[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 74 (Monday, April 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22892-22894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08216]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day-22-1011; Docket No. CDC-2022-0047]


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 continuing information 
collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This 
notice invites comment on a request for extension of an approved 
information collection titled Emergency Epidemic Investigation Data 
Collections. CDC uses the information collected to identify prevention 
and control measures in response to outbreaks and other public health 
events.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before June 17, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2022-
0047 by either 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 H21-8, 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.

[[Page 22893]]


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 H21-8, 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;
    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

    Emergency Epidemic Investigation Data Collections (OMB Control No. 
0920-1011, Exp. 1/31/2023)--Extension --Division of Scientific 
Education and Professional Development (DSEPD), Center for 
Surveillance, Education, and Laboratory Services (CSELS), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    CDC previously conducted Emergency Epidemic Investigations (EEIs) 
under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 0920-0008. In 
2013, CDC received OMB approval (OMB Control No. 0920-1011) for a new 
OMB generic clearance for a three-year period to collect vital 
information during EEIs in response to outbreaks or other urgent public 
health events (i.e., natural, biological, chemical, nuclear, 
radiological), characterized by undetermined agents, undetermined 
sources, undetermined transmission, or undetermined risk factors. This 
generic clearance was approved in 2020 for a three-year extension, 
which expires on 1/31/2023. CDC seeks OMB approval for an extension of 
this Generic clearance for an additional three-year period.
    Supporting effective emergency epidemic investigations is one of 
the most important ways that CDC protects the health of the public. CDC 
is frequently called upon to conduct EEIs at the request of local, 
state, or international health authorities seeking support to respond 
to outbreaks or urgent public health events. In response to external 
partner requests, CDC provides necessary epidemiologic support to 
identify the agents, sources, modes of transmission, or risk factors to 
effectively implement rapid prevention and control measures to protect 
the public's health. Data collection is a critical component of the 
epidemiologic support provided by CDC; data are analyzed to determine 
the agents, sources, modes of transmission, or risk factors so that 
effective prevention and control measures can be implemented. During an 
unanticipated outbreak or urgent public health event, immediate action 
by CDC is necessary to minimize or prevent public harm. The legal 
justification for EEIs are found in the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. Sec. 301 [241] (a)).
    Successful investigations are dependent on rapid and flexible data 
collection that evolves during the investigation and is customized to 
the unique circumstances of each outbreak or urgent public health 
event. Data collection elements will be those necessary to identify the 
agents, sources, mode of transmission, or risk factors. Examples of 
potential data collection methods include telephone or face-to-face 
interview; email, web, or other type of electronic questionnaire; 
paper-and-pencil questionnaire; focus groups; medical record review and 
abstraction; laboratory record review and abstraction; collection of 
clinical samples; and environmental assessment. Respondents will vary 
depending on the nature of the outbreak or urgent public health event. 
Examples of potential respondents include health care professionals, 
patients, laboratorians, and the general public.
    CDC projects 60 EEIs in response to outbreaks or urgent public 
health events characterized by undetermined agents, undetermined 
sources, undetermined transmission, or undetermined risk factors 
annually. The projected average number of respondents is 200 per EEI, 
for a total of 12,000 respondents. CDC estimates the average burden per 
response is 30 minutes and each respondent will be asked to respond 
once. Based on the reported burden for EEIs that have been performed 
during previous years, the total estimated annual burden hours are 
6,000. Participation in EEIs is voluntary and there are no anticipated 
costs to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden   Total burden
      Type of respondent            Form name        Number of     responses per   per response      hours (in
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)        hours)
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Emergency Epidemic              Emergency                 12,000               1           30/60           6,000
 Investigation Participants.     Epidemic
                                 Investigation
                                 Data Collection
                                 Instruments.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           6,000
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[[Page 22894]]

Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2022-08216 Filed 4-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P