[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 155 (Monday, August 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45739-45740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17495]


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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: The HRSA 
Community-Based Outreach Reporting Module, OMB # 0906-0064, Extension

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HRSA requests an extension to continue data collection for the 
Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Programs (CBO 
Programs) (OMB # 0906-0064). 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 ICR should be received no later than October 
15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or by mail to 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 collection request title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: The HRSA Community-Based 
Outreach Reporting Module, OMB # 0906-0064, Extension.
    Abstract: HRSA requests approval of an extension of the current 
emergency ICR to continue data collection for the Community-Based 
Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Programs (CBO Programs), which 
support nonprofit private or public organizations to establish, expand, 
and sustain a public health workforce to prevent, prepare for, and 
respond to COVID-19. This data is needed to comply with requirements to 
monitor funds distributed under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 
and in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-21-20.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA is requesting 
approval from OMB for an extension of the current emergency data 
collection module to support HRSA's Healthcare Systems Bureau and 
Office of Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation requirements to monitor 
and report on funds distributed. As part of the American Rescue Plan 
Act of 2021, signed into law on March 11, 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2), HRSA 
has awarded nearly $250 million to develop and support a community-
based workforce that will engage in locally tailored efforts to build 
vaccine confidence and bolster COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved 
communities. In June and July, under the CBO Programs, HRSA awarded 
funding to over 140 local and national organizations. These 
organizations are responsible for educating and assisting individuals 
in accessing and receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes 
activities such as conducting direct face-to-face outreach and other 
forms of direct outreach to community members to educate them about the 
vaccine, assisting individuals in making a vaccine appointment, 
providing resources to find convenient vaccine locations, and assisting 
individuals with transportation or other needs to get to a vaccination 
site. The program will address persistent health disparities by 
offering support and resources to vulnerable and medically underserved 
communities, including racial and ethnic minority groups and 
individuals living in areas of high social vulnerability.
    HRSA is proposing a new data reporting module--the Community-Based 
Vaccine Outreach Program Reporting Module--to collect information on 
CBO Program-funded activities. The CBO Program will collect monthly 
progress report data from funded organizations. This data will be 
related to the public health workforce, the vaccine outreach activities 
performed by this workforce, and the individuals who received 
vaccinations by this workforce in a manner that assesses equitable 
access to vaccine services and that the most vulnerable populations and 
communities are reached. This data will allow HRSA to clearly identify 
how the funds are being used and monitored throughout the period of 
performance and to ensure that high-need populations are being reached 
and vaccinated. Responses to some data requirements are only reported 
during the initial reporting cycle (e.g., the name, location, 
affiliation, etc. of the individual supporting community outreach), 
though respondents may update the data should any of that change during 
the duration of the reporting period.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents are community outreach workers 
employed by entities supported by HRSA grant funding over a period of 
either 6 months (HRSA-21-136) or 12 months (HRSA-21-140).
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain,

[[Page 45740]]

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 unique
                                     organizations         Number of           Number of                          Average burden per
            Form name               funded through        respondents        responses per      Total responses       response (in    Total burden hours
                                   the two programs                           respondent                                hours)
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Community outreach worker         14 cooperative      Total number of     One response per    Reported once       Sampled response    Total hours spent
 profile form.                     agreement awards    Community           respondent.         across the          times of            on responses for
                                   for HRSA-21-136     outreach workers                        duration of the     approximately 15    all funded
                                   and 127 grant       deployed through                        programs (the       minutes per         organizations
                                   awards for HRSA-    the work of the                         period of           response.           over a 2-year
                                   21-136.             two programs.                           performance for                         period.
                                                                                               HRSA-21-136 is 6
                                                                                               months, and for
                                                                                               HRSA-21-140 is 12
                                                                                               months).
                                  131 (est.)........  3,000 (est.)......  1.................  3,000.............  0.27 hours........  800.
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                                                           Number of
                                       Number of       respondents over        Number of                          Average burden per
            Form name                  community      the period of  the     responses per      Total responses       response (in    Total burden hours
                                   outreach workers        programs           respondent                                hours)
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Vaccine-site data--outreach to    Number of           Number of           One response per    Reported once       Sampled response    Total hours spent
 community members form.           community           community members   respondent or       across the          times of            on responses for
                                   outreach workers    in contact with     less (e.g., one     duration of the     approximately 6     all funded
                                   deployed for 6      community           response from the   programs (the       minutes per         organizations
                                   months (HRSA-21-    outreach workers.   audience of a       period of           response.           over a 2-year
                                   136) or 12 months                       group outreach      performance for                         period.
                                   (HRSA-21-140) of                        event).             HRSA-21-136 is 6
                                   support.                                                    months, and for
                                                                                               HRSA-21-140 is 12
                                                                                               months).
                                  3,000 (est.)......  4,000,000 (est.)..  1.................  4,000,000.........  0.12 hours........  466,667.
General outreach activities for   Number of           Number of           One response per    Reported once       Sampled response    Total hours spent
 community members form.           community           community members   respondent or       across the          times of            on responses for
                                   outreach workers    in contact with     less (e.g., one     duration of the     approximately 6     all funded
                                   deployed for 6      community           response from the   programs (the       minutes per         organizations
                                   months (HRSA-21-    outreach workers.   audience of a       period of           response.           over a 2-year
                                   136) or 12 months                       group outreach      performance for                         period.
                                   (HRSA-21-140) of                        event).             HRSA-21-136 is 6
                                   support.                                                    months, and for
                                                                                               HRSA-21-140 is 12
                                                                                               months).
                                  3,000 (est.)......  4,000,000 (est.)..  1.................  4,000,000.........  0.12 hours........  466,667.
    Grand Total.................  8,003,000 (est.)..  ..................  ..................  8,003,000 (est.)..  ..................  934,134.
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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. 2021-17495 Filed 8-13-21; 8:45 am]
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