[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 236 (Thursday, December 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76732-76733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31534]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Nominations to the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) 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 (HHS). Management support for the activities 
of this Committee is the responsibility of the OASH. The qualified 
individuals will be nominated to the Secretary of HHS 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 up to four-year terms.

DATES: All nominations must be received no later than 4 p.m. EDT on 
January 27, 2012, at the address listed below.

ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed or delivered to Mr. James 
Berger, Acting Director, Blood Safety and Availability, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human 
Services, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 250, Rockville, MD 20852. 
Telephone: (240) 453-8803.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Melissa Greenwald, Associate 
Public Health Advisor for Blood, Organ and Tissue Safety Policy, 
Department of Health and Human Services, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
250, Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone: (240) 453-8803.
    A copy of the Committee charter and roster of the current 
membership can be obtained by contacting Dr. Greenwald or by accessing 
the ACBSA Web site at http://www.hhs.gov/bloodsafety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability shall provide advice to the Secretary and to the Assistant 
Secretary for Health. The Committee shall advise 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

[[Page 76733]]

availability of various economic factors affecting product cost and 
supply.
    The ACBSA consists of 20 voting members. The Committee is composed 
of 14 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 fraction community, 
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 
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 to also 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 both 
membership categories. Qualified applicants are being sought to 
represent the specific interests of the following blood and blood 
products industries or professional organizations: State and local 
organizations, advocacy groups, provider organizations, academic 
researchers, private physicians, scientists, consumer advocates, legal 
organizations, one of the two major distributors of blood, a trade 
organization, or manufacturer of blood, plasma, infectious disease 
screening assays or other tissue test kits or equipment and a major 
health care organization that purchases blood and blood products. The 
positions are scheduled to be vacated between March 30, 2012 and May 
29, 2012.

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 
organ and tissue transplantation, 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 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.

    Dated: November 30, 2011.
James J. Berger,
Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and 
Availability.
[FR Doc. 2011-31534 Filed 12-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-41-P