[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44101-44102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15696]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: 
Application for Deemed Health Center Program Award Recipients To 
Sponsor Volunteer Health Professionals for Deemed Public Health Service 
Employment

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

ACTION: Notice.

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

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 must be received no later than September 
21, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 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: Application for Deemed Health 
Center Program Award Recipients to Sponsor Volunteer Health 
Professionals for Deemed Public Health Service Employment, OMB No. 
0915-0032--Revision.
    Abstract: Subsection 224(q) to the Public Health Service (PHS) Act 
(42 U.S.C. 233(q)), extended liability protections for the performance 
of medical, surgical, dental, and related functions to Volunteer Health 
Professionals (VHPs) of health centers that have also been deemed as 
employees of the PHS for this purpose. Through the process established 
by HRSA, VHPs of deemed health centers may be deemed as PHS employees 
for this purpose, with associated Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) 
coverage.
    Deemed PHS employment provides the covered individual with immunity 
from lawsuits and related civil actions resulting from the performance 
of medical, surgical, dental, and related functions within the scope of 
deemed employment.
    Health centers must submit to HRSA an annual deeming sponsorship 
application on behalf of their individually named volunteers. For 
deeming to apply, such annual applications for each individual 
volunteer must be approved by HRSA, and deeming status for liability 
protections to apply during the calendar year is documented by a Notice 
of Deeming Action.
    HRSA is proposing several changes to the Application for Deemed 
Health Center Program Award Recipients to Sponsor VHPs for Deemed PHS 
Employment, to be used for deeming sponsorship applications for 
Calendar

[[Page 44102]]

Year 2022 and thereafter, to improve question clarity, clarify required 
documentation, and support HRSA's analysis and understanding of program 
impact. Specifically, the Application includes the proposed changes 
listed below.
     Updated application language: Specifically, throughout the 
application, alternate terminology was utilized to provide greater 
clarity and specificity. These changes were based on grantee feedback 
and various forms of information received from the HRSA Helpline. These 
changes are not substantive in nature.
     Updated language and requested documents in section III of 
the application: Specifically, section III was edited to clarify the 
qualifications for eligible individuals and clarify program 
expectations where individuals have a history of disciplinary action or 
malpractice.
     Deleted former section IV: It has been determined that the 
information requested in this section, which related to offsite events 
and particularized determinations, is not necessary to evaluate 
eligibility for deeming.
    The FTCA Program has a web based application system, the Electronic 
Handbooks. These electronic application forms decrease the time and 
effort required to complete the older, paper-based OMB approved FTCA 
application forms. The application includes Acknowledgments of Deemed 
Status Requirements, Acknowledgment of Required Performance Conditions, 
and Information on the Volunteers Sponsored for Deeming.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Deeming sponsorship 
applications must address certain specified criteria required by law in 
order for deeming determinations to be issued. The application 
submissions provides HRSA with the information required to determine 
whether an individual meets the requirements for deemed PHS employment 
for purposes of providing liability protections under section 224(q) of 
the PHS Act.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents include Health Center Program funds 
recipients seeking to sponsor their volunteer health professionals for 
deemed employment for purposes of FTCA coverage.
    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.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application for Deemed Health              1,156               3           3,468               2           6,936
 Center Program Award Recipients
 to Sponsor VHPs for Deemed PHS
 Employment.....................
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................           1,156  ..............           3,468  ..............           6,936
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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, Executive Secretariat.

[FR Doc. 2020-15696 Filed 7-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P