[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 214 (Wednesday, November 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70184-70185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24404]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Charter Renewal of the Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue 
Safety and Availability

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 Department of Health and Human Services is hereby giving 
notice that the charter for the Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue 
Safety and Availability (ACBTSA) has been renewed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Berger, Designated Federal 
Officer for the ACBTSA, Senior Advisor for Blood and Tissue Policy, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and 
Human Services, 330 C Street SW, Suite L600, Washington, DC 20024. 
Phone: (202) 795-7608. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ACBTSA is a non-discretionary federal 
advisory committee. The ACBTSA is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 217a, 
Section 222 of the Public Health Service

[[Page 70185]]

(PHS) Act, as amended. The Committee is governed by the provisions of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, as 
amended (5 U.S.C. App.), which sets forth standards for the formation 
and use of advisory committees. The ACBTSA advises, assists, consults 
with, and makes policy recommendations to the Secretary, through the 
Assistant Secretary for Health, regarding broad responsibilities 
related to the safety of blood, blood products, tissues, and organs. 
For solid organs and blood stem cells, the Committee's work is limited 
to policy issues related to donor derived infectious disease 
complications of transplantation.
    To carry out its mission, the ACBTSA provides advice to the 
Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for Health on a range of 
policy issues which includes: (1) Identification of public health 
issues through surveillance of blood and tissue safety issues with 
national biovigilance data tools; (2) identification of public health 
issues that affect availability of blood, blood products, and tissues; 
(3) broad public health, ethical, and legal issues related to the 
safety of blood, blood products, and tissues; (4) the impact of various 
economic factors (e.g., product cost and supply) on safety and 
availability of blood, blood products, and tissues; (5) risk 
communications related to blood transfusion and tissue transplantation; 
and (6) identification of infectious disease transmission issues for 
blood, organs, blood stem cells and tissues.
    On October 9, 2020, the Secretary approved for the ACBTSA charter 
to be renewed. The new charter was effected and filed with the 
appropriate Congressional committees and the Library of Congress on 
October 9, 2020. Renewal of the Committee's charter gives authorization 
for the Committee to continue to operate until October 9, 2022.
    A copy of the ACBTSA charter is available on the Committee's 
website at https://www.hhs.gov/oidp/advisory-committee/blood-tissue-safety-availability/charter/index.html.

    Dated: October 22, 2020.
James J. Berger,
DFO, Advisory Committee on Blood and Safety and Availability, Office of 
Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020-24404 Filed 11-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-28-P