Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request Information Collection Request Title: Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Triannual Module, OMB No. 0906-xxxx-New.

AGENCY:

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES:

Comments on this ICR should be received no later than December 16, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to paperwork@hrsa.gov or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, email paperwork@hrsa.gov or call Lisa Wright-Solomon, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the information request collection title for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Triannual Module, OMB No. 0906-xxxx—New.

Abstract: HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) funds and coordinates with cities, states, and local clinics/community-based organizations to deliver efficient and effective HIV care, treatment, and support to low income people with HIV. Nearly two-thirds of clients (patients) live at or below 100 percent of the Federal poverty level and approximately three-quarters of RWHAP clients are racial/ethnic minorities. Since 1990, the RWHAP has developed a comprehensive system of safety net providers who deliver high quality direct health care and support services to over half a million people with HIV—more than 50 percent of all people with diagnosed HIV in the United States.

Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America

In February 2019, the Administration announced a new initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE). Authorized by section 311(c) and title XXVI of the Public Health Service Act, this ten-year initiative beginning in FY 2020 seeks to achieve the important goal of reducing new HIV infections in the United States to less than 3,000 per year by 2030. EHE will focus on 48 counties, Washington, DC, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and seven states that have a substantial rural HIV burden. By focusing on these jurisdictions in the first phase of the EHE, HHS plans to reduce new HIV infections by 75% within five years. Across the United States, the EHE will promote and implement four Pillars to substantially reduce HIV transmissions—diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond. EHE is a collaborative effort among key HHS agencies, primarily HRSA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Indian Health Service, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. RWHAP will focus on implementing activities in the Pillar Two: Treat and supporting Pillar Four: Respond for this important initiative.

HRSA identified proposed data collection needs to support HRSA's efforts towards ending the HIV Epidemic. In order to reach this goal, HRSA needs to have the ability to monitor initiative activities including funding allocations, expenditures, service utilization, and clients served; and assess progress toward meeting national goals for ending the HIV epidemic. HRSA proposes that recipients and service providers (subrecipients) who receive EHE initiative funding report on the reach of EHE initiative activities in a new EHE Triannual Module.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA proposes that service providers who receive EHE Initiative funding report aggregate information on the number of clients receiving specific services and the number of clients who were prescribed antiretroviral medications in the previous four months (beginning in March 2020). This information would complement the annual information collected through the Ryan White Services Report (RSR) and other reporting mechanisms. Service providers will report three times per year on clients who received at least one service during the previous four month period.

This module will provide HRSA with frequent and timely data on EHE Initiative progress by providing information on the number of clients who are reached through the EHE Initiative during each four month reporting period. In addition, HRSA can calculate the number of clients who did not receive services in the previous year by subtracting the number of clients who received services in the previous year and the number of new clients from the total number of clients. This will provide valuable information on the scope of outreach to new clients and clients who have had a lapse in service which could be an indication of re-engagement in care. These calculations will be similar to calculations using the new RSR variables. This module will support project officer monitoring and HRSA's understanding of service provision.

Likely Respondents: RWHAP Part A and Part B Recipients and Subrecipients funded by the EHE Initiative.

Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the information requested. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the table below.

HRSA specifically requests comments on (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.