Notice2026-15981
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
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
August 6, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 150 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 150 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50843-50845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-15981]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-26-1175]
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 ``Environmental Public Health Tracking
Network (Tracking Network)'' 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 April 21, 2026 to obtain comments from the public and
affected agencies. CDC did not receive comments related to the previous
notice. This notice serves to allow an additional 30 days for public
and affected agency comments.
[[Page 50844]]
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 <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. 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
Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network)
(OMB Control No. 0920-1175, Exp. 08/31/2026)--Revision--National Center
for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
CDC is submitting a three-year Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
Revision for the information collection request (ICR) Environmental
Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network) (OMB Control No.
0920-1175, Exp. 08/31/2026). This information collection is sponsored
by the Environmental Public Health Tracking Branch (Tracking Branch),
Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (DEHSP), National
Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) at CDC.
In September 2000, the Pew Environmental Health Commission issued a
report entitled America's Environmental Health Gap: Why the Country
Needs a Nationwide Health Tracking Network. The Commission documented a
critical gap in ``knowledge that hinders our national efforts to reduce
or eliminate diseases that might be prevented by better managing
environmental factors'' due largely to the fact that existing
environmental health systems were inadequate and fragmented. They
described a lack of data for the leading causes of mortality and
morbidity, a lack of data on exposure to hazards, a lack of
environmental data with applicability to public health, and barriers to
integrating and linking existing data. To address this critical gap,
the Commission recommended a Nationwide Health Tracking Network for
disease and exposures. In response to the report and this critical gap,
Congress appropriated funds in the fiscal year 2002 budget for the CDC
to establish the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
(Tracking Program) and Tracking Network and has appropriated funds each
year thereafter to continue this effort.
The Tracking Program includes State and Local Health Departments
(SLHD) and other partners which collaborate to: (1) build and maintain
the Tracking Network; (2) advance the practice and science of
environmental public health tracking; (3) communicate information to
guide environmental health policies and actions; (4) enhance tracking
workforce and infrastructure; and (5) foster collaborations between
health and environmental programs.
In spring of 2022, under Notice of Funding Opportunity CDC-RFA-
EH22-2202, the CDC's Tracking Program funded 33 state and local public
health programs (funded SLHD). These recipients were selected through a
competitive objective review process and are managed as CDC cooperative
agreements. Awards are for five years and are renewed through an Annual
Performance Report (APR)/Continuation Application. The Tracking Program
collects data from recipients about their activities and progress for
the purposes of program evaluation and monitoring (hereafter referenced
as program data). The Tracking Program also collects data from radon
testing labs to integrate into the Tracking Network.
Environmental public health tracking is the ongoing collection,
integration, analysis, and dissemination of health, exposure, and
hazard data (hereinafter referenced as Tracking Network data) to inform
public health actions that protect the population from harm resulting
from exposure to environmental contaminants. The Tracking Network
provides data from existing health, exposure, and hazard surveillance
systems and supports ongoing efforts within the public health and
environmental sectors to improve data collection, accessibility, and
dissemination as well as analytic and response capacity. Data that were
previously collected for different purposes and stored in separate
state and local systems are now available in a nationally standardized
format allowing programs to begin bridging the gap between health and
the environment.
CDC is requesting approval for a Revision of the previously
approved ICR. This request has an increase in the number of annual
respondents, from 37 to 47, with a decrease in overall responses (599
to 522) and overall burden hours (14,041 to 12, 348). In spring of
2022, under the new 5-year NOFO No. CDC-RFA-EH22-2202, CDC's Tracking
Program funded 33 state and local public health programs (funded SLHD).
The approval number reflects the current 33 SLHD respondents plus four
to allow for future funding of new SLHD or to collect voluntary
responses from unfunded SLHD as well as 10 radon testing labs. Data
from recipients or other SLHD are submitted annually following
standardized procedures. Tracking Network data submitted annually by
recipients and other SLHD to the Tracking Program include six datasets
and the metadata form, specifically: (1) birth defects prevalence; (2)
drinking water monitoring; (3) emergency department visits; (4)
hospitalizations; (5) radon testing for SLHD and radon labs; (6)
biomonitoring; and (7) metadata. The Tracking Program uses Research
Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) for its Electronic Data Capture System
(EDCS) needs, which is an easy-to-use, free software tool useful for
programmatic deliverable management and data capture. Using an EDCS
significantly reduces the burden by optimizing the data capture method
to eliminate the need for personnel to complete manual data cleaning
and organization before using data for analysis and evaluation upon
submission.
[[Page 50845]]
Based on the above changes, CDC is requesting OMB approval for an
estimated 12,348 annual burden hours. There is no cost to respondents
other than their time to participate.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Avg. burden
Type of respondent Form name Number of responses per per response
respondents respondent (in hrs.)
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State and local Health Department Birth Defects Prevalence 30 1 40
(SLHD). Form.
Drinking Water 37 1 50
Monitoring Form.
Emergency Department 37 1 40
Visits Form.
Hospitalizations Form... 37 1 40
Radon Testing Form 25 1 50
(combined form).
Biomonitoring Form...... 8 1 40
Metadata Records........ 37 2 20
Environmental Public 33 1 21
Health Tracking Work
Plan--REDCap.
Program Accomplishments 33 2 20
and Public Health
Actions Report--REDCap.
Performance Measures 33 1 20
Report--REDCap.
PHA Impact Follow-up-- 33 2 15/60
REDCap.
Communications Plan 33 1 2
Template.
Web Stats Template...... 33 1 1
Radon Testing Labs.................... Radon Testing Form 10 1 50
(combined form).
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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. 2026-15981 Filed 8-5-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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