[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63353-63354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31209]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

    Periodically, the Health Resources and Services Administration 
(HRSA) publishes abstracts of information collection requests under 
review by the Office of Management and Budget, in

[[Page 63354]]

compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 
35). To request a copy of the clearance requests submitted to OMB for 
review, call the HRSA Reports Clearance Office on (301) 443-1129.
    The following request has been submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995:

Proposed Project: Deferment Request Form for NHSC and NHH 
Scholarship Programs (OMB NO. 0915-0179) Extension, No Change

    We are requesting an extension of the OMB clearance for the 
Deferment Request Form and associated reporting requirements for the 
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program and the Native 
Hawaiian Health (NHH) Scholarship Program. The NHSC/NHH Scholarship 
Programs are authorized by Section 338A and Section 338K of the Public 
Health Service (PHS) Act. The requirements for obligated service, found 
in Section 338C of the PHS Act, include provisions for deferment of the 
service obligation under certain circumstances.
    Under these programs, allopathic physicians, osteopathic 
physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, physician 
assistants, and, if needed by the NHSC or NHH program, students of 
other health professions (including mental health professionals) are 
offered the opportunity to enter into a contractual agreement with the 
Secretary under which the Public Health Service agrees to pay the total 
school tuition, required fees and a stipend for living expenses. In 
exchange, the scholarship recipient agrees to provide full-time 
clinical services at a site in a federally designated Health 
Professions Shortage Areas (HPSA) of the United States. NHH scholarship 
recipients must be native Hawaiians and are assigned to sites in 
Hawaii. The minimum service obligation is 2 years.
    Once scholarship recipients have completed their academic 
requirements, the law requires that selected types of recipients be 
allowed to defer their service obligation in order to complete an 
approved internship, residency, or other advanced clinical training.
    The Deferment Request Form provides the information necessary for 
considering the period and type of training for which deferment of the 
service obligation will be approved for physicians and dentists.
    In addition, these programs have two other reporting requirements 
for which no forms have been developed, including:
    (1) Individuals who are in a deferment status are required to 
submit requests in writing for modifications to the deferment (e.g., 
extension of deferment or change of residency programs); and (2) 
Dentists, who can either begin their service obligation immediately 
after graduation or can be deferred for up to three years, are required 
to notify the program in writing of their intent to request deferment.
    The estimated burden on respondents is as follows:

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                                                                            Responses                   Total   
                       Type of report                          Number of       per       Hours per      burden  
                                                              respondents   respondent    response      hours   
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Deferment Form..............................................          600            1           .5          300
Requests for Change of Deferment and Letters of Intent......          100            1            1          100
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Total...................................................          700  ...........  ...........          400
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    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to: 
Laura Oliven, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management 
and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, D.C. 
20503.

    Dated: November 21, 1997.
Jane Harrison,
Acting Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 97-31209 Filed 11-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P