Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Issuing agencies

Abstract

This notice announces the intention of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve the reinstatement with change of the previously approved information collection project "AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS)" OMB No 0935-0122. This information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on June 17, 2026, and allowed 60 days for public comment. AHRQ did not receive any comments. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The package expired on July 31, 2027.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54328-54330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17164]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approve the reinstatement with change of 
the previously approved information collection project ``AHRQ Research 
Reporting System (ARRS)'' OMB No 0935-0122. This information collection 
was previously published in the Federal Register on June 17, 2026, and 
allowed 60 days for public comment. AHRQ did not receive any comments. 
The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public 
comment. The package expired on July 31, 2027.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 21, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Written 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. Copies of 
the proposed collection plans, data collection instruments, and 
specific details on the estimated burden can be obtained from the AHRQ 
Reports Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margie Shofer, AHRQ Reports Clearance 
Officer, 301-427-1696 or by email at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7f5e2f7e8f5f3f4e4ebe2e6f5e6e9e4e2e8e1e1eee4e2f5e7c6cfd5d689cfcfd489c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="752730253a2721263639303427343b36303a33333c36302735141d07045b1d1d065b121a03">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Project

    In 2007, AHRQ developed a systematic method for its grantees to 
report project progress, and important preliminary findings called the 
Grants Reporting System (GRS). In 2008, GRS was renamed AHRQ Research 
Reporting System (ARRS) and in addition to reporting on grant progress, 
also supported reporting on jobs created under contracts pursuant to 
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. ARRS is still being 
used to track grant progress and may also support administrative 
progress reporting for AHRQ-funded research activities conducted under 
contracts and challenge competition awards, as applicable. Such 
information may be entered by award recipients, contractors, or 
authorized AHRQ officials, as appropriate. ARRS is no longer used for 
contract job creation.
    The system addressed the shortfalls in the previous reporting 
process and established a consistent and comprehensive reporting 
solution for AHRQ. The ARRS provides a centralized repository of AHRQ-
supported research progress and administrative project information 
across grants, and where applicable, research contracts and challenge 
competition awards, that can be used to support initiatives within the 
Agency. This includes future research planning and support to 
administration activities such as performance monitoring,

[[Page 54329]]

budgeting, knowledge transfer as well as strategic planning.
    This Project seeks to answer the following research questions:
    (1) What progress has been demonstrated across AHRQ-funded research 
activities and related funding mechanisms, including grants, research 
contracts, and challenge completion awards, and how can the resulting 
progress and output data be systematically leveraged to inform future 
research planning and to support core administrative functions, 
including performance monitoring, budgeting, knowledge transfer, and 
strategic planning?
    This Project has the following goals:
    (1) To promote the transfer of critical information more frequently 
and efficiently and enhance the Agency's ability to support research 
designed to improve the outcomes and quality of health care, reduce its 
costs, and broaden access to effective services
    (2) To increase the efficiency of the Agency in responding to ad-
hoc information requests
    (3) To support Executive Branch requirements for increased 
transparency and public reporting
    (4) To establish a consistent approach throughout the Agency for 
information collection regarding research progress and a systematic 
basis for oversight and for facilitating potential collaborations among 
grantees
    (5) To decrease the inconvenience and burden on grantees of 
unanticipated ad-hoc requests for information by the Agency in response 
to particular (one-time) internal and external requests for information
    The information is being collected by AHRQ, pursuant to its 
statutory authority to conduct and support research on healthcare and 
on systems for the delivery of such care, including activities with 
respect to the quality, effectiveness, efficiency, appropriateness and 
value of healthcare services and with respect to quality measurement 
and improvement, and database development. 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1) and 
(8). Minor revisions to the scope of respondents are being proposed to 
clarify applicability to AHRQ-funded research contracts and challenge 
competition recipients; no substantive revisions to the core reporting 
content are being proposed.

Method of Collection

    To achieve the goals of this project the following data collections 
will be implemented:
    AHRQ Research Reporting System (ARRS)--Award recipients, 
contractors, and authorized AHRQ official, as applicable, use the ARRS 
system to report project progress and important preliminary findings 
for AHRQ-funded research activities. Reporting frequency varies based 
on award type and programmatic need. All users access the ARRS system 
through a secure online interface which requires user authentication. 
When status reports are due AHRQ notifies designated reporting 
officials via email.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the 
respondents. The estimated number of respondents is 450 a year, a 
decrease from the last Information Collection Request, which estimated 
500 reports to be collected in a year. This revised amount is based on 
the current number of 210 active reports and adjusted upwards to 
account for any new grants, research contracts, or challenge 
competition awards AHRQ may award in the future.
    Grantees will take an estimated 30 minutes to enter the necessary 
data into the ARRS. Frequency of reporting varies from monthly to twice 
a year. Based on that, the total annualized burden hours are estimated 
to be 225 hours.

                                  Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of
                    Form name                        Number of     responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
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ARRS Data Entry.................................             450               1           30/60             225
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             450             N/A             N/A             225
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden for the 
respondents. The total estimated cost burden for respondents is 
$26,725.50.

                                   Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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                                                                                     Adjusted
                    Form name                      Total burden   Average hourly    hourly wage     Total cost
                                                       hours        wage rate *       rate **         burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRS Data Entry.................................             225          $59.39         $118.78      $26,725.50
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................             225             N/A             N/A       26,725.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
``National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, May 2025,'' U.S. Department of Labor,
  Bureau of Labor Statistics, <a href="https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025">https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0000000/2025</a>.
* Based upon the average wages for Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations (29-0000), ** The Adjusted
  Hourly Rate was estimated at 200% of the hourly wage.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520, comments on AHRQ's information collection are requested with 
regard to any of the following: (a) whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of AHRQ's health 
care research and health care information dissemination functions, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours and costs) of 
the proposed collection(s) of information; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information upon 
the

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respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the Agency's subsequent request for OMB approval of the 
proposed information collection. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: August 18, 2026.
Jeffrey Toven,
Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-17164 Filed 8-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P


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