
and clients who have had a lapse in service which could be an 
indication of re-engagement in care. These calculations will be similar 
to calculations using the new RSR variables. This module will support 
project officer monitoring and HRSA's understanding of service 
provision.
    Likely Respondents: RWHAP Part A and Part B Recipients and 
Subrecipients funded by the EHE Initiative.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

[[Page 55164]]



                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
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EHE Triannual Module............              47               3             141               1             141
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    Total.......................              47  ..............             141  ..............             141
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2019-22395 Filed 10-11-19; 8:45 am]
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