[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 208 (Thursday, October 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 66720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27873]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Public Meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of 
Bioethical Issues

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Health, Presidential Commission for the Study 
of Bioethical Issues.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues 
will conduct its seventh meeting in November. At this meeting, the 
Commission will continue discussing the current Federal standards 
regarding human subjects protection in scientific studies supported by 
the Federal government. The Commission will also develop and finalize 
recommendations regarding actions the Federal government should take to 
ensure that the health and well-being of participants in scientific 
studies supported by the Federal government are protected.

DATES: The meeting will take place Wednesday and Thursday, November 16-
17, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical 
School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115. Phone (617) 432-
8990.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hillary Wicai Viers, Communications 
Director, Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 
1425 New York Avenue, NW., Suite C-100, Washington, DC 20005. 
Telephone: (202) 233-3960. Email: [email protected]. 
Additional information may be obtained at http://www.bioethics.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act of 1972, Public Law 92-463, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given 
of the seventh meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of 
Bioethical Issues (the Commission). The meeting will be held from 9:30 
a.m. to approximately 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, and from 
9 a.m. to approximately 12 noon on Thursday, November 17, 2011, in 
Boston, Massachusetts. The meeting will be open to the public with 
attendance limited to space available. The meeting will also be webcast 
at http://www.bioethics.gov.
    Under authority of Executive Order 13521, dated November 24, 2009, 
the President established the Commission. The Commission is an advisory 
panel of the nation's leaders in medicine, science, ethics, religion, 
law, and engineering. The Commission advises the President on 
bioethical issues arising from advances in biomedicine and related 
areas of science and technology. The Commission seeks to identify and 
promote policies and practices that ensure scientific research, health 
care delivery, and technological innovation are conducted in a socially 
and ethically responsible manner.
    The main agenda item for the Commission's seventh meeting is to 
continue discussing the current Federal standards regarding human 
subjects protection in scientific studies supported by the Federal 
government. The Commission will also develop and finalize 
recommendations regarding actions the Federal government should take to 
ensure that the health and well-being of participants in scientific 
studies supported by the Federal government are protected.
    The draft meeting agenda and other information about PCSBI, 
including information about access to the webcast, will be available at 
http://www.bioethics.gov.
    The Commission welcomes input from anyone wishing to provide public 
comment on any issue before it. Respectful debate of opposing views and 
active participation by citizens in public exchange of ideas can 
enhance decisions that are reached and the overall public understanding 
of them. The Commission is particularly interested in receiving oral 
comments during the meeting that are responsive to specific sessions. 
Written comments will be accepted at the registration desk and comment 
forms will be provided for members of the public to write down 
questions for the Commission as they arise. To accommodate as many 
speakers as possible, the time for each individual to speak may be 
limited. If the number of individuals wishing to speak is greater than 
can reasonably be accommodated during the scheduled meeting, the 
Commission may randomly select comments.
    Anyone planning to attend the meeting who needs special assistance, 
such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable 
accommodations, should notify Esther Yoo by telephone at (202) 233-
3960, or email at [email protected] in advance of the meeting. 
The Commission will make every effort to accommodate persons who need 
special assistance.
    Written comments will also be accepted and are especially welcome. 
Please address written comments by email to [email protected], or by 
mail to the following address: Public Commentary, Presidential 
Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 1425 New York Ave. NW., 
Suite C-100, Washington, DC 20005. Comments will be publicly available, 
including any personally identifiable or confidential business 
information that they contain. Trade secrets should not be submitted.

    Dated: October 19, 2011.
Valerie H. Bonham,
Executive Director, Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical 
Issues.
[FR Doc. 2011-27873 Filed 10-26-11; 8:45 am]
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