AGENCY

Language Proficiency 

Care Workers To Demonstrate English 

Passing Scores for Foreign Health 

Standardized Tests and Minimum 

Administration 

Health Resources and Services 

HUMAN SERVICES 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

[FR Doc. 2024–25874 Filed 11–6–24; 8:45 am] 

: Health Resources and Services 

ACTION

Health and Human Services (HHS). 

Administration (HRSA), Department of 

: Request for comments. 

SUMMARY: HRSA proposes modifications 

DATES

Act of 1996 (IIRIRA). 

Reform and Immigrant Responsibility 

to section 343 of the Illegal Immigration 

English language proficiency pursuant 

health care workers to demonstrate 

minimum passing scores for foreign 

to the list of standardized tests and 

: Submit comments no later than 

ADDRESSES

December 9, 2024, 11:59 p.m. (ET). 

: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• Federal Web-Based Portal: https://

www.regulations.gov/. This is the 

submitting comments. Include Billing 

comments. Follow instructions for 

preferred method for the submission of 

without changes to 

submitted comments will be posted 

Code 4165–15 in your comments. All 

https://

www.regulations.gov/. Please do not 

do not want publicly disclosed. 

confidential business information you 

include any personally identifiable or 

• Email: HRSAComments@hrsa.gov 

and HRSA_ELP@hrsa.gov with the 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

publicly disclosed. 

business information you do not want 

personally identifiable or confidential 

comments. Please do not include any 

alternative method for the submission of 

Health Care Workers.’’ This is the 

Minimum Passing Scores for Foreign 

Comments on Standardized Tests and 

subject line: ‘‘Billing Code 4165–15 

: 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Maryland 20857, 301–443–4412. 

HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, 

Initiatives, Office of Global Health, 

Tanchica West, Office of Special Health 

: 

I. Background 

The purpose of this request is to 

Security at 8 CFR 212.15(g), to 

by the Department of Homeland 

implementing regulations promulgated 

104–208 (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(5)(C)) and 

section 343 of the IIRIRA, Public Law 

by HHS through HRSA pursuant to 

list of tests and passing scores approved 

proposed modifications to the current 

solicit public comments regarding 

approved tests. 

workers to enhance consistency across 

certification of foreign health care 

minimum passing scores required for 

list of approved standardized tests and 

proposed modifications to the current 

is seeking public comments regarding 

a covered health care occupation. HRSA 

primary purpose of performing labor in 

admission to the United States for the 

noncitizen health care workers seeking 

the certification requirements for certain 

language proficiency is an element of 

workers. Demonstration of English 

proficiency for noncitizen health care 

demonstrate English language 

Public comments may include the 

comments include: 

justification, HRSA requests that 

proficiency. In addition to evidence and 

demonstrating English language 

test or minimum passing score for 

supporting the inclusion of a particular 

concordance, or methodologies 

concordance analysis and findings of 

submission of evaluation studies, 

(1) A bulleted summary of no more 

spaced) and 

than five (5) pages (12-point font single 

(2) The table (below) with responses 

for each applicable recommendation. 

Comments may address any aspect of 

comments will be considered. 

the proposed modifications, and all 


EN07NO24.083</GPH>lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

Addendum XV: FDG-PET for Deme

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MBA (410-786-3365). 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 216 / Thursday, November 7, 2024 / Notices 88295 

1See, Cambridge English website: https://

cambridgeenglish.org. 

2See,website for English as a Foreign Language 

(TOEFL) Internet-Based Test: https://www.ets.org/ 

toefl/institutions/ibt/about.html. 

3See, Test of English as a Foreign Language 

(TOEFL) website: https://www.ets.org/toefl.html. 

4See, website for Test of English in International 

Communication (TOEIC) https://www.ets.org//toeic/ 

test-takers/about.html. 

5See, website for the Occupational English Test 

(OET): https://oet.com/en-us. 

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTS AND SCORES

[12-point font single spaced] 

Test name Test section Current score Recommended score Justification 

and impact Evidence Timeframe 

[Insert Name 

of Test].

[Insert what section of 

the test the modification refers to, 

i.e., overall, listening, reading, writing, 

or speaking.] 

[Insert current score 

for each test by 

health profession or 

occupation by level 

of degree.] 

[Insert recommended 

score for each test 

by health profession 

or occupation by 

level of degree.] 

[Provide a brief description of why the 

modification is necessary.] 

[Provide a brief description of potential 

impact of the modification if accepted.] 

[Describe evidence to 

support this modification (i.e., concordance analysis 

and findings, evaluation studies, and 

other supporting material to substantiate 

this recommendation).] 

[Insert if this modification is time sensitive. If yes, describe why.] 

Summary of Administrative Comments on English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores 

Test name Test section Current language Suggested language Justification 

and impact Evidence Timeframe 

[Insert Name 

of Test].

[Insert what section of 

the test the modification refers to, 

i.e., overall, listening, reading, writing, 

or speaking, if applicable.] 

[Insert recommended 

modification by 

health profession or 

occupation by level 

of degree.] 

[Insert recommended 

modification by 

health profession or 

occupation by level 

of degree.] 

[Provide description of 

why the modification 

is necessary.] 

[Provide description of 

potential impact of 

the modification if 

accepted.] 

[Describe evidence to 

support this modification (i.e., concordance analysis 

and findings, evaluation studies, and 

other supporting material to substantiate 

this recommendation).] 

[Insert if this modification is time sensitive. If yes, describe why.] 

General 

[Insert any other comments.] 

Proposed Modifications to the June 

2022 List of Approved Standardized 

Tests and Minimum Passing Scores: 

(1) Cambridge English provides indepth exams to prove knowledge of the 

English language.1 HRSA proposes the 

following modification to the listing: 

a. Change the title of the tests from 

‘‘Cambridge Assessment English: B2 

First, C1 Advanced, or C2 qualifications 

exams’’ to ‘‘Cambridge English B2 First, 

C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency,’’ 

because Cambridge English changed the 

name of the exams. 

b. The minimum passing scores for 

each of the occupations will remain 

unchanged. 

(2) Test of English as a Foreign 

Language internet-Based Test (TOEFL 

iBT) prepares test-takers for immigration 

to the United States by examining their 

English ability.2 HRSA proposes the 

following modifications to the listing: 

a. Change the title from ‘‘Test of 

English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 

internet-Based Test’’ to ‘‘Test of English 

as a Foreign Language internet-Based 

Test (TOEFL iBT),’’ to reflect the 

organization’s current name for the 

exam. 

b. Increase the overall passing score 

from an 81 to an 83 for registered nurses 

and Bachelor of Science level health 

care workers to enhance parity among 

minimum passing test scores across 

approved tests. 

c. Increase the minimum passing 

score for the ‘‘Speaking’’ section from 24 

to 26 for registered nurses and Bachelor 

of Science level health care workers to 

enhance parity among minimum 

passing test scores across approved 

tests. 

d. There are no proposed changes to 

the minimum passing scores for health 

care workers holding less than a 

Bachelor of Science degree and 

occupational therapists/physical 

therapists. 

(3) HRSA understands that the TOEFL 

Paper-Based Test has been 

discontinued.3 HRSA therefore proposes 

the following modification to the listing: 

a. Remove the TOEFL Paper-Based 

Test from the list of standardized tests 

and minimum passing scores to 

demonstrate English language 

proficiency, since it is no longer 

available for test-takers. 

(4) Test of English in International 

Communication (TOEIC) (Listening and 

Reading) and TOEIC (Speaking and 

Writing) measure English 

comprehension skills and determines a 

test-taker’s ability to communicate in 

English effectively and proficiently.4

HRSA proposes the following 

modifications to the listing: 

a. Increase the minimum passing 

score from 700 to 725 for ‘‘Listening and 

Reading’’ for health care workers 

holding less than a Bachelor of Science 

degree to enhance parity among 

minimum passing test scores across 

approved tests. 

b. There are no proposed changes to 

the minimum passing score of 160 for 

‘‘Speaking’’ and 150 for ‘‘Writing’’ for 

registered nurses, Bachelor of Science 

level health care workers, and health 

care workers holding less than a 

Bachelor of Science degree. 

(5) The Occupational English Test 

(OET) is a language test designed to 

evaluate language skills of healthcare 

professionals in an English-speaking 

environment.5 HRSA proposes the 

following modifications to the listing: 

a. Change test scores from a letterbased scoring system to numerical 

values, as suggested by OET, to increase 

precision in scoring and overall parity 

across English language proficiency 

tests. For registered nurses and Bachelor 

of Science level health care workers, the 

current minimum passing score for 

‘‘Reading,’’ ‘‘Writing,’’ and ‘‘Listening’’ 

is a letter grade of C+ and a letter grade 

of B for ‘‘Speaking.’’ HRSA proposes to 

replace these letter scores with the 

equivalent numeric scores of 300 for 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
88296 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 216 / Thursday, November 7, 2024 / Notices 

6See, website for Pearson PTE Academic: https:// 

www.pearsonpte.com/pte-academic. 

‘‘Reading,’’ ‘‘Writing,’’ and ‘‘Listening,’’ 

and 350 for ‘‘Speaking’’ which, per 

consultation with OET, does not 

represent an increase or decrease in 

minimum passing test scores. 

b. For health care workers holding 

less than a Bachelor of Science degree, 

the current minimum passing score for 

‘‘Reading,’’ ‘‘Writing,’’ and ‘‘Listening’’ 

is a letter grade of C and a letter grade 

of B for ‘‘Speaking.’’ HRSA proposes to 

replace these letter scores with the 

equivalent numeric scores of 250 for 

‘‘Reading,’’ ‘‘Writing,’’ ‘‘Listening,’’ and 

350 for ‘‘Speaking’’ which, per 

consultation with OET, does not 

represent an increase or decrease in 

minimum passing test scores. 

c. For occupational and physical 

therapists, there are currently no 

minimum passing tests scores listed for 

OET. HRSA proposes the minimum 

passing scores of 300 for ‘‘Reading,’’ 

‘‘Writing,’’ and ‘‘Listening’’ and the 

score of 350 for ‘‘Speaking’’ to include 

versions of OET designed specifically 

for occupational and physical 

therapists. 

(6) Pearson PTE Academic is a 

computer-based exam that measures 

academic-level speaking, writing, 

reading, and listening skills.6 HRSA 

proposes the following modification to 

the listing: 

a. Add a new passing minimum score 

of 63 for ‘‘Speaking’’ for registered 

nurses and Bachelor of Science level 

health care workers. Previously, no 

passing minimum score for ‘‘Speaking’’ 

was listed. HRSA proposes this change 

to enhance parity among minimum 

passing test scores. 

To reflect the aforementioned 

modifications*, HRSA proposes to 

update its website to replace the June 

2022 listing of approved standardized 

tests and minimum passing scores with 

the following table, which reflects the 

information described above: 

* Proposed modifications are bolded 

and italicized for this document but will 

not appear in bold and italics when 

published on the website. 

English competency tests Scores: occupational therapists/ 

physical therapists 

Scores: registered nurses and 

B.S. level health care workers 

Scores: <B.S. level health care 

workers 

Cambridge English B2 First, C1 

Advanced, or C2 Proficiency.

Cambridge English Scale 185 

overall and 185 Speaking.

Cambridge English Scale 176 

overall and 185 Speaking.

Cambridge English Scale 169 

overall and 185 Speaking. 

Educational Testing Service: 

TOEFL Internet-Based Test.

Overall 89 with minimum of 63 on 

Reading, Listening and Writing 

and 26 on Speaking.

Overall 83 with minimum of 57 on 

Reading, Listening and Writing 

and 26 on Speaking.

Overall 77 with minimum of 53 on 

Reading, Listening, and Writing 

and 24 on Speaking. 

Educational Testing Service: 

TOEIC (Listening and Reading).

Not applicable ............................... 725 ................................................ 725. 

Educational Testing Service: 

TOEIC (Speaking/Writing).

Not applicable ............................... 160 Speaking/150 Writing ............ 160 Speaking/150 Writing. 

International English Language 

Testing System (IELTS).

Not applicable ............................... 6.5 academic with minimum of 7 

on Speaking.

6 academic or general with minimum of 7 on Speaking. 

Michigan English Test (MET) ........ Not applicable ............................... Overall 55; minimum Speaking 

section score of 55.

Overall 55; minimum Speaking 

section score of 55. 

Occupational English Test (OET) .. Reading, Writing, Listening/300; 

Speaking 350.

Reading, Writing, Listening/300; 

Speaking 350.

Reading, Writing, Listening/250; 

Speaking 350. 

Pearson PTE Academic ................ Not applicable ............................... Overall 55; Reading, Writing, Listening, no section below 50.

63 minimum for Speaking ............

Overall 55; Reading, Writing, Listening, no section below 50. 

Maria G. Button, 

Director, Executive Secretariat. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25854 Filed 11–6–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4165–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

[Document Identifier: OS–0990–NEW] 

Agency Information Collection 

Request; 30-Day Public Comment 

Request 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Health 

and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

requirement of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the 

Secretary (OS), Department of Health 

and Human Services, is publishing the 

following summary of a proposed 

collection for public comment. 

DATES: Comments on the ICR must be 

received on or before December 9, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Written 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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sherrette Funn, Sherrette.Funn@hhs.gov 

or (202) 264–0041, or PRA@HHS.GOV. 

When submitting comments or 

requesting information, please include 

the document identifier 0990–new–30D 

and project title for reference. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested 

persons are invited to send comments 

regarding this burden estimate or any 

other aspect of this collection of 

information, including any of the 

following subjects: (1) The necessity and 

utility of the proposed information 

collection for the proper performance of 

the agency’s functions; (2) the accuracy 

of the estimated burden; (3) ways to 

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 

of the information to be collected; and 

(4) the use of automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology to minimize the information 

collection burden. 

Title of the Collection: Evaluation of 

the Certified Community Behavioral 

Health Clinic Demonstration in 

Accordance with the Bipartisan Safer 

Communities Act. 

Type of Collection: New. 

OMB No.: 0990–NEW. 

Abstract: The Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 

(ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS) is 

requesting Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) approval for new data 

collection activities to support its 

evaluation of the Certified Community 

Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1