[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 58 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11312-11313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05751]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the Presidential 
Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

AGENCY: 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 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is 
soliciting nominations of individuals who are interested in being 
considered for appointment to the Presidential Advisory Council on 
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (Advisory Council) as a voting 
member or as a non-voting liaison representative member from an 
organization and/or interest group. Nominations from qualified 
individuals who wish to be considered for appointment to either member 
category of the Advisory Council are currently being accepted.

DATES: Nominations must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on May 
10, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Information on how to submit a nomination is on the Advisory 
Council website, http://www.hhs.gov/ash/carb/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jomana Musmar, Designated Federal 
Officer, Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-
Resistant Bacteria, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Room L133, Switzer Building, 
330 C. St. SW, Washington, DC 20201. Phone: (202) 690-5566; email: 
[email protected]. The Advisory Council charter may be accessed online at 
http://www.hhs.gov/ash/carb/. The charter includes detailed information 
about the Advisory Council's purpose, function, and structure.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under Executive Order 13676, dated September 
18, 2014, authority was given to the Secretary of HHS to establish the 
Advisory Council, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and 
Agriculture. Activities of the Advisory Council are governed by the 
provisions of Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), which sets 
forth standards for the formation and use of federal advisory 
committees. The Advisory Council will provide advice, information, and 
recommendations to the Secretary of HHS regarding programs and policies 
intended to: Preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics by optimizing 
their use; advance research to develop improved methods for combating 
antibiotic resistance and

[[Page 11313]]

conducting antibiotic stewardship; strengthen surveillance of 
antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections; prevent the transmission of 
antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections; advance the development of 
rapid point-of-care and agricultural diagnostics; further research on 
new treatments for bacterial infections; develop alternatives to 
antibiotics for agricultural purposes; maximize the dissemination of 
up-to-date information on the appropriate and proper use of antibiotics 
to the general public and human and animal healthcare providers; and 
improve international coordination of efforts to combat antibiotic 
resistance.
    The Advisory Council is authorized to consist of not more than 30 
members, including the voting and non-voting members and the Chair and 
Vice Chair. The current composition of the Advisory Council consists of 
15 voting members, including the Chair and Vice Chair, five non-voting 
liaison representative members, and 10 non-voting ex-officio members.
    This announcement is to solicit nominations to fill eight positions 
in the voting member category that are scheduled to be vacated during 
the 2019 calendar year, and the terms of five positions in the liaison 
representative category that are scheduled to be vacated during the 
2020 calendar year. Voting members are appointed to serve three or 
four-year terms, and liaison representative members are appointed to 
serve a two-year term.
    The eight public voting members sought for this solicitation will 
be selected from individuals who are engaged in: Research on, or 
implementation of, interventions regarding efforts to preserve the 
effectiveness of antibiotics by optimizing their use; advancing 
research to develop improved methods for combating antibiotic 
resistance and conducting antibiotic stewardship; strengthening 
surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections; preventing 
the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections; 
advancing the development of rapid point-of-care and agricultural 
diagnostics; furthering research on new treatments for bacterial 
infections; developing alternatives to antibiotics for agricultural 
purposes; maximizing the dissemination of up-to-date information on the 
appropriate and proper use of antibiotics to the general public and 
human and animal health care providers; and improving international 
coordination of efforts to combat antibiotic resistance.
    The public voting members will represent balanced points of view 
from human biomedical, public health, and agricultural fields to 
include surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections, prevention 
and/or interruption of the spread of antibiotic-resistant threats, or 
development of rapid diagnostics and novel treatments. The public 
voting members may be physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, 
microbiologists, or other health care professionals (e.g., nurses, 
pharmacists, others); individuals who have expertise and experience as 
consumer or patient advocates concerned with antibiotic resistance, or 
in the fields of agriculture and pharmaceuticals; and they also may be 
from state or local health agencies or public health organizations. The 
voting public members will be appointed by the Secretary, in 
consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Agriculture. All 
public voting members will be classified as special government 
employees (SGEs).
    Individuals who are appointed to serve as voting members may be 
allowed to receive per diem and reimbursement for any applicable 
expenses for travel that is performed to attend meetings of the 
Advisory Council as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5703, for persons employed 
intermittently in the Government service. The Advisory Council meets, 
at a minimum, two times per fiscal year depending on the availability 
of funds. Meetings are open to the public, except as determined 
otherwise by the Secretary, or other official to whom the authority has 
been delegated, in accordance with guidelines under the Government in 
the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c).
    The non-voting liaison representative members are selected from 
organizations and/or interest groups that have involvement in the 
development, testing, licensing, production, procurement, distribution, 
and/or use of antibiotics and/or antibiotic research. Organizations are 
invited to participate as non-voting liaison representatives as it is 
deemed necessary by the Secretary or designee to accomplish the 
established mission of the Advisory Council. Non-voting liaison 
representative members are appointed to serve two-year terms. 
Individuals from the following sectors are being sought to serve as 
non-voting liaison representatives:
     Professional organizations or associations representing 
providers or professionals for human and/or animal health involved in 
infection control and prevention; this can include physicians, nurses, 
pharmacists, microbiologists, veterinarians.
     Public health, environmental health, and/or animal health 
organizations or associations (state/territorial, county, or local) 
representing laboratories, health officials, epidemiologists, 
agricultural state departments, or environmental associations.
     Other organizations representing patients and consumer 
advocates, hospitals, pharmaceutical industry, food producers and 
retailers, or other commodity groups.
    Individuals who are appointed to serve as non-voting liaison 
representative members may be allowed to receive per diem and 
reimbursement for any applicable expenses for travel that is performed 
to attend meetings of the Advisory Council in accordance with federal 
travel regulations. The Advisory Council meets, at a minimum, two times 
per fiscal year depending on the availability of funds. Meetings are 
open to the public, except as determined otherwise by the Secretary or 
other official to whom the authority has been delegated in accordance 
with guidelines under the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 
552b(c).
    Nominations, including self-nominations, of individuals who 
represent organizations that have the specified expertise and knowledge 
sought will be considered for appointment as non-voting liaison 
representative members of the Advisory Council.
    Every effort will be made to ensure that the membership of federal 
advisory committees is fairly balanced in terms of points of view 
represented. Detailed information on what is required in a nomination 
package and how to submit one is on the Advisory Council website, 
http://www.hhs.gov/ash/carb/.

    Dated: March 12, 2019.
Jomana F. Musmar,
Designated Federal Officer, Presidential Advisory Council on Combating 
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, Committee Manager.
[FR Doc. 2019-05751 Filed 3-25-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-28-P