[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62456-62459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27627]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the 
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-72, dated 
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as 
amended most recently at 58 FR 53381-53383, dated September 10, 2003) 
is amended to reflect the transfer of the Division of AIDS, STD, and TB 
Laboratory Research from the National Center for Infectious Diseases to 
the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, excluding the 
Hematologic Diseases Branch. The Hematologic Diseases Branch will be 
transferred to the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities and will be established as the Division of Hereditary 
Blood Disorders.
    Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    Delete in its entirety the mission statement for the National 
Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (CF) and insert 
the following:
    The mission of the National Center on Birth Defects and 
Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) is to improve the health of 
children and adults by preventing birth defects and developmental 
disabilities, and complications of heredity blood disorders; promoting 
optimal child development, and the health and wellness among children 
and adults living with disabilities. In carrying out this mission, this 
organization: (1) Conducts public health research, epidemiological 
investigations, and program demonstrations directed toward preventing 
birth defects and developmental disabilities, and complications of 
hereditary blood disorders, optimal fetal, infant, and child 
development, and promoting the health and wellness of people with 
disabilities, including the prevention of secondary conditions; (2) 
plans, develops, establishes, and maintains systems of surveillance and 
monitoring the population of these conditions; (3) operates regional 
centers for the conduct of applied epidemiological research on these 
conditions; (4) provides information and education to health care 
providers, public health professionals, and the public on these 
conditions; (5) provides technical assistance, consultation capacity 
building through technology transfer, grants, cooperative agreements, 
contracts, and other means to State, local, international, and 
nonprofit organizations to prevent and control these conditions; (6) 
provides training in the epidemiology of these conditions for health 
professionals within and outside the United States; (7) translates 
scientific findings into intervention, prevention, and health promotion 
strategies; (8) conducts evaluation of programs to determine 
effectiveness; (9) coordinates activities with other CDC organizations 
and Federal and non-Federal health agencies, as appropriate.
    Delete in its entirety the functional statement for the Office of 
the Director (CF1) and insert the following:
    (1) Directs, manages, and coordinates the activities of the 
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities 
(NCBDDD); (2) develops goals and objectives, provides leadership, 
policy formulation, scientific oversight, and guidance in program 
planning and development; (3) coordinates NCBDDD program activities 
with other CDC components, Federal agencies, international 
organizations, State and local health agencies, business and industry, 
voluntary organizations, and community-based organizations; (4)

[[Page 62457]]

coordinates technical assistance to states, other nations and 
international organizations; (5) coordinates with medical, scientific, 
and other professional organizations interested in birth defects 
prevention, pediatric genetics, developmental disabilities prevention, 
and disabilities and health, and prevention of complications of 
hereditary blood disorders; (6) advises the Director, CDC, on policy 
matters concerning NCBDDD activities.
    After the functional statement for the Division of Human 
Development and Disability (CF3), insert the following:
    Division of Hereditary Blood Disorders (CF4). (1) Designs and 
manages a surveillance system to evaluate the incidence, morbidity, and 
mortality of hemophilia, blood diseases and other hereditary disorders; 
(2) plans, develops, and coordinates special surveys and populations 
studies in selected geographic areas to monitor and assess the 
complications of chronic blood diseases and chronic hereditary 
disorders; (3) collects, analyzes, and prepares reports to document the 
prevalence and incidence of blood diseases and chronic hereditary 
disorders in the United States and provides this information to the 
scientific community through reports, publications, and public access 
data sets; (4) designs and implements studies using the surveillance 
data to identify risk factors for the complication of blood diseases 
and chronic heredity disorders, and evaluate the effectiveness of the 
prevention activities; (5) conducts applied and operational research 
related to disease definition, etiology, diagnosis, complications, and 
prevention of blood diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (6) 
conducts epidemiologic studies in persons and their families with blood 
diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (7) plans, develops, and 
coordinates special surveys and populations studies in selected 
geographic areas to monitor and assess the complications of blood 
diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (8) provides epidemiologic 
and medical consultation and technical assistance, including epidemic 
aids, to State and local health departments, other governmental 
agencies, and other public and private organizations in the 
investigation of blood diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (9) 
designs and implements studies to evaluate the effectiveness of 
implemented prevention strategies in the prevention centers; (10) 
conducts applied research to develop, evaluate, improve, and 
standardize the methods and procedures used for the classification, 
surveillance, and prevention of blood diseases and chronic hereditary 
disorders; (11) participates in research on the prevention of the 
chronic complications of blood diseases and hereditary disorders; (12) 
provides diagnostic support for epidemiologic studies and epidemic aids 
on emerging blood diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (13) 
determines the mechanisms of pathogenesis and complications of blood 
diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (14) conducts research and 
provides reference services on diagnostic techniques for blood diseases 
and other hereditary disorders; (15) maintains the national reference 
laboratory for blood diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (16) 
conducts research to improve laboratory methodologies and materials.
    Office of the Director (CF41). (1) Provides national leadership in 
the investigation and prevention of diseases of blood and chronic 
hereditary disorders, including hemophilia, leading to disabilities; 
(2) oversees investigations of diseases of blood and chronic hereditary 
disorders and the role of etiologic agents in the development of these 
disorders; (3) coordinates applied and operational research related to 
disease definition, etiology, diagnosis, complication and prevention of 
blood diseases and chronic hereditary disorders, consultation and 
technical assistance to State and local health departments, other 
governmental entities, and other public and private organizations in 
the investigation of blood diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; 
(4) provides training services to states, localities, and other 
countries in investigation, diagnosis, prevention, and control of blood 
diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (5) assists in designing, 
implementing, and evaluating prevention and counseling programs for 
persons and their families with chronic blood diseases and selected 
chronic hereditary disorders; (6) designs, implements and coordinates 
the prevention and surveillance activities of specialized federally 
funded prevention centers organized to prevent the complications of 
blood diseases and chronic hereditary disorders; (7) designs, 
implements and coordinates prevention activities of community based lay 
groups so that the activities reinforce and compliment the activities 
of the prevention centers; (8) participates in evaluation studies of 
the effectiveness of prevention activities; (9) incorporates the 
findings of the laboratory epidemiology and surveillance teams into 
prevention activities; and (10) works closely with CDC organizations in 
applying prevalence and incidence data to target and evaluate programs 
to prevent the complications of blood diseases and chronic hereditary 
disorders.
    Delete the mission statement for the National Center for HIV, STD, 
and TB Prevention (CK) and insert the following:
    The mission of this organization is to provide leadership in 
preventing and controlling human immunodeficiency virus infection, 
other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and tuberculosis (TB) by 
collaborating with community, state, national, and international 
partners and applying well integrated, multi-disciplinary programs of 
research, surveillance, technical assistance, and evaluation. In 
carrying out this mission, the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB 
Prevention (NCHSTP): (1) Coordinates the development of CDC short- and 
long-range plans for preventing the spread of HIV infection in the 
United States; (2) allocates and tracks CDC resources for HIV 
prevention programs; (3) conducts national public information and 
awareness activities; (4) coordinates HIV prevention activities with 
other Federal agencies and with international organizations, including 
the World Health Organization in conjunction with the Director, Office 
of Global Health; (5) plans, directs, and coordinates national programs 
of assistance involving preventive health services to State and local 
health agencies; (6) assists State and local health agencies in 
integrating and coordinating preventive services delivered by private 
and public organizations in the community and in assuring delivery of 
preventive services to all persons regardless of socioeconomic status; 
(7) assists states and localities in specifying major health problems 
in the community and in formulating technical theories on which 
intervention strategies can be based; (8) serves as the primary focus 
for assisting states and localities through grants and other 
mechanisms, in establishing and maintaining prevention and control 
programs directed toward health problems related to acquired 
immunodeficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, and 
tuberculosis; (9) maintains operational knowledge of the nature, scope, 
and occurrence of preventable health problems; (10) conducts 
operational research to improve the assistance programs; (11) conducts 
applied and operational research relating to the distribution, 
diagnosis, prevention, and control of HIV and other STDs, TB, non-TB

[[Page 62458]]

mycobacteria, and non-HIV Retroviruses, including vaccine development; 
(12) provides reference diagnostic services for HIV and other STDs, TB, 
non-TB mycobacteria, and non-HIV Retroviruses; (13) provides technical 
assistance to states and localities and to other nations in the 
investigation and diagnosis of STDs, TB, HIV, and Retroviruses; (14) 
assesses program operations and public health practices and provides 
technical assistance to states in the operation of preventive health 
service programs; (15) maintains liaison with other U.S. governmental 
agencies, State and local health agencies, national organizations, and 
educational institutions; (16) provides technical assistance to other 
nations; (17) in carrying out the above functions, collaborates, as 
appropriate, with other Centers, Institute, and Offices (CIOs) of the 
CDC.
    Delete the functional statement for the Office of the Director 
(CK1) and insert the following:
    (1) Provides leadership and guidance on the development of goals 
and objectives, policies, program planning and development, program 
management and operations of the activities of the NCHSTP; (2) manages, 
directs, coordinates, and evaluates the Center's activities; (3) 
facilitates closer linkages between HIV, STD, and TB surveillance 
activities and prevention programs at all levels, (4) facilitates 
collaboration, integration, and multi-disciplinary approaches to 
enhance the effectiveness of HIV, STD, and TB prevention programs; (5) 
facilitates integration of science and prevention programs throughout 
the NCHSTP; (6) enhances the coordination and integration of HIV, STD, 
and TB prevention services for individuals and populations at increased 
risk for more than one of these infections; (7) coordinates the 
integration of CDC funding of state and local health departments for 
HIV, STD, and TB prevention; (8) facilitates the assignment of field 
staff in accordance with CDC and NCHSTP priorities and objectives; (9) 
reassesses the role of NCHSTP field staff assignees to state and local 
health jurisdictions and restructures career development plans 
accordingly; (10) provides and coordinates administrative and program 
support services; (11) provides technical information services to 
facilitate dissemination of relevant public health information; (12) 
facilitates collaboration with national health activities with CDC 
components, other agencies and organizations, and foreign governments 
on international health activities; (13) provides oversight for the 
programmatic coordination of HIV, STD, and TB activities between NCHSTP 
and other CIOs and, as the lead CIO for these programs, develops 
recommendations to the CDC Director in concert with other CIOs, for 
distribution of HIV, STD, and TB funds CDC-wide; (14) advises the 
Director, CDC, on other policy matters concerning NCHSTP activities.
    After the functional statement for the Global AIDS Program (CK6), 
insert the following:
    Division of AIDS, STD, and TB Laboratory Research (CK7). (1) 
Develops and evaluates laboratory methods and procedures for the 
diagnosis and characterization of infections caused by human 
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other retroviruses, other sexually 
transmitted diseases (STDs), and mycobacteria including Mycobacterium 
tuberculosis; (2) provides laboratory support for the surveillance, 
epidemiologic, clinical, and prevention activities of the Center; (3) 
conducts applied research on the pathogneesis of, and the immune 
mechanisms that occur in, microbial infections; (4) provides reference 
laboratory services and assists in standardizing and providing 
laboratory reagents; (5) serves as a World Health Organization 
Collaborating Center for Reference and Research in Syphilis Serology 
and for HIV isolation, detection, and characterization; and (6) 
coordinates research on opportunistic infections occurring in HIV-
infected persons.
    Office of the Director (CK71). (1) Plans, directs, and coordinates 
the activities of the Division; (2) develops goals and objectives and 
provides leadership, policy formulation, and guidance in program 
planning and development; (3) provides program management and 
administrative support services for AIDS/STD/TB laboratory research 
activities, both domestic and international.
    HIV and Retrovirology Branch (CK72). (1) Conducts studies of human 
immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) and other human and zoonotic 
retroviruses, including the diseases they cause, their modes of 
transmission, and the means for their control through virus detection, 
isolation, and characterization by virologic, molecular, and cellular 
biologic methods; (2) collaborates with NCHSTP investigators to conduct 
HIV epidemiologic and surveillance studies worldwide particularly as 
they pertain to prevention and intervention strategies; (3) identifies 
and characterizes new HIV isolates and develops new screening tests for 
these isolates to determine their prevalence in various populations; 
(4) determines genotypic and phenotypic variations of HIVs that may 
affect pathogenesis, drug resistance, persistence, virulence, and 
transmissibility; (5) conducts and supports field epidemiologic 
investigations of the prevalence, distribution, trends, and risk 
factors associated with non-AIDS retroviral infections and associated 
diseases; (6) serves as a World Health Organization (WHO) Reference 
Center and as a member of the UNAIDS Virus Network to provide 
international consultation and technical assistance on laboratory 
procedures for HIV isolation, detection, and characterization; (7) 
develops and evaluates procedures for the isolation and 
characterization of HIV and for the detection of retroviral DNA or RNA 
from clinical samples; (8) provides training, reference testing, and 
reference reagents for virologic and molecular characterization of 
divergent HIVs for public health laboratories in the United States and 
WHO; (9) serves as a reference laboratory for the isolation of zoonotic 
retroviruses from clinical samples; (10) develops collaborations with 
other CDC and non-CDC scientists to promote scientific progress and 
accomplishments; and (11) collaborates with industry to promote 
commercialization of useful technology, methodologies, or reagents of 
public health importance.
    HIV Immunology and Diagnostics Branch (CK73). (1) Conducts basic 
and applied studies of microbial-host interactions that occur in 
infections, particularly infection with human immunodeficiency virus 
(HIV); (2) conducts basic and applied investigations of the immune cell 
interactions that occur in HIV infection as well as in related 
immunologic/infectious diseases; conducts investigations of genetic 
traits of the host that influence the susceptibility, disease course, 
and immune response to infectious disease, particularly HIV disease; 
(3) conducts studies related to the development, evaluation, 
improvement, and standardization of laboratory technologies used for 
the diagnosis, surveillance, and monitoring of HIV infection both 
independently and in collaboration with the biotechnology industry; (4) 
performs HIV antigen and antibody testing plus related standardized 
assays in support of the diagnostic /surveillance/epidemiologic 
requirements of CDC-based and CDC-affiliated studies of the HIV 
epidemic; (5) serves as a reference laboratory for State and local 
health departments; and (6) provides diagnostic services to other 
Federal agencies, the World Health Organization, CDC-affiliated 
academic centers, CDC-affiliated studies with

[[Page 62459]]

other countries, and community organizations, as appropriate.
    Sexually Transmitted Infections Branch (CK74). (1) Performs 
research on the pathogenesis, genetics, and immunology of syphilis and 
other treponematoses, gonococcal and chlamydial infections, chancroid, 
genital herpes, donovanosis, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis; 
(2) conducts and participates in clinical, field, and laboratory 
research to develop, evaluate, and improve laboratory methods used in 
the diagnosis and epidemiology of these sexually transmitted infections 
(STIs); (3) provides consultation and reference/diagnostic services for 
these STIs; (4) conducts laboratory-based surveillance for and research 
on the genetics of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae; 
(5) serves as the WHO International Collaborating Center for Reference 
and Research in Syphilis Serology; and (6) provides consultation and 
laboratory support for international activities.
    Tuberculosis/Mycobacteriology Branch (CK75). (1) Provides 
laboratory support for epidemic investigations, surveillance 
activities, and special studies of tuberculosis and other mycobacteria-
caused diseases; (2) administers contracts to provide Mycobacterium 
tuberculosis genotyping, maintains a national database of genotypes, 
and conducts operational research to implement genotyping; (3) develops 
and evaluates new methods to subtype mycobacteria for epidemiologic 
studies; (4) serves as primary CDC focus for diagnostic 
mycobacteriology laboratory services and for laboratory aspects of 
nontuberculosis Mycobacterium species and of Hansen disease (leprosy); 
(5) administers grants and cooperative agreements with states and 
others to upgrade laboratory activities and provide special services; 
(6) provides reference diagnostic services, consultation, technical 
assistance, and training to State, Federal, and municipal public health 
laboratories; (7) provides laboratory support, reference services, 
assessment, consultation, and training for CDC's international 
tuberculosis activities; (8) develops, evaluates, or improves 
conventional and molecular methods for the detection, classification, 
identification, characterization, and susceptibility testing of 
mycobacteria and mycobacteria-caused diseases; (9) conducts studies to 
define the role of bacterial virulence factors, host factors, and 
pathogenic and immunologic mechanisms in disease processes and 
protective immunity and develops, evaluates, and improves immunologic 
methods for the diagnosis and prevention of mycobacteria-caused 
diseases; (10) develops tissue culture and animal models of 
mycobacteria-caused diseases and conducts studies on chemotherapy, 
immunotherapy, pathogenesis, pathology, and vaccines for mycobacteria-
caused diseases; (11) conducts studies on the isolation, taxonomy, and 
ecology of mycobacteria and develops tests to identify new species; 
(12) conducts and supports studies to characterize newly emerging 
pathogenic species of Mycobacterium and associated diseases.
    Delete in their entirety the following titles and functional 
statements:

Division of AIDS, STD, and TB Laboratory Research (CRN)
Office of the Director (CRN1)
Hematologic Diseases Branch (CRN3)
Laboratory Section (CRN32)
Surveillance and Epidemiology Section (CRN33)
Tuberculosis/Mycobacteriology Branch (CRN8)
Diagnostic Mycobacteriology Section (CRN82)
Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis Section (CRN83)
HIV and Retrovirology Branch (CRNA)
Viral Evolution and Transmission Section (CRNA2)
Retroviral Genetics Section (CRNA3)
Molecular Epidemiology and Zoonoses Section (CRNA4)
Virology Section (CRNA5)
HIV Immunology and Diagnostics Branch (CRNB)
Gonorrhea Research Branch (CRNC)
Syphilis and Chlamydia Branch (CRND)
Treponema Section (CRND2)
Chlamydia Section (CRND3)

    Dated: October 20, 2003.
William H. Gimson,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC).
[FR Doc. 03-27627 Filed 11-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M