[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 61 (Thursday, April 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17169-17170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06690]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Public Comment Request; Information Collection 
Request; Federal Tort Claims Act Program Deeming Applications for 
Health Centers, 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 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
HRSA has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments 
submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided 
to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the 
review and approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30 
day comment period for this notice has closed.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than May 3, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the clearance 
requests submitted to OMB for review, email Lisa Wright-Solomon, the 
HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at [email protected] or 
call (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 Application 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 purposes of receiving Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) 
coverage. 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 has a web-based application system, the Electronic 
Handbooks (EHBs). These electronic application forms decrease the time 
and effort required to complete the older, paper-based OMB approved 
FTCA application forms. The application includes: Contact Information; 
Section 1: Review of Risk Management Systems; Section 2: Quality 
Improvement/Quality Assurance (QI/QA) 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, to be used for 
Health Center deeming applications for Calendar Year 2021 and 
thereafter.
    A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register on February 5, 
2021, Vol. 86, No. 23; pp. 8364-65. There were no public comments.
    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. This form provides HRSA with 
information that is essential for evaluating health center adherence to 
FTCA program requirements and making a determination as to whether a 
health center meets the statutory requirements for deemed PHS employee 
status 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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FTCA Health Center Program                    35               1              35             2.5            87.5
 Initial Application............
FTCA Health Center Program                 1,125               1           1,125             2.5         2,812.5
 Redeeming Application..........
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    Total.......................           1,160  ..............           1,160  ..............         2,900.0
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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

[[Page 17170]]

technology to minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2021-06690 Filed 3-31-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P