[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 18317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08786]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Meeting of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group

AGENCY: Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department of 
Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces 
the fifth in-person meeting of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group 
(Working Group) on May 15-16, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Eastern 
Time on May 15 and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on May 16. 
For this fifth meeting, the Working Group will provide an overview of 
the report to the HHS Secretary and Congress and discuss what should be 
included in the report from the work of the six Subcommittee Working 
Groups that were established on December 12, 2017. These subcommittees 
were established to assist the Working Group with the development of 
the report to Congress and the HHS Secretary as required by the 21st 
Century Cures Act. The subcommittees are:
    1. Disease Vectors, Surveillance and Prevention (includes 
epidemiology of tick-borne diseases);
    2. Pathogenesis, Transmission, and Treatment;
    3. Testing and Diagnostics (including laboratory-based diagnoses 
and clinical-diagnoses);
    4. Access to Care Services and Support to Patients;
    5. Vaccine and Therapeutics; and
    6. Other Tick-Borne Diseases and Co-infections.

DATES: May 15, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Eastern Time and May 
16, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: Hilton Crystal City Conference Center at Washington Reagan 
National Airport, 2399 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. 
Members of the public may also attend the meeting via webcast. 
Instructions for attending the meeting via webcast will be posted one 
week prior to the meeting at: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Berger, Office of HIV/AIDS and 
Infectious Disease Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Health, Department of Health and Human Services; via email at 
[email protected] or by phone at 202-795-7697.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    In-person attendance at the meeting is limited to space available; 
therefore, preregistration for public members is advisable and can be 
accomplished by registering at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=zz7zptzab&oeidk=a07edrodfu088eae0cf by Thursday, May 
10, 2018. On the day of the meeting, seating will be provided first to 
persons who have preregistered. People who have not preregistered will 
be accommodated on a first come, first served basis if additional seats 
are still available 10 minutes before the meeting start. Non-U.S. 
citizens who plan to attend in person are required to provide 
additional information and must notify the Working Group support staff 
via email at [email protected] before April 30, 2018.
    The Working Group invites public comment on issues related to the 
Working Group's charge. It may be provided in-person at the meeting or 
in writing. In-person comments will occur from 9:05 a.m. to 10:05 a.m. 
on May 16, 2018. Persons who wish to provide public comment in person 
should review directions at https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/meetings/index.html before submitting a 
request to do so via email at [email protected]. Requests to 
provide in-person comment are due on or before May 10, 2018. In-person 
comments will be limited to three minutes each to accommodate as many 
speakers as possible. If more requests are received than can be 
accommodated, speakers will be randomly selected. The nature of the 
comments will not be considered in making this selection. Public 
comments may also be provided in writing. Individuals who would like to 
provide written comment should review directions at https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/meetings/index.html before sending their comments to [email protected] on 
or before May 10, 2018.
    Background and Authority: The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group was 
established on August 10, 2017, in accordance with section 2062 of the 
21st Century Cures Act, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 
U.S.C. App., as amended, to provide expertise and review all HHS 
efforts related to tick-borne diseases to help ensure interagency 
coordination and minimize overlap, examine research priorities, and 
identify and address unmet needs. In addition, the Working Group will 
report to the Secretary and Congress on their findings and any 
recommendations for the federal response to tick-borne disease 
prevention, treatment and research, and addressing gaps in those areas.

    Dated: April 19, 2018.
James Berger,
 Alternate Designated Federal Officer, Office of HIV/AIDS and 
Infectious Disease Policy, Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.
[FR Doc. 2018-08786 Filed 4-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-28-P