[Federal Register: April 15, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 73)]
[Notices]
[Page 20292-20293]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ap08-78]
[[Page 20292]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation of Nominations for Membership on the Advisory
Committee on Blood Safety and Availability
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the
Secretary.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) is seeking
nominations of qualified individuals to be considered for appointment
as members of the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability
(ACBSA). ACBSA is a Federal advisory committee in the Department of
Health and Human Services. Management support for the activities of
this Committee is the responsibility of the OPHS.
The qualified individuals will be nominated to the Secretary of
Health and Human Services for consideration of appointment as members
of the ACBSA. Members of the Committee, including the Chair, are
appointed by the Secretary. Members are invited to serve on the
Committee for overlapping four-year terms.
DATES: All nominations must be received no later than 4 p.m. EDT on
June 30, 2008, at the address listed below.
ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed or delivered to Dr. Jerry
Holmberg, Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and
Availability; Office of Public Health and Science; Department of Health
and Human Services; 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 250; Rockville, MD
20852. Telephone: (240) 453-8803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jerry Holmberg, Executive
Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability. Contact
information for Dr. Holmberg is the same as previously provided.
A copy of the Committee charter and roster of the current
membership can be obtained by contacting Dr. Holmberg or by accessing
the ACBSA Web site at http://www.hhs.gov/bloodsafety.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and
Availability provides advice to the Secretary and to the Assistant
Secretary for Health. The Committee provides advice on a range of
policy issues to include: (1) Definition of public health parameters
around safety and availability of the blood and blood products, (2)
broad public health, ethical and legal issues related to transfusion
and transplantation safety, and (3) the implications for safety and
availability of various economic factors affecting product cost and
supply.
The ACBSA consists of 18 voting members. The Committee is composed
of 12 public members, including the Chair, and six (6) representative
members. The public members are selected from State and local
organizations, advocacy groups, provider organizations, academic
researchers, ethicists, private physicians, scientists, consumer
advocates, legal organizations, and from among communities of persons
who are frequent recipients of blood or blood products. The six
individuals who are appointed as official representative members are
selected to serve the interests of the blood and blood products
industry or professional organizations associated with transfusion or
transplantation safety. The representative members are selected from
the following groups: the AABB, the Plasma Protein Therapeutic
Association (PPTA), one of the two major distributors of blood on a
rotating basis, a trade organization or manufacturer of blood, plasma,
or other tissue test kits or equipment, and a purchaser of blood and
blood products from a major hospital organization.
All ACBSA members are authorized to receive the prescribed per diem
allowance and reimbursement for travel expenses that are incurred to
attend meetings and conduct Committee-related business, in accordance
with Standard Government Travel Regulations. Individuals who are
appointed to serve as public members are authorized also to receive a
stipend for attending Committee meetings and to carry out other
Committee-related business. Individuals who are appointed to serve as
representative members for a particular interest group or industry are
not authorized to receive a stipend for the performance of these
duties.
This announcement is to solicit nominations of qualified candidates
to fill positions on the ACBSA that are scheduled to be vacated in the
public member category. The positions are scheduled to be vacated on
December 31, 2008.
Nominations
In accordance with the charter, persons nominated for appointment
as members of the ACBSA should be among authorities knowledgeable in
blood banking, transfusion medicine, plasma therapies, transfusion and
transplantation safety, bioethics, and/or related disciplines.
Nominations should be typewritten. The following information should be
included in the package of materials submitted for each individual
being nominated for consideration of appointment: (a) The name, return
address, daytime telephone number and affiliation(s) of the individual
being nominated, the basis for the individual's nomination, the
category for which the individual is being nominated, and a statement
bearing an original signature of the nominated individual that, if
appointed, he or she is willing to serve as a member of the Committee;
(b) the name, return address, and daytime telephone number at which the
nominator may be contacted. Organizational nominators must identify a
principal contact person in addition to the contact; and (c) a copy of
a current curriculum vitae or resume for the nominated individual.
Individuals can nominate themselves for consideration of
appointment to the Committee. All nominations must include the required
information. Incomplete nominations will not be processed for
consideration. The letter from the nominator and certification of the
nominated individual must bear original signatures; reproduced copies
of these signatures are not acceptable.
The Department of Health and Human Services is committed to
ensuring that women, minority groups, and physically challenged
individuals are adequately represented on the Committee. Nominations of
qualified candidates from these categories are encouraged. The
Department also seeks to have geographic diversity reflected in the
composition of the Committee.
The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive
Branch are applicable to individuals who are appointed as public
members of Federal advisory committees. Individuals appointed to serve
as public members of Federal advisory committees are classified as
special Government employees (SGEs). SGEs are Government employees for
purposes of the conflict of interest laws. Therefore, individuals
appointed to serve as public members of the ACBSA are subject to an
ethics review. The ethics review is conducted to determine if the
individual has any interests and/or activities in the private sector
that may conflict with performance of their official duties as a member
of the Committee. Individuals appointed to serve as public members of
the Committee will be required to disclose information regarding
financial holdings, consultancies, and research grants and/or
contracts.
[[Page 20293]]
Dated: April 9, 2008.
Jerry A. Holmberg,
Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and
Availability.
[FR Doc. E8-7986 Filed 4-14-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-41-P