02-8594. 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 Anne O'Connor, 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: Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT) (CDC 72.9A, 72.9B, 72.9C) OMB No. 0920-0026—Extension—National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE), proposes to continue data collection for the Report of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT) (CDC 72.9A, 72.9B, 72.9C), previously approved under OMB No. 0920-0026 in 1992, 1995, 1998, and 2001. This request is for a 3-year revision of OMB clearance approval beginning January 1, 2003 (current OMB No. 0920-0026 expiration date is December 31, 2002). CDC is requesting OMB clearance for revision of the RVCT which will change the race and ethnicity variables on the RVCT form to comply with the OMB “Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Processing Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity”.

To accomplish the CDC goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the United States, CDC maintains the national TB surveillance system. The system, initiated in 1953, has been modified several times to better monitor and respond to changes in TB morbidity. The most recent modification was implemented in 1993 when the RVCT was expanded in response to the TB epidemic of the late 1980s and early 1990s and incorporated into a CDC software for electronic reporting of TB case reports to CDC. The expanded system improved the ability of CDC to monitor important aspects of TB epidemiology in the United States, including drug resistance, TB risk factors, including HIV coinfection, and treatment. The timely system also enabled CDC to monitor the recovery of the nation from the resurgence and identify that current TB epidemiology supports the renewed national goal of elimination. To measure progress in achieving this goal, as well as continue to monitor TB trends and potential TB outbreaks, identify high risk populations for TB, and gauge program performance, CDC proposes to extend use of the RVCT.

Data are collected by 60 Reporting Areas (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and 7 jurisdictions in the Pacific and Caribbean) using the RVCT. An RVCT is completed for each reported TB case and contains demographic, clinical, and laboratory information. A comprehensive software package, the Tuberculosis Information Management System (TIMS) is used for RVCT data entry and electronic transmission of TB case reports to CDC. TIMS provides reports, query functions, and export functions to assist in analysis of the data. CDC publishes an annual report summarizing national TB statistics and also periodically conducts special analyses for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals to further describe and interpret national TB data. These data assist public health officials and policy makers in program planning, evaluation, and resource allocation. Reporting Areas also review and analyze their RVCT data to monitor local TB trends, evaluate program success, and assist in focusing resources to eliminate TB.

No other federal agency collects this type of national TB data. In addition to providing technical assistance for use of the RVCT, CDC also provides Reporting Areas with technical support for the TIMS software. There is no cost to respondents.

Respondents	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total response burden (in hours)
Local/State/Territorial Health Department	60	278	30/60	8340
Total				8340

Dated: April 2, 2002.

Nancy E. Cheal,

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