05-17769. Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

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Proposed Project

National Public Health Performance Standards Program Local Public Health System Assessment (OMB 0920-0555)—Revision—Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

The Office of the Director, CDC is proposing to extend the currently approved National Public Health Performance Standards Program Local Public Health System Assessment. From 1998-2002, the CDC National Public Health Performance Standards Program convened workgroups with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH), the American Public Health Association (APHA), and the Public Health Foundation (PHF) to develop performance standards for public health systems based on the essential services of public health.

CDC is now proposing to extend the formal, voluntary data collection that assesses the capacity of local public health systems to deliver the essential services of public health. Local health departments will respond to the survey on behalf of the collective body of representatives from the local public health system. Electronic data submission will be used when local public health agencies complete the public health assessment.

The extension will provide additional time for local public health systems to undertake the assessment. Some states have sought to include mention of the assessment in legislation or regulations and are now encouraging their localities to respond to the assessment in the upcoming two years. The focus on bioterrorism and other emerging issues diverted resources and attention from immediate use of the assessment since its national release in 2002. An additional three years of clearance will provide the time necessary to complete the project.

There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The estimated annualized burden for each extension year is 4,200 hours.

Estimate of Annualized Burden Table

Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden per response (in hours)
175	1	24

Dated: August 29, 2005.

Joan F. Karr,

Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.