02-28456. Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports Clearance Officer on [phone].

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project: National Disease Surveillance Program—II. Disease Summaries (0920-0004)—Extension—National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance of the incidence and distribution of disease has been an important function of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) since 1878. Through the years, PHS/CDC has formulated practical methods of disease control through field investigations. The CDC Surveillance Program is based on the premise that diseases cannot be diagnosed, prevented, or controlled until existing knowledge is expanded and new ideas developed and implemented. Over the years, the mandate of CDC has broadened to include preventive health activities and the surveillance systems maintained have expanded.

CDC and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) collect data on disease and preventable conditions in accordance with jointly approved plans. Changes in the surveillance program and in reporting methods are effected in the same manner. At the onset of this surveillance program in 1968, the CSTE and CDC decided on which diseases warranted surveillance. These diseases are reviewed and revised based on variations in the public's health. Surveillance forms are distributed to the State and local health departments who voluntarily submit these reports to CDC at variable frequencies, either weekly or monthly. CDC then calculates and publishes weekly statistics via the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), providing the states with timely aggregates of their submissions.

The following diseases/conditions are included in this program: influenza, respiratory and enterovirus, arboviral encephalitis, rabies, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, foodborne outbreaks, waterborne outbreaks, and enteric virus. These data are essential on the local, state, and Federal levels for measuring trends in diseases, evaluating the effectiveness of current prevention strategies, and determining the need for modifying current prevention measures.

This request is for extension of the data collection for three years. Because of the distinct nature of each of the diseases, the number of cases reported annually is different for each.

The total estimated annualized burden is 6,048 hours. There is no cost to respondents.

Respondents	Number of respondents	Number of responses/ respondent	Average burden/response (in hrs.)	Total burden in Hours
State and local health officials in 50 states/territories	864	28	15/60	6,048
Total				6,048

Dated: November 1, 2002.

Nancy E. Cheal,

Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.