[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 28 (Friday, February 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9343-9345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02951]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-21-21CT; Docket No. CDC-2021-0006]


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.

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

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 request for 
emergency clearance of the information collection titled Requirement 
for Negative Pre-Departure Covid-19 Test Result or Documentation of 
Recovery from Covid-19 for all Airline or other Aircraft Passengers 
arriving into the United States from any foreign country. This 
collection accompanies a CDC Order of the same name and is designed to 
prohibit the introduction into the United States of any airline 
passenger departing from the any foreign country unless the passenger:
    (1) Has a negative pre-departure test result for COVID-19 
(Qualifying Test), or (2) has written or electronic documentation of 
recovery from COVID-19 in the form of a positive viral test result and 
a letter from a licensed health care provider or public health official 
stating that the passenger has been cleared for travel.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before April 13, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2021-
0006 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

[[Page 9344]]

instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, of the 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].

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

    Requirement for Negative Pre-Departure Covid-19 Test Result or 
Documentation of Recovery From Covid-19 for all Airline or other 
Aircraft Passengers Arriving into the United States from any Foreign 
Country--New--National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious 
Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    This information collection accompanies the Notice and Order named 
above. Pursuant to 42 CFR 71.20 and as set forth in greater detail 
below, this Notice and Order prohibit the introduction into the United 
States of any airline passenger departing from the any foreign country 
unless the passenger:
    (1) Has a negative pre-departure test result for COVID-19 
(Qualifying Test), or (2) has written or electronic documentation of 
recovery from COVID-19 in the form of a positive viral test result and 
a letter from a licensed health care provider or public health official 
stating that the passenger has been cleared for travel (Documentation 
of Recovery).
    The negative test must be a viral test that was conducted on a 
specimen collected during the three days preceding the flight's 
departure from a foreign country. Passengers must retain written or 
electronic documentation reflecting the Qualifying Test, or 
Documentation of Recovery, presented to the airline and produce such 
documentation upon request to any U.S. government official or a 
cooperating state or local public health authority.
    Pursuant to 42 CFR 71.31(b), the Order constitutes a controlled 
free pratique to any airline with an aircraft arriving into the United 
States from any foreign country. Pursuant to the controlled free 
pratique, the airline must comply with the following conditions in 
order to receive permission for the aircraft to enter and disembark 
passengers in the United States:
     Airline or other aircraft operator must verify that every 
passenger--two years of age or older--onboard the aircraft has attested 
to receiving a negative Qualifying Test result or to having recovered 
from COVID-19 after previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and being cleared to 
travel by a licensed health care provider or public health official.
     Airline or other aircraft operator must confirm that every 
passenger onboard the aircraft has documentation of a negative 
Qualifying Test result or Documentation of Recovery from COVID-19.
    Certain exemptions and waivers do apply, and are as follows:
     Crew members of airlines or other aircraft operators 
provided that they follow industry standard protocols for the 
prevention of COVID-19 as set forth in relevant Safety Alerts for 
Operators (SAFOs) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
     Airlines or other aircraft operators transporting 
passengers with COVID-19 pursuant to CDC authorization and in 
accordance with CDC guidance.
     Federal law enforcement personnel on official orders who 
are traveling for the purpose of carrying out a law enforcement 
function, provided they are covered under an occupational health and 
safety program in accordance with CDC guidance. Those traveling for 
training or other business purposes remain subject to the requirements 
of this Order.
     U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) personnel, including 
military personnel and civilian employees, dependents, contractors 
(including whole aircraft charter operators), and other U.S. government 
employees when traveling on DOD assets, provided that such individuals 
are under competent military or U.S government travel orders and 
observing DOD precautions to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 as 
set forth in Force Protection Guidance Supplement 14--Department of 
Defense Guidance for Personnel Traveling During the Coronavirus Disease 
2019 Pandemic (December 29, 2020) including its testing guidance.
     Individuals and organizations for which the issuance of a 
humanitarian exemption is necessary based on both (1) exigent 
circumstances where emergency travel is required to preserve health and 
safety (e.g., emergency medical evacuations) and (2) where pre-
departure testing cannot be accessed or completed before travel. 
Additional conditions may be placed on those granted such exemptions, 
including but not limited to, observing precautions during travel, 
providing consent to post-arrival testing, and/or self-quarantine after 
arrival in the United States, as may be directed by federal, state, 
territorial, tribal or local public health authorities to reduce the 
risk of transmission or spread.
    CDC anticipates certain additional cost burdens to respondents and 
record keepers due to the requirements. These costs fall into the 
following categories:
     Traveler testing and ancillary costs: $9,136,480,000.
     Traveler deferred travel costs: $44,370,000.
     Airline staff costs for digitizing attestations: 
$12,257,000.
     Airline costs to store attestations: $1,200-$1,050,000 a 
year depending on size of airline and number of travelers.
    Estimated burden hours associated with this collection are 
70,843,733.

[[Page 9345]]



                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondent            Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traveler (3rd Party             Attestation of a      34,000,000               1               2      68,000,000
 Disclosure).                    negative COVID-
                                 19 test/
                                 Documentation
                                 indicating
                                 clearance for
                                 travel by a
                                 licensed
                                 healthcare
                                 provider or
                                 public health
                                 official.
Airline Desk Agent............  Attestation of a      34,000,000               1            5/60       2,833,333
                                 negative COVID-
                                 19 test/
                                 Documentation
                                 indicating
                                 clearance for
                                 travel by a
                                 licensed
                                 healthcare
                                 provider or
                                 public health
                                 official.
Traveler......................  Request                    5,200               1               2          10,400
                                 Exemption on
                                 Urgent
                                 Humanitarian
                                 Basis.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............      70,843,733
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2021-02951 Filed 2-11-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P