[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 185 (Monday, September 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58359-58360]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20717]


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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 October 
26, 2022.

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 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 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.
    A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register on May 25, 2022 
(87 FR 31893). There were no public comments.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: 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 would close a 
data gap in program performance.
    The Public Health Service (PHS) Act authorizes the 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)). PHS Act section 799(c) 
specifically authorizes the Secretary to ensure that such data 
collection takes

[[Page 58360]]

into account age, sex, race, and ethnicity and sections 806(b) and (f) 
specifically provide 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 expand the workforce 
and help increase access to health care.
    The SDS Application Program Specific Form seeks to assist HRSA in 
assessing applicants for the SDS Program, which is to make 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 PHS 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 three 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 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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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         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. 2022-20717 Filed 9-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P