Notice2026-16054
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Board of Directors and Committee Member Applications and Forms
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 DepartmentHealth Resources and Services Administration
Abstract
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.
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 50861-50863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-16054]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:
Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Organ
Procurement and Transplantation Network Board of Directors and
Committee Member Applications and Forms
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department
of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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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 October 5,
2026.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#156574657067627a677e557d6766743b727a63"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="542435243126233b263f143c2627357a333b22">[email protected]</span></a> or mail the HRSA
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 13N82, 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#89f9e8f9ecfbfee6fbe2c9e1fbfae8a7eee6ff"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6b1b0a1b0e191c0419002b0319180a450c041d">[email protected]</span></a> or call Samantha Miller,
the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at (301) 443-3983.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting
information, please include the ICR title for reference.
Information Collection Request Title: Organ Procurement and
Transplantation Network Board of Directors and Committee Member
Applications and Forms, OMB No. 0906-New.
Abstract: The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)
is a
[[Page 50862]]
public-private partnership that links professionals involved in the
donation, procurement, and transplantation system in the United States.
The OPTN focuses on promoting long, healthy, and productive lives for
people with organ failure. The OPTN also aims to increase opportunities
for transplants, optimize organ use, enhance efficiency, and prioritize
patient care. The OPTN Board of Directors (BOD) is authorized by the
National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 (see 42 U.S.C. 27(b)(1)(B)), and
the operation composition of the OPTN BOD are further codified in
federal regulation under the regulations implementing the National
Organ Transplant Act (see 42 CFR 121.3(a)). These regulations also
provide that the OPTN BOD shall establish committees as are necessary
to perform the duties of the OPTN and describe the composition of these
committees (see 42 CFR 121.3(a)(4)).
As part of the ongoing OPTN Modernization Initiative (<a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/optn-modernization/learn-more-about-modernization">https://www.hrsa.gov/optn-modernization/learn-more-about-modernization</a>), HRSA
seeks OMB approval of applications to be completed by candidates
interested in volunteering to serve on the OPTN BOD and/or on the
committees that support the BOD. Members of the OPTN BOD and committees
do not receive payment for this work. HRSA also seeks approval of
conflict of interest (COI), code of conduct, confidentiality, and
attestation forms to be completed by the selected/confirmed members of
the OPTN BOD and committees on an annual, tri-annual, or ad hoc basis.
The OPTN BOD consists of 35 members who serve 2- to 3-year terms and
are supported by 21 committees with a total of approximately 419
members with the same term limits. Select members of the BOD also serve
on committee(s) as Visiting Board Members. In addition, there are ad
hoc committees or BOD workgroups that may be established to work on
time-limited issues, and 20 of these members would fill out the annual
COI form as well, as other members already receive the form as per
their other OPTN committee roles. Given some committee turnover, there
are approximately 505 committee and BOD members filling out the annual
COI form and attestation form every year.
Need and Proposed Use of the Information: HRSA and the OPTN
anticipate collecting committee and BOD applications on an annual basis
for committee and board openings. Resumes are requested and required
for Board applicants and requested but not required for committee
applicants. To ensure applicants to the OPTN BOD and committees have
the appropriate expertise, the proposed applications will collect
information including candidates' professional background, expertise,
experience in organ donation and transplantation and areas of interest.
The OPTN and its Nominating Committee, with HRSA oversight, will
evaluate the applications to analyze qualifications and support a
structured nomination and selection process. The application
information will help ensure the OPTN governance bodies are composed of
individuals with the necessary knowledge, skills, and perspectives to
effectively oversee and support the nation's organ donation and
transplantation system.
In addition, annual COI disclosures will be collected from BOD and
committee members upon their election/selection or annual anniversary.
The BOD and Membership and Professional Standards Committee members
will also submit COI updates on a triannual basis as well as fill out
an ad hoc COI form when needed. HRSA and the OPTN will use information
collected via the selected BOD and committee members' COI forms to
routinely identify, monitor, prevent, and address actual, potential, or
appearances of COI relating to the operation of the OPTN. HRSA will use
this information to strengthen oversight and accountability within the
OPTN to enhance trust and confidence among stakeholders and the public.
Without access to this information, HRSA and the OPTN would be less
able to prevent potential conflicts of interest, which could jeopardize
the independence and objectivity of the OPTN BOD and committees that
inform national organ procurement and transplantation policy.
Upon committee election or appointment and volunteer orientation,
BOD and committee members will complete and submit an Attestation Form,
Confidentiality Agreement, as well as the Code of Conduct. The Code of
Conduct, Confidentiality Agreement, and Attestation are collected to
ensure that OPTN BOD and committee members annually acknowledge their
obligations to act in the best interests of the OPTN, comply with
applicable ethical and conduct requirements, protect confidential
information, and uphold the standards necessary to maintain good
standing and public trust in OPTN governance.
Likely Respondents: Respondents completing the application forms
will be individuals who express interest in serving in volunteer
governance or committee roles within the OPTN. This includes a broad
and diverse group of stakeholders involved in or connected to organ
donation and transplantation, such as: transplant professionals (e.g.,
physicians, surgeons, coordinators, administrators), organ procurement
organization personnel, histocompatibility experts, researchers,
patients, living donors, family members, caregivers, and members of the
public with relevant expertise (e.g., ethics, finance, governance,
public policy, or operations). Respondents may be employed or
unaffiliated individuals and will represent a wide range of
professional disciplines, lived experiences, and geographic regions
across the United States, helping to support a more dynamic and
representative governance process. Respondents completing the COI forms
and attestation forms will be individuals who have been elected or
appointed to committee and BOD positions for the OPTN.
Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the
information requested in the applications, COI, and attestation forms.
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
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 calculated estimated burden hours based on internal
testing for completing each form.
[[Page 50863]]
Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average burden
Form name Number of responses per Total per response Total burden
respondents respondent responses (in hours) hours
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OPTN BOD Application *.......... 304 1 304 1.50 456.00
OPTN Committee Application *.... 838 1 838 1.25 1,047.50
OPTN BOD and Committee Annual 505 1 505 0.17 85.85
COI Form.......................
OPTN BOD Tri-Annual COI Form.... 74 3 222 0.08 17.76
OPTN BOD Ad hoc COI Form **..... 74 24 1,776 0.08 142.08
OPTN Attestation Form........... 505 1 505 0.08 40.40
OPTN Code of Conduct Form....... 505 1 505 0.08 40.40
OPTN Confidentiality Agreement.. 505 1 505 0.08 40.40
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Total....................... .............. .............. 5,160 .............. 1,870.39
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* Estimated responses per year, every 2 to 3 years.
** Board members submit ad hoc conflict-of-interest forms prior to each monthly meeting, and before any ad hoc
Board Meeting or Executive Board meeting with specific institution-based discussion.
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.
Amy P. McNulty,
Deputy Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2026-16054 Filed 8-5-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P
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