2019-22732. Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

AGENCY:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION:

Notice with comment period.

SUMMARY:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project titled “Data Calls for the Laboratory Response Network.” This is data collected from its members concerning their capacity to respond to public health emergencies.

DATES:

CDC must receive written comments on or before December 17, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2019-0086 by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments to Regulations.gov.

Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking portal (regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, of the Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: [phone]; Email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a proposed data collection as described below.

The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:

1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

Data Calls for the Laboratory Response Network (OMB Control No. 0920-0881, Exp. 3/31/2020)—Extension—National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) was established by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in accordance with Presidential Decision Directive 39 (Attachment 1), which outlined national anti-terrorism policies and assigned specific missions to Federal Departments and agencies. The Administration has stated that it is the policy of the United States to use all appropriate means, to deter, defeat, and respond to all terrorist attacks on our territory and resources, both with people and facilities. The LRN's mission is to maintain an integrated national and international network of laboratories that can respond quickly to suspected acts of biological, chemical, or radiological terrorism, emerging infectious diseases, and other public health threats and emergencies.

Federal, state and local public health laboratories join the LRN voluntarily. When laboratories join, they assume specific responsibilities and are required to provide facility information to the LRN Program Office at CDC as well as test results for real samples or proficiency tests. LRN laboratories participate in Proficiency Testing Challenges, Exercises and Validation Studies each year. LRN information collection is covered by OMB Control No. 0920-0852.

CDC may conduct a Special Data Call to obtain additional information from LRN laboratories regarding biological terrorism or emerging infectious disease preparedness. Although the LRN Program Office at CDC has an extensive database of information regarding all network members, LRN Special Data Calls are sometimes needed to address issues concerning the response capabilities of member facilities for priority threat agents or to assess the network's ability to respond to new emerging threats. Special Data Calls may be conducted via broadcast email that asks respondents to send information via email to the LRN Help Desk or through online survey tools (i.e., Survey Monkey) which require respondents to go to a web link and answer a series of questions (Attachment 3). This request for extension is a generic clearance that is necessary for any impromptu data calls that are needed.

Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

Type of respondents	Form name	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total burden (in hours)
Public Health Laboratorians	Special Data Call	136	1	30/60	68
Total					68

Jeffrey M. Zirger,

Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.