[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29136-29137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13321]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60 Day-01-41]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Anne O'Connor, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: Report of Verified Cases of Tuberculosis (RVCT) 
OMB No. 0920-0026--Extension--The National Center for HIV, STD, and TB 
Prevention (NCHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
proposes to continue data collection for the Report of Verified Case of 
Tuberculosis (RVCT). This request is for a 1-year extension of 
clearance.
    To accomplish the CDC goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the 
United States, CDC maintains the national TB surveillance system. The 
system, initiated in 1953, has been modified several times to better 
monitor and respond to changes in TB morbidity. The most recent 
modification was implemented in 1993 when the RVCT was expanded in 
response to the TB epidemic of the late 1980s and early 1990s and 
incorporated into a CDC software for electronic reporting of TB case 
reports to CDC. The expanded system improved the ability of CDC to 
monitor important aspects of TB epidemiology in the United States, 
including drug resistance, TB risk factors, including HIV coinfection, 
and treatment. The timely system also enabled CDC to monitor the 
recovery of the nation from the resurgence and identify that current TB 
epidemiology supports the renewed national goal of elimination. To 
measure progress in achieving this goal, as well as continue to monitor 
TB trends and potential TB outbreaks, identify high risk populations 
for TB, and gauge program performance, CDC proposes to extend use of 
the RVCT.
    Data are collected by 60 Reporting Areas (the 50 states, the 
District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and 7 jurisdictions 
in the Pacific and Caribbean) using the RVCT. An RVCT is completed for 
each reported TB case and contains demographic, clinical, and 
laboratory information. A comprehensive software package, the 
Tuberculosis Information Management System (TIMS) is used for RVCT data 
entry and electronic transmission of TB case reports to CDC. TIMS 
provides reports, query functions, and export functions to assist in 
analysis of the data. CDC publishes an annual report summarizing 
national TB statistics and also periodically conducts special analyses 
for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals to further 
describe and interpret national TB data. These data assist public 
health officials

[[Page 29137]]

and policy makers in program planning, evaluation, and resource 
allocation. Reporting Areas also review and analyze their RVCT data to 
monitor local TB trends, evaluate program success, and assist in 
focusing resources to eliminate TB.
    No other federal agency collects this type of national TB data. In 
addition to providing technical assistance for use of the RVCT, CDC 
also provides Reporting Areas with technical support for the TIMS 
software. There are no costs to respondents.

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                                                                                 Average burden
                 Respondents                     Number of        Number of       per response   Total burden in
                                                respondents       responses        (in hours)          hours
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State & Local Health Departments............              60              280            30/60            8,400
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    Dated: May 18, 2001.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 01-13321 Filed 5-25-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P