[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 23 (Friday, February 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8364-8365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02393]


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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: Federal 
Tort Claims Act Program Deeming Applications for Health Centers, OMB 
No. 0906-0035 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, below, or any other aspect of the 
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this Information Collection Request must be received 
no later than April 6, 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: Federal Tort Claims Act 
Program Deeming Applications for Health Centers, OMB No. 0906-0035--
Extension.
    Abstract: Section 224(g)-(n) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act 
(42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n)), as amended, authorizes the ``deeming'' of 
entities receiving funds under section 330 of the PHS Act as PHS 
employees for the purpose of receiving Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) 
coverage for the performance of medical, surgical, dental, and related 
functions for their officers, board members, employees, and certain 
contractors. The Health Center Program is administered by HRSA's Bureau 
of Primary Health Care. Health centers submit deeming applications 
annually to HRSA in the prescribed form and manner in order to obtain 
deemed PHS employee status, with the associated 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.
    The FTCA Program utilizes a web based application system, the 
Electronic Handbooks. The application includes the following: Contact 
information; Section 1: Review of Risk Management Systems; Section 2: 
Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance Attestations; Section 3: 
Credentialing and Privileging; Section 4: Claims Management; and 
Section 5: Additional Information, Certification, and Signatures.
    HRSA is proposing no changes to the Application for Health Center 
Program Deemed Public Health Service Employment Status information 
collection request to be used for health center deeming applications 
for Calendar Year 2022 and thereafter.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Deeming applications must 
address certain specified criteria required by law in order for deeming 
determinations to be issued, and FTCA application forms are critical to 
HRSA's deeming determination process. The application submissions 
provide HRSA with the information essential for application evaluation 
and a deeming determination for the purposes of FTCA coverage. The 
application information is also used to determine whether a site visit 
is appropriate to assess issues relating to the health center's quality 
of care and to determine technical assistance needs.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents include Health Center Program funds 
recipients seeking deemed PHS employee status 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
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                                                                                      Average
                                     Number of       Number of         Total        burden per     Total burden
            Form name               respondents    responses per     responses     response  (in       hours
                                                    respondent                        hours)
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Application for Health Center                 35               1              35             2.5            87.5
 Program........................
Deemed Public Health Service
 Employment Status (Initial)....
Application for Health Center              1,125               1           1,125             2.5         2,812.5
 Program........................
Deemed Public Health Service
 Employment Status (Redeeming)..
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    1Total......................           1,160  ..............           1,160  ..............           2,900
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[[Page 8365]]

    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. 2021-02393 Filed 2-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P