[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 56706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19388]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 eighth 
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 6 p.m. on October 19, 2005 and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 
October 20, 2005 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel, 5701 Marinelli 
Road, North Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting will be open to the public 
with attendance limited to space available. The meeting will be 
webcast.
    The first half of the meeting will be devoted to the issue of large 
population studies of genetic variation, the environment and common 
disease. The Committee is working to identify salient scientific, 
ethical, and policy issues and questions associated with such studies 
and processes that could be employed to address them. On October 19, 
the Committee will gather input from several leaders in science and 
bioethics about the policy issues and how to address them, including 
mechanisms for engaging the general public. October 20th will be 
devoted to the further exploration of current issues in 
pharmacogenomics. The Committee is developing a report to the Secretary 
on this topic, and at this meeting they will explore the financial and 
economic considerations involved in integrating pharmacogenomics into 
clinical practice as well as delve more deeply into certain ethical, 
legal and social issues raised by pharmacogenomics. Time will be 
provided each day for public comments, and the public is encouraged to 
provide its perspectives to the Committee on these topics or any others 
related to the development and use of genetic technologies.
    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://www.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. 
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: September 21, 2005.
Anthony M. Coelho, Jr.,
Acting Director, Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 05-19388 Filed 9-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M