[Federal Register: October 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 202)]
[Notices]
[Page 61877-61878]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17oc08-103]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Indian Health Service
Request for Public Comment: 30-Day Proposed Information
Collection: Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
Note: The purpose of this second announcement is to provide
another opportunity for public comment. The previous Federal
Register notice was published on August 19, 2008, FR Doc. E8-19053.
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 30 days for public comment on
proposed information collection projects, the Indian Health Service
(IHS) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a
request to review and approve the information collection listed below.
This proposed information collection project was previously published
in the Federal Register (73 FR 29520) on May 21, 2008 and allowed 60
days for public comment. No public comment was received in response to
the notice. The purpose of this notice is to allow 30 days for public
comment to be submitted directly to OMB.
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 Number(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 part or all of their indebtedness for professional
training education. In exchange, the health professionals agree to
serve for a specified period of 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 burden
Data collection instrument number of Responses per hour per Total annual
respondents respondent response burden
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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....................................... 4,550 .............. .............. 1,291.0
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[[Page 61878]]
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 the 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.
Direct Comments to OMB: Send your written comments and suggestions
regarding the proposed information collection contained in this notice,
especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated
response time to: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory
Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC
20503, Attention: Desk Officer for IHS.
To request more information on the proposed collection or to obtain
a copy of the data collection instrument(s) and/or instruction(s)
contact: Ms. Janet Ingersoll, FOIA Coordinator, 12300 Twinbrook
Parkway, Suite 450, Rockville, MD 20852-1601; call non-toll free (301)
443-6177; send via facsimile to (301) 443-2316; or send your e-mail
requests, comments, and return address to: Janet.Ingersoll@ihs.gov.
Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection
are best assured of having full effect if received within 30 days of
the date of this publication.
Dated: October 8, 2008.
Robert G. McSwain,
Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. E8-24587 Filed 10-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-16-M
