2017-08187. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program, OMB No. 0915-0386-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 must be received no later than June 23, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to [e-mail] or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N39, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 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 the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the information request collection title for reference, in compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Information Collection Request Title: Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program, OMB No. 0915-0386—Revision

Abstract: The Delta States Rural Development Network Grant (Delta) Program is authorized by the Public Health Service Act, Section 330A(f) (42 U.S.C. 254c(f)), as Public Law 114-53. The Delta Program supports projects that demonstrate evidence-based and/or promising approaches around cardiovascular disease, diabetes, acute ischemic stroke, or obesity to improve health status in rural communities throughout the Delta Region. Key features of projects are adoption of an evidence-based approach, demonstration of health outcomes, program replicability, and sustainability.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: For this program, performance measures include: (a) Access to care, (b) population demographics, (c) staffing, (d) sustainability, (e) project specific domains, and (f) health related clinical measures. These performance measures enable HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to aggregate program data required by Congress under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-62). The proposed revisions to the performance measures include reducing the number of reported measures and showing annual progress compared to baseline data submitted in the grant applications. Examples of the measures that will be removed include the number of people reached through indirect services and the number of quality improvement clinical guidelines/benchmarks adopted.

Likely Respondents: The respondents are the recipients of the Delta States Rural Development Network Program.

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.

As a result of the reduction in performance measures, annualized burden is decreasing from 72 hours to 32 hours. 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
Delta States Rural Development Network Program Performance Improvement Measurement System	12	1	12	2.66	32
Total	12		12		32

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.

Jason E. Bennett,

Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.