[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 42743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-16831]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

42 CFR Parts 5 and 51c

RIN 0906-AA44


Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health 
Professional Shortage Areas

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Proposed rule; status.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
received many substantive comments on the proposed rule and will 
consider these comments carefully. Based on a preliminary review of the 
comments, it appears that HRSA will need to make a number of changes in 
the proposed rule. Instead of issuing a final regulation as the next 
step, HHS will issue a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for further 
review and public comment prior to issuing a final rule.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andy Jordan, 301-594-0197.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 29, 2008, HHS published a Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking, ``Designation of Medically Underserved 
Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas'' (73 FR 11232). The 
initial notice provided a 60-day comment period. Due to the level of 
interest in the proposed rule, two 30-day extensions of the comment 
period were published in the Federal Register, one on April 21, 2008 
(73 FR 21300) and the second on June 2, 2008 (73 FR 31418). The latest 
comment period closed on June 30, 2008.

    Dated: July 17, 2008.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration.
 [FR Doc. E8-16831 Filed 7-22-08; 8:45 am]
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