74494 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 209 / Tuesday, October 31, 2023 / Notices 

In response to these new 

requirements, the Administrator, 

following consultation with the 

Secretary of Education, will engage the 

public for input on a multi-phased 

approach for establishing the youth 

cohort. At this time, the Administrator 

seeks initial comments on the following 

approach: 

1. Phase I: Community Engagement: 

Gather sufficient information from 

educators, scientists, and community 

members on options for establishing a 

youth cohort that will efficiently 

support future research. 

2. Phase II: Options Development: Use 

the information gathered in Phase I to 

develop a set of options for moving 

forward with establishing the youth 

cohort. 

3. Phase III: Options Ranking: Engage 

community in ranking the options 

developed in Phase II. 

4. Phase IV: Option Selection and 

Implementation: Use the information 

from Phase III to select the preferred 

option(s) for establishing the youth 

cohort. 

Request for Information 

NIOSH previously published this 

request for information in the Federal 

Register (88 FR 25406) on April 26, 

2023 and again on August 18, 2023 (88 

FR 56630). With this request for 

information, NIOSH is further extending 

the public comment period and is again 

soliciting information from any 

interested party, including educators, 

researchers, clinicians, community 

members, WTC Health Program 

members, treatment providers, and 

government agencies at all levels 

(Federal, State, Territorial, local, and 

Tribal), regarding the proposed 

approach to establishing the WTC 

Health Program youth cohort. 

In particular, NIOSH seeks comments 

on the following items regarding the 

general approach to assembling the 

cohort, as described above: 

1. Whether the four-phased approach 

for establishing the youth cohort is 

comprehensive and adequately 

incorporates community involvement in 

selecting a preferred approach for 

establishing the youth cohort. 

2. Any potential partnerships for 

future actions for establishing the cohort 

of WTC Youth. 

NIOSH also seeks information on the 

following scientific parameters, best 

practices, and approaches for 

assembling a research cohort that is best 

suited for future research of WTC 

Youth: 

3. Ideas regarding outreach, 

recruitment, retention, community 

involvement, and project oversight. 

NIOSH is interested in descriptions of 

any anticipated barriers to the project 

and propose potential risk mitigation 

strategies. 

4. Health conditions and potential 

social and educational impacts (i.e., 

adverse effects of interest) that may be 

priorities for future research on WTC 

Youth. In light of these adverse effects 

to be researched, NIOSH is interested in 

descriptions of the cohort characteristics 

believed necessary to support future 

research, including recommendations 

on data collection requirements, such as 

describing methods for and frequency of 

contact with prospective cohort 

members. 

5. The recruitment and retention of 

appropriate control group(s) for future 

observational studies of WTC Youth. 

For example, recruitment methods may 

differ between exposed and control 

groups given expected differences in 

participation rates. These differences 

may lead to a selection bias. A selection 

bias may also arise given the long period 

of time between exposure and 

recruitment (i.e., a survivorship bias). 

NIOSH is interested in comments 

regarding selection of controls using 

methods that reduce the potential for 

bias in future research. 

Commenters are encouraged to offer 

information and insights into the 

specific topics described above, or any 

other aspect of this activity. 

CDC is extending the comment period 

for this RFI again to allow more time for 

the public to comment. Accordingly, the 

comment period is reopened through 

January 29, 2024. 

Disclaimer 

This notice is intended for planning 

purposes; it does not constitute a formal 

announcement for comprehensive 

applications. In accordance with 

Federal Acquisition Regulation 48 CFR 

15.201(e), responses to this notice are 

not offers and cannot be accepted by the 

Government to form a binding award. 

NIOSH will not provide reimbursement 

for costs incurred in commenting on 

this notice. 

NIOSH will not respond to individual 

public comments or publish publicly a 

compendium of responses. An 

informational submission in response to 

this notice does not create any 

commitment by or on behalf of CDC or 

HHS to develop or pursue any program 

or ideas discussed. 

John J. Howard, 

Administrator, World Trade Center Health 

Program and Director, National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, Department 

of Health and Human Services. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23954 Filed 10–30–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS–10652] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, Health and Human 

Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing 

an opportunity for the public to 

comment on CMS’ intention to collect 

information from the public. Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the 

PRA), federal agencies are required to 

publish notice in the Federal Register 

concerning each proposed collection of 

information (including each proposed 

extension or reinstatement of an existing 

collection of information) and to allow 

60 days for public comment on the 

proposed action. Interested persons are 

invited to send comments regarding our 

burden estimates or any other aspect of 

this collection of information, including 

the necessity and utility of the proposed 

information collection for the proper 

performance of the agency’s functions, 

the accuracy of the estimated burden, 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected, and the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology to minimize the 

information collection burden. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

January 2, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: When commenting, please 

reference the document identifier or 

OMB control number. To be assured 

consideration, comments and 

recommendations must be submitted in 

any one of the following ways: 

1. Electronically. You may send your 

comments electronically to http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for ‘‘Comment or 

Submission’’ or ‘‘More Search Options’’ 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 209 / Tuesday, October 31, 2023 / Notices 74495 

to find the information collection 

document(s) that are accepting 

comments. 

2. By regular mail. You may mail 

written comments to the following 

address: CMS, Office of Strategic 

Operations and Regulatory Affairs, 

Division of Regulations Development, 

Attention: Document Identifier/OMB 

Control Number: ____, Room C4–26–05, 

7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 

Maryland 21244–1850. 

To obtain copies of a supporting 

statement and any related forms for the 

proposed collection(s) summarized in 

this notice, please access the CMS PRA 

website by copying and pasting the 

following web address into your web 

browser: https://www.cms.gov/ 

Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/

PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRAListing. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William N. Parham at (410) 786–4669. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Contents 

This notice sets out a summary of the 

use and burden associated with the 

following information collections. More 

detailed information can be found in 

each collection’s supporting statement 

and associated materials (see 

ADDRESSES). 

CMS–10652 Virtual Groups for MeritBased Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501– 

3520), federal agencies must obtain 

approval from the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 

information they conduct or sponsor. 

The term ‘‘collection of information’’ is 

defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 

1320.3(c) and includes agency requests 

or requirements that members of the 

public submit reports, keep records, or 

provide information to a third party. 

Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA 

requires federal agencies to publish a 

60-day notice in the Federal Register 

concerning each proposed collection of 

information, including each proposed 

extension or reinstatement of an existing 

collection of information, before 

submitting the collection to OMB for 

approval. To comply with this 

requirement, CMS is publishing this 

notice. 

Information Collection 

1. Type of Information Collection 

Request: Extension of currently 

approved Information Collection; Title 

of Information Collection: Virtual 

Groups for Merit-Based Incentive 

Payment System (MIPS); Use: Section 

1848(q)(5)(I)(ii) of the 2018 Quality 

Payment Program final rule establishes 

that a process must be in place to allow 

an individual MIPS eligible clinician or 

group consisting of not more than 10 

MIPS eligible clinicians to elect, with 

respect to a performance period for a 

year, to be in a virtual group with at 

least one other such individual MIPS 

eligible clinician or group. Section 

1848(q)(5)(I)(iii) of the Act establishes 

the following requirements that pertain 

to an election process: (1) individual 

eligible clinicians and groups forming 

virtual groups are required to make the 

election prior to the start of the 

applicable performance period under 

MIPS and cannot change their election 

during the performance period; (2) an 

individual eligible clinician or group 

may elect to be in no more than one 

virtual group for a performance period 

and in the case of the group electing to 

be in a virtual group for the performance 

period, the election applies to all 

eligible clinicians in the group; (3) a 

virtual group is a combination of TINs; 

(4) formal written agreements are 

required among the eligible clinicians 

(includes individual eligible clinicians 

and eligible clinicians within the 

groups) electing to be a virtual group; 

and (5) the Secretary has the authority 

to include other requirements 

determined appropriate. 

Section 1848(q)(5)(I)(i) of the Act also 

provides that MIPS eligible clinicians 

electing to be a virtual group must: (1) 

have their performance assessed for the 

quality and cost performance categories 

in a manner that applies the combined 

performance of all the MIPS eligible 

clinicians in the virtual group to each 

MIPS eligible clinician in the virtual 

group for the applicable performance 

period; and (2) be scored for the quality 

and cost performance categories based 

on such assessment. Form Number: 

CMS–10652 (OMB control number: 

0938–1343); Frequency: Yearly; 

Affected Public: Individuals and 

Households, Private Sector, Business or 

other for-profits and Not-for-profit 

institutions; Number of Respondents: 

16; Total Annual Responses: 16; Total 

Annual Hours: 160 (For policy 

questions regarding this collection 

contact Renee O’Neill at 410–786–8821.) 

Dated: October 26, 2023. 

William N. Parham, III, 

Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office 

of Strategic Operations and Regulatory 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2023–24012 Filed 10–30–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Indian Health Service 

Privacy Act of 1974; System of 

Records 

AGENCY: Indian Health Service, 

Department of Health and Human 

Services. 

ACTION: Notice of a new system of 

records. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) is establishing a new 

system of records maintained by the 

Indian Health Service (IHS) Office of 

Clinical and Preventive Services 

(OCPS), System Number 09–17–0006, 

‘‘Community Health Aide Program 

(CHAP) Records.’’ The records in the 

new system of records are about 

individual healthcare providers who 

have applied for Federal certification 

under the Community Health Aide 

Program (CHAP) created under the 

Indian Health Care Improvement Act, as 

amended; and individuals serving as 

CHAP Certification Board members who 

review and evaluate the certification/ 

recertification applications for 

completeness and verify that the 

candidates meet the minimum 

standards for certification. The CHAP 

Certification Board will provide the 

respective Area Director with its 

recommendation to either certify, 

recertify, or deny certification after 

reviewing the certification applications. 

DATES: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 

552a(e)(4) and (11), this notice is 

applicable October 31, 2023, subject to 

a 30-day comment period on the routine 

uses described below. Please submit any 

comments by November 30, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

submitted by mail or email to: Dr. Lori 

Christensen, Chief Medical Officer, IHS, 

5600 Fishers Lane—Mail Stop: 08E37A, 

Rockville, MD 20857, or IHSCHAP@

ihs.gov. Comments are reviewable at 

same location. To review comments in 

person, please contact the Office of the 

Chief Medical Officer at 240–701–3890. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

General questions about this system of 

records may be submitted to Heather 

McClane, IHS Privacy Act Officer, 

ATTN: National Community Health 

Aide Program, 5600 Fishers Lane—Mail 

Stop: 09E70, Rockville, MD 20857, or by 

email at Heather.McClane@ihs.gov, or 

by phone at 240–479–8521. General 

questions may also be submitted to the 

Community Health Aide Program, 

Office of Clinical and Preventive 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1