2017-04047. 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 efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on the proposed information collection request revision to the project titled “Pulmonary Function Testing Course Approval Program.” Potential sponsors (university, hospital, and private consulting firms) apply to this program to receive NIOSH-approval to conduct training courses that teach technicians to perform spirometry as specified under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Cotton Dust Standard, 29 CFR 1020.1043.

DATES:

Written comments must be received on or before May 1, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2017-0026 by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, 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. All relevant comments received will be posted without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to Regulations.gov.

Please note:

All public comment should be submitted 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 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 OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a proposed data collection as described below.

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; (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; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. 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.

Proposed Project

Pulmonary Function Testing Course Approval Program, (OMB Control No. 0920-0138, Expiration 04/30/2017)—Revision—The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

NIOSH has the responsibility under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Cotton Dust Standard, 29 CFR 1920.1043, for approving courses to train technicians to perform pulmonary function testing in the cotton industry. Successful completion of a NIOSH-approved course is mandatory under this Standard. In addition, regulations at 42 CFR 37.95(a) specify that persons administering spirometry tests for the national Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program must successfully complete a NIOSH-approved spirometry training course and maintain a valid certificate by periodically completing NIOSH-approved spirometry refresher training courses. Also, 29 CFR 1910.1053(i)(2)(iv), 29 CFR 1910.1053(i)(3), 29 CFR 1926.1153(h)(2)(iv) and 29 CFR 1926.1153(h)(3) specify that pulmonary function tests for initial and periodic examinations in general industry and construction performed under the respirable crystalline silica standard should be administered by a spirometry technician with a current certificate from a NIOSH-approved spirometry course. NIOSH is requesting a three-year approval.

To carry out its responsibility, NIOSH maintains a Pulmonary Function Testing Course Approval Program. The program consists of an application submitted by potential sponsors (universities, hospitals, and private consulting firms) who seek NIOSH approval to conduct courses, and if approved, notification to NIOSH of any course or faculty changes during the approval period, which is limited to five years. The application form and added materials, including an agenda, curriculum vitae, and course materials are reviewed by NIOSH to determine if the applicant has developed a program which adheres to the criteria required in the Standard. Following approval, any subsequent changes to the course are submitted by course sponsors via letter or email and reviewed by NIOSH staff to assure that the changes in faculty or course content continue to meet course requirements. Course sponsors also voluntarily submit an annual report to inform NIOSH of their class activity level and any faculty changes. Sponsors who elect to have their approval renewed for an additional 5 year period submit a renewal application and supporting documentation for review by NIOSH staff to ensure the course curriculum meets all current standard requirements.

Approved courses that elect to offer NIOSH-Approved Spirometry Refresher Courses must submit a separate application and supporting documents for review by NIOSH staff. Institutions and organizations throughout the country voluntarily submit applications and materials to become course sponsors and carry out training. Submissions are required for NIOSH to evaluate a course and determine whether it meets the criteria in the Standard and whether technicians will be adequately trained as mandated under the Standard. NIOSH will disseminate a one-time customer satisfaction survey to course directors and sponsor representatives to evaluate our service to courses, the effectiveness of the program changes implemented since 2005, and the usefulness of potential Program enhancements.

The annualized figures slightly over-estimate the actual burden, due to rounding of the number of respondents for even allocation over the three-year clearance period. The estimated annual burden to respondents is 159 hours. There will be no cost to respondents.

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)
Potential Sponsors	Initial Application	3	1	8	24
	Annual Report	30	1	30/60	15
	Report for course changes	24	1	30/60	12
	Renewal Application	13	1	6	78
	Refresher Course Application	3	1	8	24
	One-time Customer Satisfaction Survey	32	1	12/60	6
Total					159

Leroy A. Richardson,

Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.