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, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA) publishes 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 and draft instruments, call

the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1891.

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: Application for the National Health Service Corps

(NHSC) Scholarship Program (OMB No. 0915-0146): Extension

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program was

established to help alleviate the geographic and specialty and other

health practitioners in the United States. Under this program, health

professions students are offered scholarships in return for service in

a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The

Scholarship Program provides the NHSC with the health professionals it

requires to carry out its mission of providing primary health care to

HPSA populations in areas of greatest need. Students are supported who

are well qualified to participate in the NHSC Scholarship Program and

who want to assist the NHSC in its mission, both during and after their

period of obligated service. Scholars are selected for these

competitive awards based on the information provided in the application

and during the semistructured personal interview that is conducted by a

team of two interviewers who use a structured scoring procedure. Awards

are made to applicants that demonstrate a high potential for providing

quality primary health care services.

The estimated response burden is as follows:

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Number of Responses per Hours per Total burden

Form respondents respondent response hours

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Application..................................... 3,000 1 1 3,000

Interview....................................... 900 1 1.67 1,503

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Total....................................... 3,900 .............. .............. 4,503

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Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance

Officer, Room 14-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville,

MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this

notice.

Dated: November 10, 1999.

Jane Harrison,

Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.

[FR Doc. 99-30083 Filed 11-17-99; 8:45 am]

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