[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9343-9344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2561]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Request for Nominations of Members to the Advisory Committee on 
Blood Safety and Availability

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Secretary, Office of Public Health and Science.

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 provision 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 Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) is seeking 
nomination of qualified individuals to be considered for appointment as 
members on the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability 
(ACBSA). ACBSA is a Federal advisory committee in the Department of 
Health and Human Services. Management support for the activities of the 
Committee are the responsibility of OPHS.
    The qualified individuals will be nominated to the Secretary of 
Health and Human services for consideration of appointment as members 
of the ACBSA. Members of the Committee, including the Chair, are 
appointed by the

[[Page 9344]]

Secretary. Members are invited to serve on the Committee for 
overlapping three-year terms.

DATES: All nominations must be received no later than 4 p.m. e.d.t. 
April 3, 2006, at the address listed below.

ADDRESSES: All nominations shall be mailed or delivered to Jerry 
Holmberg, PhD, 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. Phone (240) 453-8803.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Holmberg, PhD, 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. Phone (240) 453-
8803.
    A copy of the Committee charter and roster of the current 
membership can be obtained by contacting Dr. Holmberg or by accessing 
the ACBSA Web site at http//www.hhs.gov/bloodsafety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ACBSA provides advice and assistance, 
consults with, and makes recommendations 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. The broad range of issues the Committee provides policy 
advice on includes (1) Definition of public health parameters around 
safety and availability of the blood supply, (2) broad public health, 
ethical, and legal issues related to blood safety, and (3) the 
implications for blood safety and availability of various economic 
factors affecting product cost and supply.
    The ACBSA consists of 18 voting members. The Committee is composed 
of 12 public members, including the Chair, and six (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 six 
individuals who are appointed as official representative members are 
selected to serve the interests of the blood and blood products 
industry or professional organizations. The representative members are 
selected from the following groups: The American Association of Blood 
Banks, one of 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.
    All ACBSA members are authorized to receive the prescribed per diem 
allowance and reimbursement for travel expenses that are incurred to 
attend meetings and conduct Committee-related business, in accordance 
with Standard Government Travel Regulations. Individuals who are 
appointed to serve as public members are authorized also to receive a 
stipend for attending Committee meetings and to carry out other 
Committee-related business. Individuals who are appointed to serve as 
representative members for a particular interest group or industry are 
not authorized to receive a stipend for the performance of these 
duties.
    This announcement is to solicit nominations of qualified candidates 
to fill positions on the ACBSA that are scheduled to be vacated in the 
public member category. The positions are scheduled to be vacated on 
September 30, 2006.

Nominations

    In accordance with the charter, persons nominated for appointment 
as members of the ACBSA should be among authorities knowledgeable in 
blood banking, transfusion medicine, plasma therapies, bioethics and/or 
related disciplines. Nominations should be typewritten. The following 
information should be included in the package of material submitted for 
each individual being nominated for consideration of appointment: (a) 
The name, return address, daytime telephone number and affiliation(s) 
of the individual being nominated, the basis for the individual's 
nomination, the category for which the individual is being nominated, 
and a statement bearing an original signature of the nominated 
individual that, if appointed, he or she is willing to serve as a 
member of the Committee; (b) the name, return address, and daytime 
telephone number at which the nominator may be contacted. 
Organizational nominations must identify a principal contact person in 
addition to the contact; and (c) a copy of a current curriculum vitae 
or resume for the nominated individual.
    Individuals can nominate themselves for consideration of 
appointment to the Committee. All nominations must include the required 
information. Incomplete nominations will not be processed for 
consideration. The letter from the nominator and certification of the 
nominated individual must bear original signatures; reproduced copies 
of these signatures are not acceptable.
    The Department of Health and Human Services is committed to 
ensuring that women, minority groups, and physically challenged 
individuals are adequately represented on the Committee. Nominations of 
qualified candidates from these categories are encouraged. The 
Department also seeks to have geographic diversity reflected in the 
composition of the Committee.
    The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive 
Branch are applicable to individuals who are appointed as public 
members of Federal advisory committees. Individuals appointed to serve 
as public members of Federal advisory committees are classified as 
special Government employees (SGEs). SGEs are Government employees for 
purposes of the conflict of interest laws. Therefore, individuals 
appointed to serve as public members of the ACBSA are subject to an 
ethics review. The ethics review is conducted to determine if the 
individual has any interest and/or activities in the private sector 
that may conflict with performance of their official duties as a member 
of the Committee. Individuals appointed to serve as public members of 
the Committee will be required to disclose information regarding 
financial holdings, consultancies, and research grants and/or 
contracts.

    Dated: February 14, 2006.
Jerry A. Holmberg,
Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability.
[FR Doc. E6-2561 Filed 2-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-41-P