Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 14, 2021 / Notices 51157 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[60Day–21–0020; Docket No. CDC–2021– 

0095] 

Proposed Data Collection Submitted 

for Public Comment and 

Recommendations 

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice with comment period. 

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of 

its continuing effort to reduce public 

burden and maximize the utility of 

government information, invites the 

general public and other Federal 

agencies the opportunity to comment on 

a proposed and/or continuing 

information collection, as required by 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

This notice invites comment on a 

proposed information collection project 

titled Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance 

Program (CWHSP). The CWHSP is a 

Congressionally mandated medical 

examination program for monitoring the 

health of coal miners and was originally 

established under the Federal Coal Mine 

Health and Safety Act of 1969 with all 

subsequent amendments (the Act). HHS 

proposes to revise the National Institute 

for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) CWHSP regulations by 

amending existing regulatory text to 

allow compensation for pathologists 

who perform autopsies on coal miners 

at a market rate, on a discretionary basis 

as needed for public health purposes. 

DATES: CDC must receive written 

comments on or before November 15, 

2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by Docket No. CDC–2021– 

0095 by any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

Regulations.gov. Follow the instructions 

for submitting comments. 

• Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information 

Collection Review Office, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 

Clifton Road NE, Mailstop H21–8, 

Atlanta, Georgia 30329. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

Docket Number. CDC will post, without 

change, all relevant comments to 

Regulations.gov. 

Please note: Submit all Federal 

comments through the Federal 

eRulemaking portal (regulations.gov) or 

by U.S. mail to the address listed above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on the 

proposed project or to obtain a copy of 

the information collection plan and 

instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, 

Information Collection Review Office, 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, 

Mailstop H21–8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; 

phone: 404–639–7570; Email: omb@

cdc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (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. In addition, the PRA also 

requires Federal agencies to provide a 

60-day notice in the Federal Register 

concerning each proposed collection of 

information, including each new 

proposed collection, each proposed 

extension of existing collection of 

information, and each reinstatement of 

previously approved information 

collection before submitting the 

collection to the OMB for approval. To 

comply with this requirement, we are 

publishing this notice of a proposed 

data collection as described below. 

The OMB is particularly interested in 

comments that will help: 

1. 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; 

2. Evaluate the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; 

3. Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; 

4. 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 submissions 

of responses; and 

5. Assess information collection costs. 

Proposed Project 

Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance 

Program (CWHSP), (OMB Control No. 

0920–0020, Exp. 09/30/2021)— 

Revision—National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC). 

Background and Brief Description 

NIOSH would like to submit a 

Revision Information Collection Request 

(ICR) to revise the data collection 

instruments being utilized within the 

Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance 

Program (CWHSP). This request 

incorporates all components of the 

CWHSP. Those components include: 

Coal Workers’ X-ray Surveillance 

Program (CWXSP), B Reader Program, 

Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health 

Surveillance Program (ECWHSP), 

Expanded Coal Workers’ Health 

Surveillance Program, and National 

Coal Workers’ Autopsy Study (NCWAS). 

The CWHSP is a Congressionally 

mandated medical examination program 

for monitoring the health of coal miners 

and was originally established under the 

Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety 

Act of 1969 with all subsequent 

amendments (the Act). The Act provides 

the regulatory authority for the 

administration of the CWHSP. This 

Program, which operates in accordance 

with 42 CFR part 37, is useful in 

providing information for protecting the 

health, and also in documenting trends 

and patterns in the prevalence of coal 

workers’ pneumoconiosis (‘black lung’ 

disease) among U.S. coal miners. 

HHS proposes to revise the CWHSP 

regulations (42 CFR part 37) by 

amending existing regulatory text to 

allow compensation for pathologists 

who perform autopsies on coal miners 

at a market rate, on a discretionary basis 

as needed for public health purposes. 

These changes to 42 CFR 37 have 

necessitated this revision ICR. 

The total estimated annualized 

burden hours of 11,741 is based on the 

following collection instruments: 

• Coal Mine Operator Plan (2.10) and 

Coal Contractor Plan (2.18)—Under 42 

CFR part 37, every coal operator and 

coal contractor in the U.S. must submit 

a plan approximately every four years, 

providing information on how they plan 

to notify their miners of the opportunity 

to obtain the medical examination. 

Completion of this form with all 

requested information (including a 

roster of current employees) takes 

approximately 30 minutes. 

• Radiographic Facility Certification 

Document (2.11)—X-ray facilities 

seeking NIOSH approval to provide 

miner radiographs under the CWHSP 

must complete an approval packet 

including this form which requires 

approximately 30 minutes for 

completion. 

• Miner Identification Document 

(2.9)—Miners who elect to participate in 

the CWHSP must fill out this document 

which requires approximately 20 


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51158 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 14, 2021 / Notices 

minutes. This document records 

demographic and occupational history, 

as well as information required under 

the regulations in relation to the 

examinations. 

• Chest Radiograph Classification 

Form (2.8)—NIOSH utilizes a 

radiographic classification system 

developed by the International Labour 

Office (ILO) in the determination of 

pneumoconiosis among coal miners. 

Physicians (B Readers) fill out this form 

regarding their interpretations of the 

radiographs (each image has at least two 

separate interpretations, and 

approximately 7% of the images require 

additional interpretations). Based on 

prior practice it takes the physician 

approximately three minutes per form. 

• Physician Application for 

Certification (2.12)—Physicians taking 

the B Reader examination are asked to 

complete this registration form which 

provides demographic information as 

well as information regarding their 

medical practices. It typically takes the 

physician about 10 minutes to complete 

this form. 

• Spirometry Facility Certification 

Document (2.14)—This form is 

analogous to the Radiographic Facility 

Certification Document (2.11) and 

records the spirometry facility 

equipment/staffing information. 

Spirometry facilities seeking NIOSH 

approval to provide miner spirometry 

testing under the CWHSP must 

complete an approval packet which 

includes this form. It is estimated that 

it will take approximately 30 minutes 

for this form to be completed at the 

facility. 

• Respiratory Assessment Form 

(2.13)—This form is designed to assess 

respiratory symptoms and certain 

medical conditions and risk factors. It is 

estimated that it will take approximately 

five minutes for this form to be 

administered to the miner by an 

employee at the facility. 

• Spirometry Results Notification 

Form (2.15)—This form is used to: 

Collect information that will allow 

NIOSH to identify the miner in order to 

provide notification of the spirometry 

test results; assure that the test can be 

done safely; record certain factors that 

can affect test results; provide 

documentation that the required 

components of the spirometry 

examination have been transmitted to 

NIOSH for processing; and conduct 

quality assurance audits and 

interpretation of results. It is estimated 

that it will take the facility 

approximately 20 minutes to complete 

this form. 

• Pathologist Invoice—Under the 

NCWAS, the invoice submitted by the 

pathologist must contain a statement 

that the pathologist is not receiving any 

other compensation for the autopsy. 

Each participating pathologist may use 

their individual invoice as long as this 

statement is added. It is estimated that 

only five minutes is required for the 

pathologist to add this statement to the 

standard invoice that they routinely use. 

• Pathologist Report—Under the 

NCWAS the pathologist must submit 

information found at autopsy, slides, 

blocks of tissue, and a final diagnosis 

indicating presence or absence of 

pneumoconiosis. The format of the 

autopsy reports is variable depending 

on the pathologist conducting the 

autopsy. Since an autopsy report is 

routinely completed by a pathologist, 

the only additional burden is the 

specific request for a clinical abstract of 

terminal illness and final diagnosis 

relating to pneumoconiosis. Therefore, 

only five minutes of additional burden 

is estimated for the pathologist’s report. 

• Consent, Release and History Form 

(2.6)—This form documents written 

authorization from the next-of-kin to 

perform an autopsy on the deceased 

miner. A minimum of essential 

information is collected regarding the 

deceased miner including an 

occupational history and a smoking 

history. From past experience, it is 

estimated that 15 minutes is required for 

the next-of-kin to complete this form. 

• Authorization for Payment of 

Autopsy Form (2.19)—Revised 42 CFR 

part 37.204 outlines a need for a 

physician pathologist to obtain written 

authorization from NIOSH and 

agreement regarding payment amount 

for services specified in § 37.202 (a) by 

completing the Authorization for 

Payment of Autopsy form and 

submitting it to the CWHSP for 

authorization prior to completing an 

autopsy on a coal miner. This is a new 

form. It will be completed by the 

pathologist who intends on conducting 

an autopsy and the form will collect: 

Demographic information on the 

deceased miner, characteristics of the 

miner’s pneumoconiosis (if known by 

the pathologist), demographic and 

medical licensure information from the 

requesting pathologist, and proposed 

payment amount to complete the 

autopsy in accordance with § 37.203. It 

is estimated that 15 minutes is required 

for the pathologist to complete this 

form. 

CDC requests OMB approval for an 

estimated 11,741 annual burden hours. 

There are no costs to respondents other 

than their time. 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS

Type of respondent Form name Number of 

Respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden per 

response 

(in hours) 

Total 

burden 

hours 

Coal Mine Operator .......................... 2.10 .................................................. 220 1 30/60 110 

Coal Mine Contractor ........................ 2.18 .................................................. 160 1 30/60 80 

Radiograph Facility Supervisor ......... 2.11 .................................................. 20 1 30/60 10 

Coal Miner ......................................... 2.9 .................................................... 8,500 1 20/60 2833 

Coal Miner—Radiograph .................. No form required .............................. 8,500 1 15/60 2125 

B Reader Physician .......................... 2.8 .................................................... 10 1,760 3/60 880 

Physicians taking the B Reader Examination.2.12 .................................................. 220 1 10/60 37 

Spirometry Facility Supervisor .......... 2.14 .................................................. 15 1 30/60 8 

Spirometry Facility Employee ........... 2.13 .................................................. 8,500 1 5/60 708 

Spirometry Technician ...................... 2.15 .................................................. 8,500 1 20/60 2833 

Coal Miner—Spirometry .................... No form required .............................. 8,500 1 15/60 2125 

Pathologist ........................................ 2.19 .................................................. 4 1 15/60 1 

Pathologist ........................................ Invoice—No standard form .............. 4 1 5/60 1 

Pathologist ........................................ Pathology Report—No standard 

form.

4 l 5/60 1 

Next-of-kin for deceased miner ........ 2.6 .................................................... 4 1 15/60 1 


tkelley on DSK125TN23PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 14, 2021 / Notices 51159 

ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS—Continued 

Type of respondent Form name Number of 

Respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden per 

response 

(in hours) 

Total 

burden 

hours 

Total ........................................... ........................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 11,741 

Jeffrey M. Zirger, 

Lead, Information Collection Review Office, 

Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of Science, 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2021–19753 Filed 9–13–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[30Day–21–1039] 

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 Information 

Collection on Cause-Specific 

Absenteeism in Schools 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 1, 

2021 to obtain comments from the 

public and affected agencies. CDC 

received and replied to two nonsubstantive 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 

Information Collection on CauseSpecific Absenteeism in Schools (OMB 

Control No. 0920–1039)—Reinstatement 

with Change—National Center for 

Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious 

Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Background and Brief Description 

The Information Collection on CauseSpecific Absenteeism in Schools aims to 

improve; (1) understanding of the role of 

influenza-like illness (ILI)-specific 

absenteeism in schools in predicting 

community-wide influenza 

transmission, and (2) to detect withinhousehold transmission of influenza in 

households from which a student has 

been absent from school due to ILI. 

Due to children’s naı ̈ve immunity, 

their susceptibility to infectious 

diseases, and congregation of children at 

schools, schools serve as amplification 

points for influenza transmission. 

Therefore, the collection of ILI-specific 

absenteeism could provide information 

needed to detect influenza outbreaks 

early, before infection spreads to a 

wider community. Such early detection 

of outbreaks will enable public health 

and school authorities to implement 

appropriate infection control and 

prevention measures. 

School children are frequently the 

main introducers of influenza to their 

families. Evaluating influenza 

transmission within households where 

students are absent from school because 

of ILI may serve as an additional layer 

of influenza surveillance, and could 

contribute to understanding of influenza 

transmission dynamics within the 

surrounding community. Insights 

gained from this information collection 

will be used to strengthen the evidencebase of CDC’s Pre-Pandemic Guidance 

prior to the next pandemic. 

Since obtaining OMB approval in 

December 2014, 2,466 Oregon School 

District students with ILI have been 

enrolled in the study. Of them, 68% 

were positive for at least one respiratory 

pathogen included in the PCR panel that 

tests for presence of 17 common 

respiratory viruses, and 29% of students 

were found to be positive for influenza. 

It was demonstrated that absenteeism 

due to ILI in school children was highly 

correlated with PCR-confirmed 

influenza in enrolled school children, 

and medically-attended influenza in the 

surrounding community, suggesting that 

ILI-specific school absenteeism can be 

considered a useful tool for predicting 

influenza outbreaks in the surrounding 

community. For all six seasons, (2015– 

2021) significant, positive crosscorrelations were achieved for 

absenteeism due to illness (a–I) and 

absenteeism due to ILI (a–ILI) at least 14 

days in advance of MAI. Further 

observations during influenza seasons 

caused by other influenza strains are 

needed to make these findings more 

robust. 

In the currently approved information 

collection, information and 

biospecimens are collected only from 

students who were absent from school 

because of ILI. This reinstatement with 

change to the currently approved 

information collection adds a household 

transmission component, in which 

information and biospecimens will be 

collected from household members of 

students absent from school because of 

ILI. This aims to enhance current 

knowledge and understanding around 


tkelley on DSK125TN23PROD with NOTICES