[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22865-22866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8773]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Solicitation of Nomination for Appointment to 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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    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 217a, Section 222 of the Public Health 
Service Act, as amended. The Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability is governed by the provisions of Public Law 92-463, as 
amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2) which sets forth standards for the 
formation and use of advisory committees.

SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office of 
Public Health and Science, is seeking nominations of qualified 
candidates to be considered for appointment as a member of the Advisory 
Committee on Blood Safety and Availability (ACBSA).

[[Page 22866]]

    The ACBSA provides advice to the Secretary and the Assistant 
Secretary for Health on blood safety policy issues which encompass 
broad public health and societal implications that cannot be resolved 
through analysis of scientific data alone.

DATES: All nominations must be received at the address below no later 
than 4 p.m. e.s.t. May 30, 2005.

ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed or delivered to Jerry 
Holmberg, Ph.D., 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Holmberg, Ph.D., 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 (301) 
443-2331.
    A copy of the Committee charter and a list of the current 
membership can be obtained by contacting Dr. Holmberg.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ACBSA provides advice to the Secretary 
and the Assistant Secretary for Health on a broad range of policy 
issues regarding the collection, preparation, and distribution of blood 
and blood products, and regulations related to the transmission of 
communicable diseases. The range of policy issues that the ACBSA 
provides advice on includes: (1) Definition of public health parameters 
around safety and availability of blood supply; (2) broad public 
health, ethical and legal issues related to blood safety, and (3) the 
implications for blood safety availability of various economic factors 
affecting product cost and supply.
    The ACBSA consists of 18 voting members. The Committee is composed 
of 12 members, including the Chair, and 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 representative members are 
designated to serve as official representatives of the blood and blood 
products industry or professional organizations. The representative 
members shall represent the American Association of Blood Banks, one or 
two major distributors of blood on a rotating basis, a trade 
organization or manufacturer of blood test kits or equipment, a company 
that produces leukoreduction processes, a major hospital organization 
that purchases blood and blood products, and a plasma protein 
therapeutic association.

Nominations

    The Office of Public Health and Science is seeking nominations to 
fill several positions on the ACBSA that are scheduled to be vacated on 
September 30, 2005. The positions to be vacated are from both 
classifications--the public members and the representative members.
    To qualify for consideration as a public member, individuals should 
possess authoritative knowledge in blood banking, transfusion medicine, 
plasma therapies, bioethics, and/or related disciplines. Public members 
will be selected from the categories previously described.
    The terms of appointment for the representative member of the 
following also are scheduled to end: a trade organization or 
manufacturer of blood test kits or equipment, a company that produces 
leukoreduction processes, a major hospital organization that purchases 
blood and blood products, and a plasma protein therapeutic association. 
This notice is intended to solicit nominations from the blood and blood 
products industry and professional organizations of qualified 
candidates to serve as official representatives for the specified 
interest groups or industry.
    Individuals are invited to serve as members of the Committee for 
overlapping three year terms. Public members of the Committee receive a 
stipend for attending Committee meetings, as well as for conducting 
other business in the interest of the Committee.
    Pursuant to advance written agreement, members who are appointed as 
representatives of a particular interest group or industry serve 
without compensation. All members are authorized to receive prescribed 
per diem allowances and reimbursement for expenses incurred when 
performing travel to conduct Committee-related business matters.
    Nominations should be typewritten. The following information should 
be included in the package of material submitted for each individual 
being nominated for consideration: (1) A letter of nomination that 
clearly states the name and affiliation of the nominee, the basis for 
the nomination (i.e., specific attributes which qualify the nominee for 
service in this capacity), and a statement that the nominee is willing 
to serve as a member of the Committee; (2) the nominator's name, 
address, and daytime telephone number, and the home and/or work 
address, telephone number and e-mail address of the person being 
nominated; and (3) a current copy of the nominee's curriculum vitae. 
The names of Federal employees should not be nominated for 
consideration of appointment for this Committee.
    The Department makes every effort to ensure that membership of DHHS 
Federal advisory committees is fairly balanced in terms of points of 
view represented and the committee's function. Every effort is made to 
ensure that a broad representation of geographic areas, females, ethnic 
and minority groups, and the disabled are given consideration for 
membership on DHHS Federal advisory committees. Appointment to this 
Committee shall be made without discrimination on the basis of age, 
race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and cultural, 
religious, or socioeconomic status.
    Nominations must state that the nominee is willing to serve as a 
member of ACBSA and appears to have no conflict of interest that would 
preclude membership. An ethics review is conducted for each selected 
candidate. Therefore, individuals selected for nomination will be 
required to provide detailed information concerning such matters as 
financial holdings, consultancies, and research grants or contracts to 
permit evaluation of possible sources of conflict of interest.

    Dated: April 25, 2005.
Jerry A. Holmberg,
Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability.
[FR Doc. 05-8773 Filed 5-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-41-P