2022-21156. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request Information Collection Request Title: Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program; OMB No. 0915-0140 Extension

AGENCY:

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES:

Comments on this ICR should be received no later than November 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to [e-mail] or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, email [e-mail] or call Samantha Miller, the acting HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the ICR title for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (Nurse Corps LRP), OMB No. 0915-0140—Extension.

Abstract: The Nurse Corps LRP assists in the recruitment and retention of professional Registered Nurses (RNs), including Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), by decreasing the financial barriers associated with pursuing a nursing education. RNs in this instance include APRNs ( e.g., nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, and clinical nurse specialists) dedicated to working at eligible health care facilities with a critical shortage of nurses ( i.e., a Critical Shortage Facility) or working as nurse faculty in eligible, accredited schools of nursing. The Nurse Corps LRP provides loan repayment assistance to these nurses to repay a portion of their qualifying educational loans in exchange for full-time service at a public or private Critical Shortage Facility or in an eligible, accredited school of nursing.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Individuals must submit an application in order to participate in the program. The application asks for personal, professional, educational, and financial information required to determine the applicant's eligibility to participate in the Nurse Corps LRP. This information collection is used by the Nurse Corps program to make award decisions about Nurse Corps LRP applicants and to monitor a participant's compliance with the program's service requirements. The Nurse Corps LRP is requesting an extension and is seeking to use the previously approved forms.

Likely Respondents: Professional RNs or APRNs who are interested in participating in the Nurse Corps LRP, and official representatives at their service sites.

Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the information requested. 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 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. The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the table below.

Total Estimated Annualized Burden—Hours

Form name	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Total responses	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total burden hours
Nurse Corps LRP Application *	7,100	1	7,100	2.00	14,200
Authorization to Release Information Form **	7,100	1	7,100	.10	710
Employment Verification Form **	7,100	1	7,100	.10	710
Disadvantaged Background Form	450	1	450	.20	90
Confirmation of Interest Form	500	1	500	.20	100
Total for Applicants	22,250		22,250		15,810
* The burden hours associated with this instrument account for both new and continuation applications. Additional (uploaded) supporting documentation is included as part of this instrument and reflected in the burden hours.
** The same respondents are completing these instruments.

The estimates of reporting for Participants are as follows:

Form name	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Total responses	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total burden hours
Participant Semi-Annual In Service Verification Form	500	2	1,000	.50	500
Nurse Corps Critical Shortage Facility Verification Form	500	1	500	.10	50
Nurse Corps Nurse Faculty Employment Verification Form	450	1	450	.20	90
Total for Participants	1,450		1,950		640
Total for Applicants and Participants	23,700		24,200		16,450
* The 16,575 figure is a combination of burden hours for applicants and participants. This revision adds an additional form (the Disadvantaged Background Form).

HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,

Director, Executive Secretariat.