[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 96 (Friday, May 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28471-28472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10970]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP)

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 
Response, ASPR (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the Secretary's proposal to require 
Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) cooperative agreement recipients to 
contribute non-federal matching funds starting with the FY 2009 funding 
cycle and each year thereafter. The amount of the cost sharing 
requirement in FY 2009 will be five percent of the award amount and in 
FY 2010 and each year thereafter the amount of match will be ten 
percent of the award amount.

DATES: To be considered, comments on this notice must be submitted by 
June 16, 2008. Subject to consideration of the comments submitted, the 
Department intends to publish a final notice of any cost sharing 
requirement.

ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information, Request for Comments section 
for addresses for submitting all comments concerning this proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: CDR Melissa Sanders, Team Leader, 
Healthcare Systems Preparedness Program, 202-245-0763

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authorized by section 319C-2 of the Public 
Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Pandemic and All-Hazards 
Preparedness Act (PAHPA)

[[Page 28472]]

(Pub. L. 109-417), the HPP is a cooperative agreement program funded 
and administered by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 
Response (ASPR). Its purpose is to improve surge capacity and enhance 
community and hospital preparedness for public health emergencies.
    Currently there are 62 awardees comprised of the 50 States; the 
District of Columbia; the three metropolitan areas of New York City, 
Los Angeles County and Chicago; the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and 
the Northern Mariana Islands; the territories of American Samoa, Guam 
and the U.S. Virgin Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia; and 
the Republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands.
    Since the inception of the program in 2002 awardees have received 
funding through a statutory formula that employs a base allocation with 
an adjustment for population. PAHPA amended section 319C-1 and 319C-2 
of the PHS Act to add certain accountability provisions.
    Consistent with those accountability provisions, this notice 
proposes to introduce a cost sharing requirement for the HPP program as 
a concrete way of solidifying collaboration between States and the 
Federal government in assuring this program will achieve enhanced 
sustainability in healthcare system preparedness during and after the 
project period has ended.
    ASPR proposes that awardees will make available, either directly or 
through donations from public or private entities non-Federal 
contributions in an amount equal to five percent of the award amount in 
FY 2009 and ten percent of the award amount in FY 2010 and each 
successive year for the duration of the program. Non-Federal 
contributions would be provided directly or through donations from 
public or private entities and may be in cash or in kind, fairly 
evaluated, including plant, equipment or services. Amounts provided by 
the Federal government, or services assisted or subsidized to any 
significant extent by the Federal government, would not be included in 
determining the amount of such non-Federal contributions.
    The cost sharing requirement would apply to the entire award amount 
received by the State from the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services through the HPP.
    The cost sharing requirement would be implemented as a term and 
condition of the HPP award.
    Request for Comments: The ASPR invites public comment on this 
notice to add a cost sharing requirement to the HPP. You may submit 
comments in one of three ways (please choose only one of the ways 
listed):
     E-mail: CDR Melissa Sanders, [email protected].
     Mail: CDR Melissa Sanders, Team Leader, Healthcare Systems 
Preparedness Programs, HSS/OS/ASPR, 395 E Street, SW., 10th Floor, 
Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20201
     Hand Delivery/Courier: CDR Melissa Sanders, Team Leader, 
Healthcare Systems Preparedness Programs, HSS/OS/ASPR, 395 E Street., 
SW., 10th Floor, Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20201

    Dated: May 9, 2008.
RADM W. Craig Vanderwagon,
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of the 
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. E8-10970 Filed 5-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-45-P