Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,

[Federal Register: August 16, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 157)]

[Notices]

[Page 48164]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr16au05-84]

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) 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) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects being developed for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (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 of other forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: The Nursing Scholarship Program (NSP): NEW

The Nursing Scholarship Program (NSP or ``Nursing Scholarship'') is a competitive Federal program which awards scholarships to individuals for attendance at schools of nursing. The scholarship consists of payment of tuition, fees, other reasonable educational costs, and a monthly support stipend. In return, the students agree to provide a minimum of 2 years of full-time clinical service (or an equivalent part-time commitment, as approved by the NSP) at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.

Nursing scholarship recipients must be willing and are required to fulfill their NSP service commitment at a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses in the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Territory of American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Federated States of Micronesia. Students who are uncertain of their commitment to provide nursing in a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses in the United States are advised not to participate in this program.

The NSP needs to collect data to determine an applicant's eligibility for the program, to monitor a participant's continued enrollment in a school of nursing, to monitor a participant's compliance with the NSP service obligation, and to obtain data on its program to ensure compliance with legislative mandates and prepare annual reports to Congress. The following information will be collected: (1) From the applicants and/or the schools, general applicant and nursing school data such as full name, location, tuition/ fees, and enrollment status; (2) from the schools, on an annual basis, data concerning tuition/fees and student enrollment status; and (3) from the participants and their health care facilities with a critical shortage of nurses, on a biannual basis, data concerning the participant's employment status, work schedule and leave usage.

The Estimated Burden is as Follows:

Average Number of number of

Total

Hours per Total burden Type of report

respondents responses per responses response

hours respondents

Application.....................

4,000

1

4,000

2

8,000 In-school monitoring............

500

500

1

2

1,000 In-service monitoring...........

600

300

2

1

600 Total...........................

4,800 .............. .............. ..............

9,600

Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, Room 10-33 Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Written comments should be received with 60 days of this notice.

Dated: August 10, 2005. Tina M. Cheatham, Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.

[FR Doc. 05-16186 Filed 8-15-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4165-15-P