2023-08909. 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 Airline and Vessel Traveler Information Collection. The information collected will be used to conduct contact tracing and public health follow-up on travelers who have been identified in a risk exposure zone on a conveyance where a traveler was confirmed or suspected of traveling with infectious with a communicable disease of public health importance.

DATES:

CDC must receive written comments on or before June 26, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC–2023–0032 by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.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 H21–8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.

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

Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking portal ( www.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, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS H21–8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: [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;

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; and

5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

Airline and Vessel Traveler Information Collection (OMB Control No. 0920–1180, Exp. 6/30/2023)—Revision—National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

The rapid speed and tremendous volume of international travel, commerce, and human migration enable infectious disease threats to disperse worldwide in 24 hours—less time than the incubation period of most communicable diseases. These and other forces intrinsic to modern technology and ways of life favor the emergence of new communicable diseases and the reemergence or increased severity of known communicable diseases. Stopping a communicable disease outbreak—whether it is naturally occurring or intentionally caused—requires the use of the most rapid and effective public health tools available. Basic public health practices, such as collaborating with airlines in the identification and notification of potentially exposed travelers, are critical tools in the fight against the introduction, transmission, and spread of communicable disease in the United States. The collection of timely, accurate, and complete conveyance and traveler information enables CDC to notify state and local health departments in order for them to make contact with individuals who may have been exposed to a communicable disease during travel, or due to an outbreak of disease in a geographic location and identify appropriate next steps.

Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264) authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to make and enforce regulations necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the United States, or from one State or possession into any other State or possession. Regulations that implement federal quarantine authority are currently promulgated in 42 CFR parts 70 and 71. Part 71 contains regulations to prevent the introduction, transmission, and spread of communicable diseases into the states and possessions of the United States.

Passenger and crewmember manifests are used to collect travelers information from airlines and vessels after travel has been completed and when a disease is confirmed or there is a suspected exposure. Manifests include locating and contact information, as well as information concerning where passengers sat while aboard an airline or their location ( e.g. cabin numbers) and activities aboard a vessel. Manifests collect the following data elements:

• Full name (last, first, and, if available, middle or others);
• Date of birth;
• Sex;
• Country of residence;
• If a passport is required; passport number, passport country of issuance, and passport expiration date;
• If a travel document, other than a passport is required, travel document type, travel document number, travel document country of issuance and travel document expiration date;
• Address while in the United States (number and street, city, state, and zip code), except that U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents will provide address of permanent residence in the U.S. (number and street, city, state, and zip code; as applicable);
• Primary contact phone number to include country code;
• Secondary contact phone number to include country code;
• Email address;
• Airline name;
• Flight number;
• City of departure;
• Departure date and time;
• City of arrival;
• Arrival date and time; and
• Seat number for all passengers

CDC also requests seat configuration for the requested contact area (example: AB/aisle/CDE/aisle/FG, bulkhead in front of row 9), identification on the manifest of the crew and what zone crew were assigned to, the identification of any babes-in-arms, and finally CDC requests the total number of passengers on board if measles is the cause of the investigation, due to the highly infectious nature of the disease. CDC then uses this passenger and crew manifest information to coordinate with state and local health departments or International Health Regulation (IHR) National Focal Points (NFPs) so they can follow-up with residents who live or are currently located in their jurisdiction. In most cases, the manifests are issued for air travel and state and local health departments or IHR NFPs are responsible for the contact investigations; airlines and vessels may take responsibility for follow-up of crew members. In rare cases, CDC may use the manifest data to perform the contact investigation directly.

CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 875 annual burden hours. There are no costs to respondents other than their time to participate.

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)
Airline Medical Officer or Equivalent/Analysist/Travel Specialist/Manager Equivalent	International Manifest Template/Informal Manifest Request Template	350	1	150/60	875
Total					875

Jeffrey M. Zirger,

Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.