[Federal Register: May 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 99)]
[Notices]
[Page 29520-29521]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21my08-69]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Indian Health Service
Request for Public Comment: 60-Day Proposed Information
Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
AGENCY: Indian Health Service, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, which requires 60 days for public comment on
proposed information collection projects, the Indian Health Service
(IHS) is publishing for comment a summary of a proposed information
collection to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review.
Proposed Collection: Title: 0917-0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan
Repayment Program.'' Type of Information Collection Request: Extension,
without revision, of currently approved information collection, 0917-
0014, ``Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.'' Form(s): The
IHS Loan Repayment Program Information Booklet contains the
instructions and the application formats. Need and Use of Information
Collection: The IHS Loan Repayment Program (LRP) identifies health
professionals with pre-existing financial obligations for education
expenses that meet program criteria and who are qualified and willing
to serve at, often remote, IHS health care facilities. Under the
program, eligible health professionals sign a contract under which the
IHS agrees to repay
[[Page 29521]]
part or all of their indebtedness for professional training time in IHS
health care facilities. This program is necessary to augment the
critically low health professional staff at IHS health 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 is signed by both parties, and the individual
agrees to work at an IHS location and provide health services to Native
American and Alaska Native individuals.
The information collected from individuals is analyzed and a score
is given to each applicant. This score will determine which applicants
will be awarded each fiscal year. The administrative scoring system
assigns a score to the geographic location according to vacancy rates
for that fiscal year and also considers whether the location is in an
isolated area. When an applicant takes employment 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,
Estimated number of respondents, Number of responses per respondent,
Annual number of responses, Average burden hour per response, and Total
annual burden hour(s).
Estimated Burden Hours
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Estimated Average
Data collection instrument number of Responses per burden hour Total annual
respondents respondent per response burden hours
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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
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Total....................................... 4,650 .............. .............. 1,282.0
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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 collection activity is necessary to carry out an agency
function; (b) whether the agency processes the information collected in
a useful and timely fashion; (c) the accuracy of public burden estimate
(the estimated amount of time needed for individual respondents to
provide the requested information); (d) whether the methodology and
assumptions used to determine the estimates are logical; (e) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being
collected; and (f) ways to minimize the public burden through the use
of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Send Comments and Requests for Further Information: Send your
written comments, requests for more information on the proposed
collection, or requests to obtain a copy of the data collection
instrument(s) and instructions to: Ms. Chria Rouleau, IHS Reports
Clearance Officer, 801 Thompson Avenue, TMP 450, Rockville, MD 20852-
1627; call non-toll free (301) 443-5938; send via facsimile to (301)
594-0899; or send your e-mail requests, comments, and return address
to: Christina.Rouleau@ihs.gov.
Comment Due Date: Your comments regarding this information
collection are best assured of having full effect if received within 60
days of the date of this publication.
Dated: May 13, 2008.
Robert G. McSwain,
Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. E8-11184 Filed 5-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-16-M
