[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 3 (Monday, January 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 765-766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-93]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public 
advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This 
notice also summarizes the procedures for the meeting and methods by 
which interested persons may participate in open public hearings before 
FDA's advisory committees.

    FDA has established an Advisory Committee Information Hotline (the 
hotline) using a voice-mail telephone system. The hotline provides the 
public with access to the most current information on FDA advisory 
committee meetings. The advisory committee hotline, which will 
disseminate current information and information updates, can be 
accessed by dialing 1-800-741-8138 or 301-443-0572. Each advisory 
committee is assigned a 5-digit number. This 5-digit number will appear 
in each individual notice of meeting. The hotline will enable the 
public to obtain information about a particular advisory committee by 
using the committee's 5-digit number. Information in the hotline is 
preliminary and may change before a meeting is actually held. The 
hotline will be updated when such changes are made.
MEETING: The following advisory committee meeting is announced:

[[Page 766]]

National Mammography Quality Assurance Advisory Committee
    Date, time, and place. January 13, 1997, 9 a.m., and January 14 and 
15, 1997, 8 a.m., Bethesda Marriott Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 5151 Pooks 
Hill Rd., Bethesda, MD. A limited number of overnight accommodations 
have been reserved at the hotel. Attendees requiring overnight 
accommodations may contact the hotel at 301-897-9400 and reference the 
FDA Committee meeting block. Reservations will be confirmed at the 
group rate based on availability.
    Type of meeting and contact person. Open public hearing, January 
13, 1997, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., unless public participation does not last 
that long; open committee discussion, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; open 
committee discussion, January 14, 1997, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; open 
committee discussion, January 15, 1997, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Charles K. 
Showalter, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (HFZ-240), Food 
and Drug Administration, 1350 Piccard Dr., Rockville, MD 20850, 301-
594-3332, or FDA Advisory Committee Information Hotline, 1-800-741-8138 
(301-443-0572 in the Washington, DC area), National Mammography Quality 
Assurance Advisory Committee, code 12397. Please call the hotline for 
information concerning any possible changes.
    General function of the committee. The committee advises the agency 
on developing appropriate quality standards and regulations for the use 
of mammography facilities.
    Agenda--Open public hearing. Interested persons may present data, 
information, or views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before 
the committee. Those desiring to make formal presentations should 
notify the contact person before January 2, 1997, and submit a brief 
statement of the general nature of the evidence or arguments they wish 
to present, the names and addresses of proposed participants, and an 
indication of the approximate time required to make their comments.
    Open committee discussion. On January 13, 14, and 15, 1997, the 
committee will discuss the proposed final regulations under the 
Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) of 1992. Copies of the 
proposed final regulations may be obtained by submitting a written 
request to MQSA, c/o KRA, 1010 Wayne Ave., suite 850, Silver Spring, MD 
20910, or faxing a request to 301-495-9410.
    FDA public advisory committee meetings may have as many as four 
separable portions: (1) An open public hearing, (2) an open committee 
discussion, (3) a closed presentation of data, and (4) a closed 
committee deliberation. Every advisory committee meeting shall have an 
open public hearing portion. Whether or not it also includes any of the 
other three portions will depend upon the specific meeting involved. 
There are no closed portions for the meetings announced in this notice. 
The dates and times reserved for the open portions of each committee 
meeting are listed above.
    The open public hearing portion of the meeting(s) shall be at least 
1 hour long unless public participation does not last that long. It is 
emphasized, however, that the 1 hour time limit for an open public 
hearing represents a minimum rather than a maximum time for public 
participation, and an open public hearing may last for whatever longer 
period the committee chairperson determines will facilitate the 
committee's work.
    Public hearings are subject to FDA's guideline (subpart C of 21 CFR 
part 10) concerning the policy and procedures for electronic media 
coverage of FDA's public administrative proceedings, including hearings 
before public advisory committees under 21 CFR part 14. Under 21 CFR 
10.205, representatives of the electronic media may be permitted, 
subject to certain limitations, to videotape, film, or otherwise record 
FDA's public administrative proceedings, including presentations by 
participants.
    Meetings of advisory committees shall be conducted, insofar as is 
practical, in accordance with the agenda published in this Federal 
Register notice. Changes in the agenda will be announced at the 
beginning of the open portion of a meeting.
    Any interested person who wishes to be assured of the right to make 
an oral presentation at the open public hearing portion of a meeting 
shall inform the contact person listed above, either orally or in 
writing, prior to the meeting. Any person attending the hearing who 
does not in advance of the meeting request an opportunity to speak will 
be allowed to make an oral presentation at the hearing's conclusion, if 
time permits, at the chairperson's discretion.
    The agenda, the questions to be addressed by the committee, and a 
current list of committee members will be available at the meeting 
location on the day of the meeting.
    Transcripts of the open portion of the meeting may be requested in 
writing from the Freedom of Information Office (HFI-35), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, rm. 12A-16, Rockville, MD 20857, 
approximately 15 working days after the meeting, at a cost of 10 cents 
per page. The transcript may be viewed at the Dockets Management Branch 
(HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 12420 Parklawn Dr., rm. 1-23, 
Rockville, MD 20857, approximately 15 working days after the meeting, 
between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Summary 
minutes of the open portion of the meeting may be requested in writing 
from the Freedom of Information Office (address above) beginning 
approximately 90 days after the meeting.
    This notice is issued under section 10(a)(1) and (a)(2) of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2), and FDA's regulations 
(21 CFR part 14) on advisory committees.

    Dated: December 20, 1996.
Michael A. Friedman,
Deputy Commissioner for Operations.
[FR Doc. 97-93 Filed 1-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-F