[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 238 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 79492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27063]



[[Page 79492]]

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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: Rural 
Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing Program Data Collection, OMB No. 0906-
0056 - Extension

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

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 or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than February 
8, 2021.

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: Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 
Testing Program Data Collection, OMB No. 0906-0056 - Extension
    Abstract: This ICR is for continued approval of the Rural Health 
Clinic (RHC) COVID-19 Testing Program Data Collection. HRSA is 
proposing to continue this data collection with no changes. The current 
performance measures are collected electronically in the RHC COVID-19 
Testing Report (CTR), which funded provider's access via 
rhccovidreporting.com. RHC COVID-19 Testing Program Data Collection 
supports the HRSA requirement to monitor and report on funds 
distributed under the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care 
Enhancement Act. Signed into law on April 24, 2020, the Paycheck 
Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act appropriated $225 
million to RHCs to support COVID-19 testing efforts, expand access to 
testing in rural communities, and other related expenses. On May 20, 
2020, HRSA issued funding as one-time payments to 2,406 RHC 
organizations based on the number of certified clinic sites they 
operate, providing $49,461.42 per clinic site (4,549 RHC clinic sites 
total across the country).
    The RHC CTR collects monthly, aggregate data from funded 
organizations. Funded organizations provide basic identifying 
information, report on the number of and location of testing sites, 
indicate how they used the funds, and report the total number of 
patients tested and the number of tests with a positive result.
    Funded organizations must report the number of patients tested and 
the number of positive tests on a monthly basis for the duration of the 
reporting period. HRSA will use this information to evaluate the 
effectiveness of the COVID-19 Testing Program at an aggregate level, to 
understand how the RHC COVID-19 Testing Program funding is being used 
to support RHC organizations and patients, and to ensure that it is 
compliant with federal reporting requirements.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The RHC CTR is designed 
to collect information from funded providers who use the RHC COVID-19 
Testing Program funding to support COVID-19 testing efforts, expand 
access to testing in rural communities, and other related expenses. 
These data are critical to meet HRSA requirements to monitor and report 
on how federal funding is being used and to measure the effectiveness 
of RHC CTR. Specifically, these data will be used to assess the 
following:
     Whether program funds are being spent for their intended 
purposes;
     Where COVID-19 testing supported by these funds is 
occurring;
     Number of patients tested for COVID-19; and
     Results of provided COVID-19 tests.
    Likely Respondents: RHC organizations who received funding for 
COVID-19 testing and related expenses.
    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:
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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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RHC COVID-19 Testing Report (RHC CTR)..............................           2,406               12           28,872              .25            7,218
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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, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2020-27063 Filed 12-9-20; 8:45 am]
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