[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 154 (Friday, August 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44722-44723]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17348]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-21-21HD; Docket No. CDC-2021-0080]


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.

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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 proposed 
information collection project titled One Health SARS-CoV-2 Animal 
Testing Form, which aims to improve the scientific community's 
understanding of the number of animals state officials report are 
tested for SARS-CoV-2, including the associated epidemiological data 
and testing results.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before October 12, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2021-
0080 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 instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, 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,

[[Page 44723]]

including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    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; and
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    One Health SARS-CoV-2 Animal Testing Form--New--National Center for 
Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The goal of this project is to collect information from state, 
tribal, local, and territorial partners on the scope and context of 
SARS-CoV-2 testing in animals in order to understand and monitor 
testing burden and prevalence of the virus among animal populations. 
Currently, most animal samples that test positive for SARS-CoV-2 are 
confirmed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
National Veterinary Services Lab (NVSL), and are reported to the World 
Organization for Animal Health (OIE). However, no reporting 
requirements or mechanisms are in place to determine the number of 
negative results, total number of samples tested, and samples for which 
testing was not approved by state, territorial, local, or tribal health 
authorities. Additional information on the overall number of animals 
tested for SARS-CoV-2 will allow us to refine our understanding of the 
clinical course and presentation in animals, gain a sense of the burden 
that SARS-COV-2 testing places on health officials, and develop an 
estimate of national prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. In turn, these data can 
help inform guidance and recommendations, as well as surveillance 
directives for future emerging infectious diseases.
    The need for these data has been discussed with federal, state, 
tribal, local, and territorial partners and the questionnaire was 
developed in consultation with these stakeholders. CDC requests 
approval for an estimated 8,000 annual burden hours. There is no cost 
to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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State public health             State Level                   80             400           15/60           8,000
 veterinarians, State animal     Veterinary
 health officials, and           Authority
 wildlife veterinarians.         Surveillance
                                 Questionnaire.
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2021-17348 Filed 8-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P