[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4317-4318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01224]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Public Comment Request; The National Health 
Service Corps Loan Repayment Programs

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

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 March 25, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N39, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

[[Page 4318]]


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 Joella Roland, the 
HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at (301) 443-3983.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Information Collection Request Title: The National Health Service 
Corps Loan Repayment Programs OMB No. 0915-0127--Revision.
    Abstract: The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment 
Program (LRP) was established to assure an adequate supply of trained 
primary care health professionals to provide services in Health 
Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) of the United States with the 
greatest need. The NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce LRP and the 
NHSC Rural Community LRP were established to recruit and retain a 
health professional workforce with specific training and credentials to 
provide evidence-based substance use disorder treatment in HPSAs. Under 
these programs, HHS agrees to repay the qualifying educational loans of 
selected primary care health professionals. In return, the health 
professionals agree to serve for a specified period of time in an NHSC-
approved site located in a federally-designated HPSA approved by the 
Secretary of HHS for LRP participants.
    The forms used by each LRP include the following: (1) the NHSC LRP 
Application, (2) the Authorization for Disclosure of Loan Information 
Form, (3) the Privacy Act Release Authorization Form, and, if 
applicable, (4) the Verification of Disadvantaged Background Form, (5) 
the Private Practice Option Form, and (6) the NHSC Spanish Language 
Assessment Proficiency Test Form. The first four of the NHSC LRP Forms 
collect information that is needed for selecting participants and 
repaying qualifying educational loans. The Private Practice Option and 
Spanish Language Assessment forms are needed to collect information 
from applicants who wish to be considered for those options.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The need and proposed use 
of this information collection is to assess an LRP applicant's 
eligibility and qualifications for the LRP, and to determine LRP 
applicants' Spanish language proficiency if relevant to their 
application, and to obtain information for NHSC site applicants. The 
NHSC LRP application asks for personal, professional, and financial/
loan information.
    Likely Respondents: Likely respondents include licensed primary 
care medical, dental, and behavioral health providers who are employed 
or seeking employment and are interested in serving underserved 
populations.
    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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NHSC LRP Application............           9,020               1           9,020            1.00           9,020
Authorization for Disclosure of            7,150               1           7,150            0.10             715
 Loan Information Form..........
Privacy Act Release                          303               1             303            0.10              30
 Authorization Form.............
Verification of Disadvantaged                660               1             660            0.50             330
 Background Form................
Private Practice Option Form....             330               1             330            0.10              33
NHSC Comprehensive Behavioral              4,400               1           4,400            0.13             572
 Health Services Checklist......
NHSC Spanish Language Assessment           3,006               1           3,006            0.50           1,503
 Proficiency Test Form..........
NHSC Site Application (including           4,070               1           4,070            0.50           2,035
 recertification)...............
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    Total.......................          28,939  ..............          28,939  ..............          14,238
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Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2024-01224 Filed 1-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P