[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 24 (Monday, February 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7715-7717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02171]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-24-0728]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information 
collection request titled ``National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance 
System (NNDSS)'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval. CDC previously published a ``Proposed Data 
Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations'' notice on 
November 14, 2023 to obtain comments from the public and affected 
agencies. CDC received one comment related to the previous notice. This 
notice serves to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected 
agency comments.
    CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information 
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly 
interested in comments that:
    (a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including, through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses; and
    (e) Assess information collection costs.
    To request additional information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call 
(404) 639-7570. Comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Direct 
written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in 
this notice to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management 
and Budget, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 
395-5806. Provide written comments within 30 days of notice 
publication.

[[Page 7716]]

Proposed Project

    National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) (OMB 
Control No. 0920-0728, Exp. 03/31/2026)--Revision--Office of Public 
Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 241) authorizes CDC to 
disseminate nationally notifiable condition information. The National 
Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) is based on data 
collected at the state, territorial and local levels because of 
legislation and regulations in those jurisdictions that require health 
care providers, medical laboratories, and other entities to submit 
health-related data on reportable conditions to public health 
departments. These reportable conditions, which include infectious and 
non-infectious diseases, vary by jurisdiction depending upon each 
jurisdiction's health priorities and needs. Each year, the Council of 
State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), supported by CDC, 
determines which reportable conditions should be designated nationally 
notifiable or under standardized surveillance. CDC requests a three-
year approval for a Revision of the NNDSS (OMB Control No. 0920-0728, 
Exp. Date 03/31/2026). This Revision includes requests for approval to: 
(1) receive case notification data for Cronobacter and Ehrlichiosis, 
new notifiable conditions; (2) receive case notification data for 
Congenital cytomegalovirus infection and Toxoplasmosis, new conditions 
under standardized surveillance; and (3) receive new disease-specific 
data elements for Cronobacter, Hansen's Disease (Leprosy), and 
Leptospirosis.
    The NNDSS currently facilitates the submission and aggregation of 
case notification data voluntarily submitted to CDC from 60 
jurisdictions: public health departments in every U.S. state, New York 
City, Washington DC, five U.S. territories (American Samoa, the 
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the 
U.S. Virgin Islands), and three freely associated states (Federated 
States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
Republic of Palau). This information is shared across jurisdictional 
boundaries and both surveillance and prevention and control activities 
are coordinated at regional and national levels.
    Approximately 90% of case notifications are encrypted and submitted 
to NNDSS electronically from already existing databases by automated 
electronic messages. When automated transmission is not possible, case 
notifications are faxed, emailed, uploaded to a secure network or 
entered into a secure website. All case notifications that are faxed or 
emailed are done so in the form of an aggregate weekly or annual 
report, not individual cases. These different mechanisms used to send 
case notifications to CDC vary by the jurisdiction and the disease or 
condition. Jurisdictions remove most personally identifiable 
information (PII) before data are submitted to CDC, but some data 
elements (e.g., date of birth, date of diagnosis, county of residence) 
could potentially be combined with other information to identify 
individuals. Private information is not disclosed unless otherwise 
compelled by law. All data are treated in a secure manner consistent 
with the technical, administrative, and operational controls required 
by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) and 
the 2010 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems and 
Organizations. Weekly tables of nationally notifiable diseases are 
available through CDC WONDER and data.cdc.gov. Annual summaries of 
finalized nationally notifiable disease data are published on CDC 
WONDER and data.cdc.gov and disease-specific data are published by 
individual CDC programs.
    The burden estimates include the number of hours that the public 
health department uses to process and send case notification data from 
their jurisdiction to CDC. Specifically, the burden estimates include 
separate burden hours incurred for automated and non-automated 
transmissions, separate weekly burden hours incurred for modernizing 
surveillance systems as part of CDC's Data Modernization Initiative 
(DMI) implementation, separate burden hours incurred for annual data 
reconciliation and submission, and separate one-time burden hours 
incurred for the addition of new diseases and data elements. The burden 
estimates for the one-time burden for reporting jurisdictions are for 
the addition of case notification data for Cronobacter and 
Ehrlichiosis, new notifiable conditions; the addition of case 
notification data for Congenital cytomegalovirus infection and 
Toxoplasmosis, new conditions under standardized surveillance; and the 
addition of new disease-specific data elements for Cronobacter, 
Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) and Leptospirosis. The estimated annual 
burden for the 257 respondents is 18,414 hours. The total burden hours 
decreased from 18,594 to 18,414 since the last Revision because there 
were fewer disease-specific data elements added compared to the 
previous Revision. There are no costs to respondents other than their 
time to participate.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondent                    Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
States................................  Weekly (Automated)......              50              52           20/60
States................................  Weekly (Non-automated)..              10              52               2
States................................  Weekly (DMI                           50              52               4
                                         Implementation).
States................................  Annual..................              50               1              75
States................................  One-time Addition of                  50               1               3
                                         Diseases and Data
                                         Elements.
Territories...........................  Weekly (Automated)......               5              52           20/60
Territories...........................  Weekly, Quarterly (Non-                5              56           20/60
                                         automated).
Territories...........................  Weekly (DMI                            5              52               4
                                         Implementation).
Territories...........................  Annual..................               5               1               5
Territories...........................  One-time Addition of                   5               1               3
                                         Diseases and Data
                                         Elements.
Freely Associated States..............  Weekly (Automated)......               3              52           20/60
Freely Associated States..............  Weekly, Quarterly (Non-                3              56           20/60
                                         automated).
Freely Associated States..............  Annual..................               3               1               5
Freely Associated States..............  One-time Addition of                   3               1               3
                                         Diseases and Data
                                         Elements.

[[Page 7717]]

 
Cities................................  Weekly (Automated)......               2              52           20/60
Cities................................  Weekly (Non-automated)..               2              52               2
Cities................................  Weekly (DMI                            2              52               4
                                         Implementation).
Cities................................  Annual..................               2               1              75
Cities................................  One-time Addition of                   2               1               3
                                         Diseases and Data
                                         Elements.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health 
Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2024-02171 Filed 2-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P