Notice2026-04566
Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract
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 opportunity for the public and other federal agencies to comment on a continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project titled Developmental/Methodological Projects to Improve the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Related Programs. The goal of these projects is to evaluate proposed survey designs, content, methods, and alternative approaches to activities such as outreach, screening, participant recruitment/retention, data collection, or other survey activities for NHANES or NCHS-wide projects.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 45 (Monday, March 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 45 (Monday, March 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11317-11319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04566]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-26-1208; Docket No. CDC-2026-0397]
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.
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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 opportunity for the
public and other federal agencies to comment on a continuing
information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection
project titled Developmental/Methodological Projects to Improve the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Related Programs.
The goal of these projects is to evaluate proposed survey designs,
content, methods, and alternative approaches to activities such as
outreach, screening, participant recruitment/retention, data
collection, or other survey activities for NHANES or NCHS-wide
projects.
[[Page 11318]]
DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before May 8, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2026-
0397 by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road
NE, MS 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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking
portal (<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>) 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, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: 404-639-7570;
Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#adc2c0cfedcec9ce83cac2db"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="97f8faf5d7f4f3f4b9f0f8e1">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 an existing collection
of information, and each reinstatement of a 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
Developmental/Methodological Projects to Improve the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Related Programs, (OMB
Control No. 0920-1208, Exp. 5/31/2026)--Extension--National Center for
Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).
Background and Brief Description
Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 242k)
authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (DHHS),
acting through National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), collect
statistics on subjects in the United States, such as the extent and
nature of illness and disability; environmental, social, and other
health hazards; determinants of health; health resources; and
utilization of healthcare. The National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES) has been conducted periodically between
1970 and 1994, and continuously since 1999 by the NCHS/CDC.
The mission of NHANES programs is to produce descriptive statistics
which measure the health and nutritional status of the general
population. The continuous operation of NHANES programs presents unique
challenges in testing new survey content and activities, such as
outreach or participant screening. This Generic Clearance request
covers developmental projects to help evaluate and enhance NHANES
existing and proposed data collection activities to increase research
capacity and improve data quality. The information collected through
this Generic Clearance will not be used to make generalizable
statements about the population of interest or to inform public policy;
however, methodological findings from these projects may be reported.
The purpose and use of projects under this NHANES Generic Clearance
would include developmental projects necessary for activities such as
testing new procedures, equipment, technology and approaches that are
going to be folded into NHANES or other NCHS programs; designing and
testing examination components or survey questions; creating new
studies including biomonitoring and clinical measures; creating new
cohorts, including a pregnancy and/or a birth--24 month cohort; testing
of the cognitive and interpretive aspects of survey methodology;
feasibility testing of proposed new components or modifications to
existing components; testing of human-computer interfaces/usability;
assessing the acceptability of proposed NHANES components among likely
participants; testing alternative approaches to existing NHANES
procedures, including activities related to improving nonresponse;
testing the use of, or variations/adjustments in, incentives; testing
content of web-based surveys; testing the feasibility of obtaining
bodily fluid specimens (blood, urine, semen, saliva, breastmilk) and
tissue samples (swabs); testing digital imaging technology and related
procedures (e.g., retinal scan, liver ultrasound, dual-energy X-ray
absorptiometry (DEXA)), prescription and over-the-counter dietary
supplement bottles; testing the feasibility of, and procedure/processes
for, accessing participant's medical records from healthcare settings
(e.g., hospitals and physician offices); testing the feasibility and
protocols for home examination measurements; testing survey materials
and procedures to improve response rates, including changes to advance
materials and protocols, changes to the incentive structure,
introduction of new and timely outreach and awareness procedures
including the use of social media; conducting crossover studies;
creating and testing digital survey materials; and conducting customer
satisfaction assessments.
The types of participants covered by the NHANES Generic Clearance
may include current or past NHANES participants; family or household
members of NHANES participants; individuals eligible to be participants
in NHANES, but who did not screen into the actual survey; convenience
samples; volunteers; subject matter experts or consultants such as
survey methodologists, academic researchers, clinicians or other health
care providers; NHANES data or website users; members of the general
public or individuals abroad who would be part of a collaborative
development project or projects between NCHS and related public health
agencies in the U.S. and/or abroad.
The type of participants involved in a given developmental project
would be determined by the nature of the project. The details of each
project will be included in the specific generic
[[Page 11319]]
clearance submission.. A three-year Extension for the Generic Clearance
is requested. CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 59,465
annualized burden hours. There is no cost to respondents other than
their time
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per Total burden
Type of respondents Form name respondents responses per response (in (in hours)
respondent hours)
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Individuals or households..... Developmental 35,000 1 1.5 52,500
Projects &
Focus Group
documents.
Volunteers.................... Developmental 300 1 1.5 450
Projects &
Focus Group
documents.
Individuals or households, 24-hour 200 1 25 5,000
Volunteers, NHANES developmental
Participants. projects.
NHANES Participants........... Developmental 1,000 1 1.5 1,500
Projects.
Subject Matter Experts........ Focus Group/ 15 1 1 15
Developmental
Project
Documents.
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Total..................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 59,465
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health
Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2026-04566 Filed 3-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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