[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 178 (Monday, September 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56621-56622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20182]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC)

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the CDC 
announces the following meeting for the Clinical Laboratory Improvement 
Advisory Committee (CLIAC). This meeting is open to the public, limited 
only by the webcast lines available. Check the CLIAC website on the day 
of the meeting for the web conference link www.cdc.gov/cliac.

DATES: The meeting will be held on October 28, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 
6:30 p.m., EDT and October 29, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., EDT.

ADDRESSES: This is a virtual meeting. Meeting times are tentative and 
subject to change. The confirmed meeting times, agenda items, and 
meeting materials including instructions for accessing the live meeting 
broadcast will be available on the CLIAC website at www.cdc.gov/cliac.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Anderson, MMSc, MT(ASCP), Senior 
Advisor for Clinical Laboratories, Division of Laboratory Systems, 
Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, Office 
of Public Health Scientific Services, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop V24-3, Atlanta, Georgia 
30329-4018, Telephone: (404) 498-2741; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Purpose: This Committee is charged with providing scientific and 
technical advice and guidance to the Secretary, HHS; the Assistant 
Secretary for Health; the Director, CDC; the Commissioner, Food and 
Drug Administration (FDA); and the Administrator, Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services (CMS). The advice and guidance pertain to general 
issues related to improvement in clinical laboratory quality and 
laboratory medicine practice and specific questions related to possible 
revision of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 
(CLIA) standards. Examples include providing guidance on studies 
designed to improve safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, 
equity, and patient-centeredness of laboratory services; revisions to 
the standards under which clinical laboratories are regulated; the 
impact of proposed revisions to the standards on medical and laboratory 
practice; and the modification of the standards and provision of non-
regulatory guidelines to accommodate technological advances, such as 
new test methods, the electronic transmission of laboratory 
information, and mechanisms to

[[Page 56622]]

improve the integration of public health and clinical laboratory 
practices.
    Matters To Be Considered: The agenda will include agency updates 
from CDC, CMS, and FDA. The focus of the meeting is Clinical Laboratory 
Medicine in the Age of COVID-19 and will include presentations and 
discussions on preparedness and response: the partnership between 
clinical laboratories and public health; laboratory data exchanges 
during COVID-19; and the clinical laboratory's role in identifying 
health inequities during the COVID-19 response. Agenda items are 
subject to change as priorities dictate.
    It is the policy of CLIAC to accept written public comments and 
provide a brief period for oral public comments pertinent to agenda 
items.
    Procedure for Public Comment: Public comment periods for each 
agenda item are scheduled immediately prior to the Committee discussion 
period for that item. In general, each individual or group requesting 
to present an oral comment will be limited to a total time of five 
minutes (unless otherwise indicated). Speakers should email 
[email protected] or notify the contact person at least 5 business days 
prior to the meeting date.
    Procedure for Written Public Comment: For individuals or groups 
unable to attend the meeting, CLIAC accepts written comments until the 
date of the meeting (unless otherwise stated). However, it is requested 
that comments be submitted at least 5 business days prior to the 
meeting date so that the comments may be made available to the 
Committee for their consideration and public distribution. All written 
comments will be included in the meeting Summary Report posted on the 
CLIAC website.
    The Director, Strategic Business Initiatives Unit, Office of the 
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices 
pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management 
activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Kalwant Smagh,
Director, Strategic Business Initiatives Unit, Office of the Chief 
Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2020-20182 Filed 9-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P