[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16995-16996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05747]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request: Information Collection Request Title: 
Evaluation of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's Autism CARES Act 
Initiative, OMB No. 0915-0335-Revision

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 must be received no later than May 22, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail 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 HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at 301-594-4394.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Evaluation of the Maternal 
and Child Health Bureau's Autism CARES Act Initiative, OMB No. 0915-
0335-Revision.
    Abstract: HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) provides 
funds to support several programs related to autism, as authorized by 
42 U.S.C. 280i-1 (title III, section 399BB of the Public Health Service 
Act), as amended by the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, 
Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-60). The Autism 
CARES Act of 2019 emphasizes improving health outcomes and the well-
being of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental 
Disabilities across the lifespan.
    MCHB's programs related to autism fall within three distinct but 
complementary areas--research, state systems, and training. The awards 
advance research on early screening and interventions for autism and 
developmental disabilities; improve the capacity of state public health 
agencies to build and maintain coordinated systems of services for 
individuals with autism and developmental disabilities; and train the 
health care workforce to screen, refer, and provide services for 
children and youth with autism and developmental disabilities. MCHB 
currently funds 12 programs and 95 awardees. HRSA seeks to implement 
annual comprehensive evaluations of MCHB's Autism CARES Initiative 
investments.
    This ICR is a revision to an existing package; this study is the 
fifth evaluation of HRSA's autism activities and employs similar data 
collection methodologies as the prior studies. Grantee interviews 
remain the primary form of data collection. Minor proposed revisions to 
the data collection process include modifications to the interview 
questions and grantee survey based on the current legislation and 
HRSA's Notices of Funding Opportunity for programs authorized under the 
Autism CARES Act. In addition, the previous data collection compiled 
survey responses from all grantees, whereas this revised data 
collection will only seek survey responses from the Research and State 
Systems grantees. The previous data collection also included a 
quantitative data collection form for the Research grantees that the 
current data collection will not collect. These changes result in fewer 
burden hours estimated across all primary data collection activities.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The purpose of this data 
collection is to implement a comprehensive evaluation that describes 
the activities, accomplishments, outcomes, barriers, and challenges of 
the grant programs in implementing the provisions of the Autism CARES 
Act. The data will be used to (1) conduct performance monitoring of the 
programs; (2) provide credible and rigorous evidence of program 
effectiveness; (3) meet program needs for accountability, decision-
making, and quality assurance; and (4) strengthen the evidence base for 
best practices.
    Likely Respondents: The survey respondents will include Principal 
Investigators/Project Directors from the research programs and networks 
(Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health, Autism 
Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health, MCHB Secondary Data 
Analysis Research Program, Autism Field-Initiated Innovative Research 
Studies Program, Autism Single Investigator Innovation Program, the 
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network, and the Healthy 
Weight Research Network for Children with Autism and Other 
Developmental Disabilities); and state systems programs (State 
Innovations) and coordinating center (State Public Health Coordinating 
Center for Autism). The respondents for the interviews will include 
Principal Investigators/Project Directors from the research and state 
systems programs above, and the training programs (Leadership Education 
in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program, the 
Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics program, and the National 
Interdisciplinary Training Resource Center).

[[Page 16996]]

    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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Average number                  Average burden
    Grant program/instrument         Number of     of responses        Total       per response     Total hour
                                    respondents   per respondent     responses      (in hours)        burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research: Survey for individual               12               1              12             0.5             6.0
 grantees.......................
Research: Survey for research                  4               1               4             0.5             2.0
 networks.......................
Research: Interview guide for                 12               1              12             1.5            18.0
 individual grantees............
Research: Interview guide for                  4               1               4             1.5             6.0
 research networks..............
State Systems: Survey for state                5               1               5             0.5             2.5
 innovation grants..............
State Systems: Interview guide                 5               1               5             1.5             7.5
 for the state innovation grants
State Systems: Interview guide                 1               1               1             1.5             1.5
 for the state coordinating
 center.........................
Training: Interview guide for                 72               1              72             1.5           108.0
 the individual training
 grantees.......................
Training: Interview Guide for                  1               1               2             1.5             3.0
 the Resource Center............
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................             116  ..............             116  ..............           154.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. 2023-05747 Filed 3-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P