[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31893-31894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11230]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request Bureau of Health Workforce Program Specific 
Form; OMB No. 0915-XXXX-New

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: 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 July 25, 
2022.

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 Samantha Miller, 
the acting HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-
9094.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information collection request title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Bureau of Health Workforce 
(BHW) Program Specific Form OMB No. 0915-XXXX-New
    Abstract: HRSA seeks to collect disparity related data on two 
forms, the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) Program Specific Form and 
the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Application Program 
Specific Form. This clearance request is for approval of both forms. 
The SDS Application Program Specific Form is currently approved under 
OMB Approval No. 0915-0149 with the expiration date of November 30, 
2022. For programmatic efficiency, HRSA is consolidating this previous 
separate ICR with this new ICR and will be discontinuing OMB No. 0915--
0149.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Currently, disparity 
related data is not uniformly collected from applicants across all BHW 
programs. Historically, only the SDS Program collects disparity related 
data from applicants. In addition to the SDS data, HRSA seeks to obtain 
general demographic data for its other health workforce programs to 
assess the experience and performance of applicants in strengthening 
the health workforce and the populations in which they serve. Examples 
of this data include but are not limited to:
     Demographic Information: Students/trainees gender, race, 
and ethnicity;
     Class Enrollment Information: Student/trainees from 
disadvantaged backgrounds; and
     Graduate Service Information: Graduates or program 
completers serving in Medically Underserved Communities, rural 
communities and in primary care.

Collecting disparity related data from BHW applicants will close an 
important data gap.
    The Public Health Service Act authorizes the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services (Secretary) to collect data for workforce 
information and analysis activities for BHW's Title VII and VIII 
programs in sections 799(c) and 806(b) and (f) (42 U.S.C. 295o-1(c); 42 
U.S.C 296e(b) and (f)). The Public Health Service Act section 799(c) 
specifically authorizes the Secretary to ensure that such data 
collection takes into account age, sex, race, and ethnicity and 
sections 806(b) and (f) specifically provides the Secretary with 
authority to collect information and carry out workforce analytical 
activities. Collecting these data in the HRSA Electronic Handbook will 
help grant reviewers, policy makers, and HRSA staff make decisions that 
promote the health equity mission of the Department.
    The SDS Application Program Specific Form seeks to assist HRSA in 
assessing applicants for the SDS Program, which makes grant awards to 
eligible schools to provide scholarships to full-time, financially 
needy students from disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in health 
professions programs. To qualify for participation in the SDS program, 
a school must be carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining 
students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are 
members of racial and ethnic minority groups, as required by section 
737(d)(1)(B) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C 293a(d)(1)(B)). 
To meet this requirement, a school must provide data via the SDS 
Application Program Specific Form that at least 20 percent of the 
school's full-time enrolled students and graduates are from a 
disadvantaged background.
    The SDS Application Program Specific form previously approved under 
OMB Control No. 0915-0149 does not include substantive changes. Both 
forms will be used to collect 3 years of student and participant data 
from BHW program applicants only.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents vary by the specific program and 
are determined by each program's eligibility, to include but are not 
limited to the following: Accredited schools of

[[Page 31894]]

nursing with advanced education nursing programs; accredited allopathic 
schools of medicine; accredited schools of osteopathic medicine, 
dentistry, pharmacy, and graduate programs in behavioral or mental 
health; schools of nursing; nurse managed health clinics/centers; 
academic health centers; state or local governments; public or private 
nonprofit entities determined appropriate by the Secretary; and 
consortiums and partnerships of eligible entities when applicable.
    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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BHW Program Specific Form.......           2,069               1           2,069              14          28,966
SDS Application Program Specific             323               1             323              31          10,013
 Form...........................
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    Total.......................           2,392  ..............           2,392  ..............          38,979
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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. 2022-11230 Filed 5-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P