Notice2026-06232
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
April 1, 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 general public and other federal agencies the opportunity 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 Research Data Center Data Security Forms for Access to Confidential Data. NCHS plans to collect information from the public to fulfill its data security requirements when providing access to restricted-use microdata for the purpose of evidence building. NCHS's data security forms along with the corresponding security protocols allow NCHS to maintain careful controls on confidentiality and privacy, as required by law.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16198-16199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06232]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-26-1393; Docket No. CDC-2026-0496]
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 general public and other
federal agencies the opportunity 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 Research Data Center Data Security Forms for Access to
Confidential Data. NCHS plans to collect information from the public to
fulfill its data security requirements when providing access to
restricted-use microdata for the purpose of evidence building. NCHS's
data security forms along with the corresponding security protocols
allow NCHS to maintain careful controls on confidentiality and privacy,
as required by law.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 1, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2026-
0496 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#a1ceccc3e1c2c5c28fc6ced7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7817151a381b1c1b561f170e">[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 existing collection of
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information
collection before submitting the collection to 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
Research Data Center Data Security Forms for Access to Confidential
Data for the National Center for Health Statistics (OMB Control No.
0920-1393, Exp. 4/30/2026)--Reinstatement--National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
Section 306(b)(4) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C.
242k(b)(4)), as amended, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, to receive requests for
furnishing statistics to the public. NCHS receives requests for
statistics from the public through the Standard Application Process
(SAP). The public may apply to access confidential data assets held by
a federal statistical agency or unit through the SAP for the purposes
of generating statistics and developing evidence. Once an application
for confidential data is approved through the SAP, NCHS will collect
information to meet its data security requirements through its Data
Security Forms. This information collection through the Data Security
Forms will occur outside of the SAP. This is a request for approval
from OMB to collect information via the Researcher Data Center Data
Security Forms over the next three years.
As part of a comprehensive data dissemination program, the Research
Data Center (RDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
[[Page 16199]]
requires prospective researchers who need access to confidential data
to complete a research proposal. Researchers self-select whether they
need access to confidential data to answer their research questions.
The RDC requires the researcher to complete a research proposal, so
NCHS understands the research proposed. The completed proposal is sent
to NCHS through the SAP portal for review and adjudication. If the
research proposal is approved by NCHS, then the researcher must fill
out data security forms. If the researcher will access the data at a
Research Data Center, then the ``Data Use Agreement Form'' and the
``Designated Agent Agreement Form'' would need to be completed and
returned to NCHS. If the researcher will access the data through the
NCHS Virtual Data Enclave (VDE), then the ``VDE Data Use Agreement
Form'', ``Data Use Agreement Form'' and the ``Designated Agent
Agreement Form'' would need to be completed and returned to NCHS.
To capture the information needed to adjudicate a researcher's
commitment to protect confidential NCHS data, researchers must complete
and sign these data security forms. This request allows for both
researcher signature and the time per response for a total estimated
annual burden total of 110 hours (330 hours for a three-year clearance
period). There is no cost to a researcher other than their time to
complete the forms, unless the researcher has to pay a nominal notary
fee for services incurred. The resulting information will be used for
NCHS internal purposes.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Avg. burden
Type of respondents Form name Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent (in hrs.) (in hrs.)
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Researcher.................... Research Data 110 1 1 110
Center proposal.
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Total..................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 110
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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. 2026-06232 Filed 3-31-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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