2023-19054. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Faculty Loan Repayment Program OMB No. 0915-0150-Revision

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 6, 2023.

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 Joella Roland, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at (301) 443–3983.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

Information Collection Request Title: Faculty Loan Repayment Program OMB No. 0915–0150—Revision

Abstract: HRSA administers the Faculty Loan Repayment Program (FLRP). FLRP provides health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds based on environmental and/or economic factors the opportunity to enter into a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to receive repayment of qualifying educational loans in exchange for a minimum of 2 years of service as a full-time or part-time faculty member at an eligible health professions school. The applicant completes and submits an electronic application that identifies for the Secretary of Health and Human Services that the applicant comes from an economically or environmentally disadvantaged background who has a contract with an eligible health professions school to serve as a full-time or part-time faculty member for a minimum of 2 years and has qualifying outstanding educational loans. In addition, for each undergraduate and/or graduate loan for which repayment is sought, the applicant is required to submit loan documentation verifying the establishment of the educational loan(s) and lender account statements, promissory notes including the original date, and current balance of the outstanding educational loan(s). The sole change in this version of the ICR from previous ICR versions is that there is an increase in the estimated burden hours related to an increased number of respondents/applicants to the FLRP.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The information collected will be used to evaluate applicants' eligibility to participate in the FLRP and to monitor FLRP related activities.

Likely Respondents: FLRP applicants and institutions providing employment to the applicants.

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 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. 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
Eligible Applications	215	1	215	1.00	215.00
Institution/Loan Repayment Employment Form	* 215	1	215	1.00	215.00
Authorization to Release Information Form	215	1	215	.25	53.75
Disadvantaged Background Form	215	1	215	.20	43.00
Total	860				526.75
* Respondents for this form is the institution on behalf of the applicant.

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.