Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:

Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public

comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of

Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed

projects being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed

project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans, call the HRSA

Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.

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.

Proposed Project: The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program

Application (OMB No. 0915-0140)--Extension--This is a request for

[[Page 33096]]

extension of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the

application form for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program

(NELRP). The NELRP was originally authorized by 42 U.S.C. 297b(h)

(section 836(h) of the Public Health Service Act) as amended by Public

Law 100-607, November 4, 1988. The NELRP is currently authorized by 42

U.S.C. 297(n) (section 846 of the Public Health Service Act) as amended

by Public Law 102-408, October 13, 1992. The application form is

currently approved under OMB No. 0915-0140, which expires 12/31/97.

Under the NELRP, registered nurses are offered the opportunity to

enter into a contractual agreement with the Secretary, under which the

Public Health Service agrees to repay the nurses' indebtedness for

nursing education. In exchange, the nurses agree to serve for a

specified period of time in certain types of health facilities

identified in the statute.

Nurse educational loan repayment contracts will be approved by the

Secretary for eligible nurses who have incurred previous monetary

indebtedness by accepting a loan for nursing education costs from a

bank, credit union, savings and loan association, insurance company,

Government agency or program, school, or other lender that meets NELRP

criteria.

Approval is requested for the application form. The application

form requires information from two types of respondents:

a. Applicants must provide information on the proposed service site

and on all nursing education loans for which reimbursement is

requested, and

b. Lenders must provide information on loan status for all loans

accepted for repayment.

The application form is not being changed, so the estimates of

average burden to complete the forms remains the same. Burden estimates

are as follows:

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Responses Total

Form/regulatory requirement Number of per Hours per burden

respondents respondent response hours

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NELRP Application.......................................... 1,000 1 1.5 1,500

Loan Verification Form..................................... *200 1 .25 50

Total.................................................. 1,200 ........... ............ 1,550

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* The remainder of the loans are verified through credit reports.

Send comments to Patricia Royston, HRSA Reports Clearance Officer,

Room 14-36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Dated: June 12, 1997.

James J. Corrigan,

Acting Associate Administrator for Management and Program Support.

[FR Doc. 97-15995 Filed 6-17-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-15-U