[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 31, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 53071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19850]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Meeting: Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, 
Health, and Society

    Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given of the fifth 
meeting of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and 
Society (SACGHS), U.S. Public Health Service. The meeting will be held 
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 18, 2004 and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
October 19, 2004 at the Marriott Hotel Bethesda at 5151 Pooks Hill 
Road, Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting will be open to the publc with 
attendance limited to space available. The meeting will be webcast.
    The first half of the first day will be devoted to a session to 
receive testimony from individuals who have been affected by genetic 
discrimination in health insurance and employment. The second half of 
the first day will include presentations related to and discussion of a 
revised draft report on coverage and reimbursement for genetic 
technologies and services and the development of recommendations on the 
issues identified in the report. Discussion of the draft coverage and 
reimbursement report will continue throughout the first half of the 
second day. The second day will end with a status report on the 
National Academy of Sciences' study of genomics and patents and 
discussions of future plans for Committee action on the issues of 
pharmacogenomics and large population studies. Time will be provided 
each day for public comments.
    Under authority of 42 U.S.C. 217a, Section 222 of the Public Health 
Service Act, as amended, the Department of Health and Human Services 
established SACGHS to serve as a public forum for deliberations on the 
broad range of human health and societal issues raised by the 
development and use of genetic technologies and, as warranted, to 
provide advice on these issues. The draft meeting agenda and other 
information about SACGHS, including information about access to the 
webcast, will be available at the following Web site: http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/sacghs.htm.
    The Committee would welcome hearing from anyone wishing to provide 
public comment on any issue related to genetics, health and society. In 
addition, the Committee is specifically seeking written public comment 
from individuals who have experienced genetic discrimination in health 
insurance or in employment, who fear genetic discrimination, or who 
have paid out of pocket for services to keep genetic information out of 
medical records. Individuals who would like to provide public comment 
or who plan to attend the meeting and need special assistance, such as 
sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should 
notify the SACGHS Executive Secretary, Ms. Sarah Carr, by telephone at 
301-496-9838 or E-mail at [email protected]. The SACGHS office is located 
at 6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20892.

    Dated: August 19, 2004.
LaVerne Stringfield,
Director, Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 04-19850 Filed 8-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M