Health Resources and Services Administration April 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) utilizes clear, consistent, and data-driven methods of defining rural areas in the United States for the purposes of determining eligibility for its rural health grant programs. FORHP monitors ongoing national research and, as appropriate, considers updates to its definition. Because access to needed health care is likely to be reduced when roads are most difficult to traverse, with this notice, FORHP proposes to modify the definition of rural areas by integrating the new Road Ruggedness Scale (RRS) released in 2023 by the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which characterizes topographic variability, or ruggedness, of roads. This proposal does not impact rural areas included in the current FORHP definition. This notice seeks public comment on FORHP's proposal. This notice also includes a technical clarification explaining how FORHP will use Census data to identify outlying Metropolitan Statistical Area counties that qualify as rural in future updates given the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 Census terminology changes that removed the categories of Urban Clusters and Urbanized Areas.

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.

HRSA is publishing this notice of petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (the Program), as required by the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. While the Secretary of HHS is named as the respondent in all proceedings brought by the filing of petitions for compensation under the Program, the United States Court of Federal Claims is charged by statute with responsibility for considering and acting upon the petitions.

HRSA is inviting public comment on the draft Health Center Program Policy Guidance Regarding Services to Support Transitions in Care for Justice-Involved Individuals Reentering the Community. The purpose of the draft Policy Information Notice (PIN) is to propose Health Center Program policy guidance for all health centers that apply for and receive federal award funds under the Health Center Program, as authorized by section 330 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (including sections 330(e), (g), (h), and (i)), as well as section 330 subrecipient organizations and Health Center Program look-alikes, to clarify the conditions under which they may provide certain health services as part of the Health Center Program scope of project to certain incarcerated/detained individuals. This draft PIN establishes policy guidance that identifies a set of health services that a health center may provide, the locations at which such services may be provided, the target population for such services (specifically, incarcerated/detained individuals who are scheduled for release from a carceral setting within 90 days), and other pertinent circumstances under which the health center may, on its own behalf and subject to all section 330 requirements, provide such services to justice-involved individuals reentering the community to support their care transition from the carceral setting to the community within the scope of their Health Center Program project.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30-day comment period for this notice has closed.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30-day comment period for this notice has closed.

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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30-day comment period for this notice has closed.