[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 164 (Friday, August 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48148-48149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18538]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-21-1061]


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 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 
(BRFSS), 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 March 12, 
2021 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC did 
not receive comments 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.

Proposed Project

    Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (OMB Control No. 
0920-1061, Exp. 3/31/2022)--Revision--National Center for Chronic 
Disease and Public Health Protection (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    CDC is requesting OMB approval to revise information collection 
activities for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 
for the period of 2022-2024. The BRFSS is a nationwide system of cross-
sectional surveys using random digit dialed (RDD) samples administered 
by health departments in states, territories, and the District of 
Columbia (collectively referred to here as States) in collaboration 
with CDC. Traditionally subject recruitment and interview have been 
conducted by telephone. In 2022-2024, the BRFSS will introduce the 
option to allow participants to voluntarily complete online surveys, 
after telephone recruitment. The BRFSS produces state-level information 
primarily on health risk behaviors, health conditions, and preventive 
health practices that are associated with chronic diseases, infectious 
diseases, and injury. Designed to meet the data needs of individual 
states and territories, the CDC sponsors the BRFSS information 
collection project under a cooperative agreement with states and 
territories. Under this partnership, BRFSS state coordinators determine 
questionnaire content with technical and methodological assistance 
provided by CDC. For most states and territories, the BRFSS provides 
the only sources of data amenable to state and local level health and 
health risk indicator uses. Over time, it has also developed into an 
important data collection system that federal agencies rely on for 
state and local health information and to track national health 
objectives such as Healthy People.
    CDC bases the BRFSS questionnaire on modular design principles to 
accommodate a variety of state-specific needs within a common 
framework. All participating states are required to administer a 
standardized core

[[Page 48149]]

questionnaire, which provides a set of shared health indicators for all 
BRFSS partners. The BRFSS core questionnaire consists of fixed core, 
rotating core, and emerging core questions. Fixed core questions are 
asked every year. Rotating core questions cycle on and off the core 
questionnaire in two- or three-year cycles, depending on the question. 
Emerging core questions are included in the core questionnaire as 
needed to collect data on urgent or emerging health topics such as 
infectious disease. In addition, the BRFSS includes a series of 
optional modules on a variety of topics. In off years, when the 
rotating questions are not included in the core questionnaire, they are 
offered to states as optional modules. This framework allows each state 
to produce a customized BRFSS survey by appending selected optional 
modules to the core survey. States may select which, if any, optional 
modules to administer. As needed, CDC provides technical and 
methodological assistance to state BRFSS coordinators in the 
construction of their state-specific surveys. Each state administers 
its BRFSS questionnaire throughout the calendar year.
    CDC periodically updates the BRFSS core survey and optional 
modules. The purpose of this Revision request is to add the following 
topics to the questionnaires: COVID vaccination, impact of the COVID 
pandemic, periodontal disease, additional questions on heart attack and 
stroke, disaster/pandemic preparedness, veterans' health, and the use 
of newly available tobacco products. In addition, this request seeks 
approval for reinstating topics which have been included in BRFSS in 
the past, dependent upon state interest and funding.
    Participation in BRFSS is voluntary and there is no cost to 
participate. The average time burden per response will be 22 minutes. 
The total time burden across all respondents will be approximately 
287,798 hours.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondents                   Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. General Population...............  Landline Screener.......         173,000               1            1/60
                                        Cell Phone Screener.....         694,000               1            1/60
                                        Field Test Screener.....             900               1            1/60
Annual Survey Respondents (Adults >18   BRFSS Core Survey by             480,000               1           15/60
 Years).                                 Phone Interview.                440,000               1           15/60
                                        BRFSS Optional Modules
                                         by Phone Interview.
                                        BRFSS Core Survey by             100,000               1           10/60
                                         Online Survey.
                                        BRFSS Optional Modules            80,000               1           10/60
                                         by Online Survey.
Field Test Respondents (Adults >18      Field Test Survey by                 500               1           45/60
 Years).                                 Phone Interview.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2021-18538 Filed 8-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P