[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14373-14374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04725]


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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: Substance 
Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program and the 
Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program

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 May 8, 
2023.

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: 
    Information Collection Request Title: Substance Use Disorder 
Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program and the Pediatric 
Specialty Loan Repayment Program, OMB No. 0906-0058--Revision
    Abstract: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 included 
$40,000,000 for the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery 
(STAR) Loan Repayment Program (LRP). This funding will allow HRSA to 
provide the repayment of education loans for individuals working in a 
full-time substance use disorder treatment job that involves direct 
patient care in either a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) 
designated for Mental Health, or a county where the average drug 
overdose death rate exceeds the national average. The Further 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 and the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2023 included $5,000,000 and $10,000,000, 
respectively, for HRSA to award eligible individuals through the 
Pediatric Specialty LRP. This funding will allow HRSA to provide the 
repayment of education loans to pediatric medical subspecialist, 
pediatric surgical specialist, and child and adolescent mental and 
behavioral health care providers working full-time in or serving a 
HPSA, medically underserved area (MUA), or medically underserved 
population (MUP). This information collection request adds the 
Pediatric Specialty LRP and relevant forms.
    The Department of Health and Human Services agrees to make payment 
of up to $250,000 for the repayment of eligible educational loans in 
return for 6 years of service obligation through the STAR LRP, and up 
to $100,000 in return for 3 years of service obligation through the 
Pediatric Specialty LRP. The forms utilized by the STAR LRP and the 
Pediatric Specialty LRP include the following: the LRP Application, the 
Authorization for Disclosure of Loan Information form, the Privacy Act 
Release Authorization form, and the electronic Employment Verification 
form., if applicable. The forms collect information needed for 
selecting participants and repaying eligible educational loans.
    Eligible disciplines for the STAR LRP and the Pediatric Specialty 
LRP include, but are not limited to physicians, psychologists, 
psychiatric nurses, marriage and facility therapists, social workers, 
counselors, and substance use disorder counselors. Additional providers 
that are exclusively eligible for the Pediatric Specialty LRP include 
pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, and child 
and adolescent mental and behavioral health care providers.
    Eligible facilities or sites for the STAR LRP and Pediatric 
Specialty LRP programs include, but are not limited to: School-Based 
Clinics, Community Health Centers, Inpatient Programs/Rehabilitation 
Centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services-approved Critical Access Hospitals, American Indian 
Health Facilities (Indian Health Service Facilities, Tribally-Operated 
638 Health Programs, and Urban Indian Health Programs), inpatient 
rehabilitation centers, and psychiatric facilities. STAR LRP facilities 
must be located in a mental health HPSA or a county where the average 
drug overdose death rate exceeds the national average. Pediatric 
Specialty LRP sites must provide pediatric medical subspecialty care, 
pediatric surgical specialty care, or child and adolescent mental and 
behavioral health care in or to a HPSA, MUA, or MUP. HRSA will approve 
and activate sites for the Pediatric Specialty LRP if:
    (1) The facility is already approved for the National Health 
Service Corps, Nurse Corps, or STAR LRP and located in or serves a 
HPSA, MUA or MUP; or
    (2) During the Pediatric Specialty LRP application cycle, the 
facility submits to HRSA the site type and the point of contact(s) to 
[email protected].
    HRSA will review and approve new facilities during the respective 
application cycle for the STAR LRP and the Pediatric Specialty LRP. New 
facilities must submit to HRSA the facility type and the recruitment 
contact(s). HRSA will use the information collected to determine 
eligibility of the facility for the assignment of health professionals 
and to verify the need for clinicians. Note: Despite the similarity in 
the titles, the STAR LRP is not the existing National Health Service 
Corps Substance Use Disorder LRP (OMB #0915-0127), which is authorized 
under Title III of the Public Health Service Act. The STAR LRP is 
authorized under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act and has 
different service requirements, loan repayment protocols, and 
authorized employment facilities.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The need and purpose of 
this information collection is to obtain information that is used to 
assess an applicant's eligibility and qualifications for the STAR LRP 
and the Pediatric Specialty LRP, and to obtain

[[Page 14374]]

information for eligible facilities or sites. Clinicians interested in 
participating in the STAR LRP or the Pediatric Specialty LRP must apply 
to the applicable program to participate. Additionally, health care 
facilities located in a high overdose death rate area or mental health 
HPSAs must submit the facility type and the site point(s) of contact(s) 
for HRSA to determine the facility's eligibility to participate in the 
STAR LRP. Similarly, sites located in or serving a HPSA, MUA, or MUP 
must submit the site type and the site point(s) of contact(s) for HRSA 
to determine the sites' eligibility to participate in the Pediatric 
Specialty LRP. The STAR LRP and the Pediatric Specialty LRP application 
asks for personal, professional, and financial information needed to 
determine the applicant's eligibility to participate in either of the 
programs. In addition, applicants must provide information regarding 
the loans for which repayment is being requested.
    Likely Respondents: Licensed medical, mental, and behavioral health 
providers who are employed or seeking employment, and are interested in 
serving underserved populations; and health care facilities or sites 
interested in participating in the STAR LRP and/or the Pediatric 
Specialty LRP, and becoming an approved facility or site.
    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 tables below.

                            Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the STAR LRP
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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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STAR LRP Application............           3,200               1           3,200             .50           1,600
Authorization for Disclosure of            3,200               1           3,200             .50           1,600
 Loan Information Form..........
Privacy Act Release                        3,200               1           3,200             .50           1,600
 Authorization Form.............
Employment Verification Form....           3,200               1           3,200             .50           1,600
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    Total.......................          12,800  ..............          12,800  ..............           6,400
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                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the Pediatric Specialty LRP
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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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Pediatric Specialty LRP                      500               1             500             .50             250
 Application....................
Authorization for Disclosure of              500               1             500             .50             250
 Loan Information Form..........
Privacy Act Release                          500               1             500             .50             250
 Authorization Form.............
Employment Verification Form....             500               1             500             .50             250
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    Total.......................           2,000  ..............           2,000  ..............           1,000
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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. 2023-04725 Filed 3-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P