Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION:

Information collection notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Defense Health Agency announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by August 24, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Mail: The DoD cannot receive written comments at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comments should be sent electronically to the docket listed above.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on this proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and associated collection instruments, please write to the Defense Health Agency, 7700 Arlington Blvd., Room 3M368B, ATTN: Ms. Jennylynn Balmer, Falls Church, VA 22042 or call 703-681-8429.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Screening and Monitoring of DoD Personnel Deployed to Ebola Outbreak Areas; DD Form 2990 and DD Form 2991; OMB Control Number 0720-0056.

Needs and Uses: The information collection requirement is necessary to ensure DoD personnel deployed in support of Operation UNITED ASSISTANCE are promptly evaluated for possible exposure(s) to the Ebola virus during deployment to, and within 12 hours prior to departing from, an Ebola outbreak country or region. Ebola is a Quarantinable Communicable Disease as named in Executive Order 13295 and supported by several DoD and Federal laws. This information will be used by DoD medical and public health officials to (1) ensure Ebola exposure risk is evaluated, (2) proper prevention and quarantine efforts are implemented, (3) appropriate medical care is provided, (4) medical surveillance programs are robust and (5) the spread of Ebola beyond area of concern is minimized. The DoD has consulted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of State, the Agency for International Development, and several Defense Agencies regarding disease control efforts and health surveillance in response to the public health emergency in West Africa and worldwide. DoD has also specifically discussed these new information collections with representatives of the various Military Services, representing deploying military members who have participated in the development of the content of these forms.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Annual Burden Hours: 480.

Number of Respondents: 1,200.

Responses per Respondent: 2.

Annual Responses: 2,400.

Average Burden per Response: 12 minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.