Notices. Notice

901 words·~4 min read·/register/2022/12/21/2022-27696

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BILLING CODE 4165-15-P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration 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 January 20, 2023. ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to *www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.* Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the clearance requests submitted to OMB for review, email Samantha Miller, the acting HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at *paperwork@hrsa.gov* or call 301-594-4394. 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.

A 60-day notice published in the **Federal Register** on September 29, 2022, vol. 87, No. 188; pp. 59106-07. There were no public comments. *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 16,450 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. [FR Doc. 2022-27696 Filed 12-20-22; 8:45 am]