[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20292-20293]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7986]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Solicitation of Nominations for Membership on 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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SUMMARY: The Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) is seeking 
nominations of qualified individuals to be considered for appointment 
as members of 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 
this Committee is the responsibility of the 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 Secretary. Members are invited to serve on the 
Committee for overlapping four-year terms.

DATES: All nominations must be received no later than 4 p.m. EDT on 
June 30, 2008, at the address listed below.

ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed or delivered to Dr. Jerry 
Holmberg, 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: (240) 453-8803.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jerry Holmberg, Executive 
Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability. Contact 
information for Dr. Holmberg is the same as previously provided.
    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 Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability provides advice to the Secretary and to the Assistant 
Secretary for Health. The Committee provides advice on a range of 
policy issues to include: (1) Definition of public health parameters 
around safety and availability of the blood and blood products, (2) 
broad public health, ethical and legal issues related to transfusion 
and transplantation safety, and (3) the implications for 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 associated with transfusion or 
transplantation safety. The representative members are selected from 
the following groups: the AABB, the Plasma Protein Therapeutic 
Association (PPTA), one of the two major distributors of blood on a 
rotating basis, a trade organization or manufacturer of blood, plasma, 
or other tissue test kits or equipment, and a purchaser of blood and 
blood products from a major hospital organization.
    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 
December 31, 2008.

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, transfusion and 
transplantation safety, bioethics, and/or related disciplines. 
Nominations should be typewritten. The following information should be 
included in the package of materials 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 nominators 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 interests 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.


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    Dated: April 9, 2008.
Jerry A. Holmberg,
Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability.
 [FR Doc. E8-7986 Filed 4-14-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-41-P