Change Request Memo 27MAR2025

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Non-Substantive Change Request

OMB No. 0920-1398, exp. 05/31/2026

National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System: Brief HIV Bio-behavioral Assessment (NHBS-BHBA)

Date Submitted: March 25, 2025

Summary of request: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requests OMB approval for a non-substantive change to a currently approved information collection to comply with Executive Order 14168 Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.

Description of Changes Requested: This request updates sex questions used in the following approved data collection instruments. The request includes both revision of existing questions and deletion of existing questions:

Quantitative Population Eligibility Screener, Att 3b (English, Track Changes) and Att 4b (Spanish, Track Changes):

1. Revised 1 question assessing respondent’s sex. The revised item asks respondents their sex with response options of ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ (Att 3b: page 2; Att 4b: page 2). Note – response options of ‘Don’t Know’ and ‘Refuse to Answer’ are NOT read to respondents and provided only as a way for the interviewer to move forward if the respondent is unwilling or unable to provide a clear response. These hidden options are included for all questions in the instrument. Respondents with ‘Don’t Know’ or ‘Refuse to Answer’ responses to sex are NOT eligible to complete the Quantitative Interview.

2. Deleted 1 question assessing gender identity (Att 3b: page 2; Att 4b: page 2)

3. Deleted the introduction before the sex and gender questions that described what questions respondents would be asked (Att 3b: page 2; Att 4b: page 2).

4. Revised the response options for 1 question assessing the sex of sex partners. The revised item asks respondents the sex of their sex partners with response options of ‘Men’ and ‘Women’. (Att 3b: page 6; Att 4b: page 6).

5. Changed the variable name for the sex question to “GEND” to maintain the existing complex programming for eligibility and sex behavior questions (Att 3b: page 2; Att 4b: page 2). Note – these edits affect only the underlying programming language of the instrument, they do NOT impact the “look and feel”, respondent experience, or data elements of the data collection.

6. Updated calculations that previously were based on combinations of sex and gender and the sex of their sex partners. The updated logic and calculations are based on respondents’ sex and the sex of their sex partners (Att 3b: page 7; Att 4b: page 7). Note – these edits affect only the underlying programming language of the instrument, they do NOT impact the “look and feel”, respondent experience, or data elements of the data collection.

Qualitative Interview Model Topic Guide, Att 3f (English, Track Changes) and 4f (Spanish, Track Changes):

1. Revised wording on the demographic information for community key informant interviews section that assesses the respondent’s sex (Att 3f: page 5; Att 4f: page 5).

2. Deleted question about gender identity in the demographic information section for community key informant interviews (Att 3f: page 5; Att 4f: page 5).

3. Revised wording on the demographic information for focus groups asking about the perceived group sex(es) (Att 3f: page 5; Att 4f: page 5).

4. Revised a probe by deleting reference to sex with transgender people (Att 3f: page 9; Att 4f: page 9).

5. Revised two probes deleting reference to gender identity (Att 3f: page 17 and 24; Att 4f: page 18 and 26).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requests OMB approval for a non-substantive change to include BHBA populations in funded states in 2025-2026.

Additional document, Att 11 (Track Changes):

• CDC proposes to update the “Summary of NHBS-BHBA Data Collection”. The revised version shows the populations prioritized by funded states for NHBS-BHBA data collection in 2025-2026.

Timeframe:  Changes will be implemented as soon as possible after receipt of OMB approval. 

Impact on currently approved information collection methods:  None.   

Impact on burden:  There is no change in Burden Hours associated with the modifications made to comply with EO 14168. CDC estimates that the revised questions will not add to the length of the interview and do not alter the current estimated burden per response. There are no changes to the number of respondents or total estimated burden hours.  

Enclosed: 

Att 3b_Quant Population Eligibility Screener_Eng_clean

Att 3b_Quantitative Population Eligibility Screener_Eng_track

Att 3f_Model Qual Data Collection Instrument_Eng_clean

Att 3f_Model Qual Data Collection Instrument_Eng_track

Att 4b_Quant Population Eligibility Screener_Spa_clean

Att 4b_Quant Population Eligibility Screener_Spa_track

Att 4f_Model Qual Data Collection Instrument_Spa_clean

Att 4f_Model Qual Data Collection Instrument_Spa_track

Att 11_Summary of NHBS-BHBA Data Collection_clean

Att 11_Summary of NHBS-BHBA Data Collection_track