73 FR 161 pg. 48387 - Request for Public Comment: 30-Day Proposed Information Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
Type: NOTICEVolume: 73Number: 161Page: 48387
FR document: [FR Doc. E8-19053 Filed 8-18-08; 8:45 am]
Agency: Health and Human Services Department
Sub Agency: Indian Health Service
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Indian Health Service
Request for Public Comment: 30-Day Proposed Information Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
AGENCY:
Indian Health Service, HHS.
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 which requires 30 days for public comment on proposed informationcollection projects, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has submitted to theOffice of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve theinformation collection listed below. This proposed information collectionproject was previously published in the Federal Register (73 FR 29520) on May 21, 2008 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comment wasreceived in response to the notice. The purpose of this notice is to allow 30days for public comment to be submitted directly to OMB.
Proposed Collection: Title: 0917-0014, "Indian Health Service Loan RepaymentProgram." Type of Information Collection Request: Extension, without revision,of currently approved information collection, 0917-0014, "Indian HealthService Loan Repayment Program." Form Number(s): The IHS Loan RepaymentProgram Information Booklet contains the instructions and the applicationformats. Need and Use of Information Collection: The IHS Loan RepaymentProgram (LRP) identifies health professionals with pre-existing financialobligations for education expenses that meet program criteria and who arequalified and willing to serve at, often remote, IHS health care facilities.Under the program, eligible health professionals sign a contract under whichthe IHS agrees to repay part or all of their indebtedness for professionaltraining education. In exchange, the health professionals agree to serve for aspecified period of time in IHS health care facilities. This program isnecessary to augment the critically low health professional staff at IHShealth care facilities.
Any health professional wishing to have their health education loans repaid, may apply to the IHS Loan Repayment Program. A two-year contract obligation issigned by both parties, and the individual agrees to work at an IHS locationand provide health services to Native American and Alaska Native individuals.
The information collected from individuals is analyzed and a score is given toeach applicant. This score will determine which applicants will be awardedeach fiscal year. The administrative scoring system assigns a score to thegeographic location according to vacancy rates for that fiscal year and alsoconsiders whether the location is in an isolated area. When an applicant takesemployment at a location, they in turn "pick-up" the score of that location. Affected Public: Individuals and households. Type of Respondents: Individuals.
The table below provides: Types of data collection instruments, Estimatednumber of respondents, Number of responses per respondent, Annual number ofresponses, Average burden hour per response, and Total annual burden hour(s).
| Data collection instrument | Estimated number of respondents | Responses per respondent | Average burden hour per response | Total annual burden hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section I | 510 | 1 | 18/60 | 153.0 |
| Section II | 510 | 1 | 30/60 | 255.0 |
| Section III | 510 | 4 | 15/60 | 128.0 |
| Contract | 510 | 1 | 20/60 | 170.0 |
| Affidavit | 510 | 1 | 10/60 | 85.0 |
| Lender's Certification | 2,000 | 15/60 | 500.0 | |
| Total | 4,550 | 1,291.0 |
There are no Capital Costs, Operating Costs, and/or Maintenance Costs to report.
Request for Comments: Your written comments and/or suggestions are invited on one or more of the following points: (a) Whether the information collectionactivity is necessary to carry out an agency function; (b) whether the agencyprocesses the information collected in a useful and timely fashion; (c) theaccuracy of the public burden estimate (the estimated amount of time neededfor individual respondents to provide the requested information); (d) whetherthe methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates are logical;(e) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information beingcollected; and (f) ways to minimize the public burden through the use ofautomated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collectiontechniques or other forms of information technology.
Direct Comments to OMB: Send your written comments and suggestions regardingthe proposed information collection contained in this notice, especiallyregarding the estimated public burden and associated response time to: Officeof Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory Affairs, New Executive OfficeBuilding, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for IHS.To request more information on the proposed collection or to obtain a copy ofthe data collection instrument(s) and/or instruction(s) contact: Ms. JanetIngersoll, Acting IHS Reports Clearance Officer, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 450, Rockville, MD 20852-1601; call non-toll free (301) 443-6177; sendvia facsimile to (301) 443-2316; or send your e-mail requests, comments, andreturn address to: Janet.Ingersoll@ihs.gov.
Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection are bestassured of having full effect if received within 30 days of the date of thispublication.
Dated: August 11, 2008.
Robert G. McSwain,
Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. E8-19053 Filed 8-18-08; 8:45 am]
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