[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 151 (Monday, August 8, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48190-48191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-16954]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological 
Methods; Announcement of Meeting; Request for Public Input

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the next meeting of the Scientific 
Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM). 
SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists 
from the public and private sectors, including representatives of 
regulated industry and national animal protection organizations. SACATM 
advises the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 
Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), the National Toxicology Program (NTP) 
Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological 
Methods (NICEATM), and the Director of the National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and NTP regarding statutorily 
mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. This SACATM 
meeting will be a virtual meeting only and available to the public for 
remote viewing. Written public comments will be accepted. Registration 
is required to attend the meeting and to present oral public comments.

DATES: 
    Meeting: Scheduled for September 21, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
EDT, and September 22, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Ending times are 
approximate; meeting may end earlier or run later.
    Registration for Virtual Meeting: August 1, 2022, until 3:30 p.m. 
EDT September 22, 2022.
    Written Public Comment Submission: Deadline is September 13, 2022.
    Registration for Oral Public Comment: August 1, 2022, until 4:00 
p.m. EDT September 13, 2022.
    Registration to attend the virtual meeting and present oral public 
comments is required.

ADDRESSES: Meeting web page: The preliminary agenda, registration, and 
other meeting materials will be available at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/32822.
    Virtual Meeting: The URL for viewing the virtual meeting will be 
provided by email to registered participants prior to the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Milene Brownlow, Designated 
Federal Official for SACATM, Office of Policy, Review, and Outreach, 
Division of NTP, NIEHS. Phone: 984-287-3364, Email: 
[email protected]. Hand Deliver/Courier address: 530 Davis Drive, 
Room K2161, Durham, NC 27713.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting and Registration:

    SACATM will provide input to ICCVAM, NICEATM, and NIEHS on 
programmatic activities and issues. Preliminary agenda items for the 
upcoming meeting include: (1) major ICCVAM accomplishments in 2022; (2) 
implementing the strategic roadmap: incorporation of alternatives and 
associated metrics; (3) validation and establishing scientific 
confidence in new approach methodologies; and (4) update on NICEATM 
computational resources. Please see the preliminary agenda for 
information about specific presentations.
    The preliminary agenda, roster of SACATM members, background 
materials, public comments, and any additional information will be 
posted when available on the SACATM meeting website (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/32822) or may be requested in hardcopy from the 
Designated Federal Official for SACATM. Following the meeting, summary 
minutes will be prepared and made available on the SACATM meeting 
website.
    The meeting is open to the public with time scheduled for oral 
public comments. Due to restrictions on in-person gatherings amid 
ongoing public health concerns, the meeting will be convened as a 
virtual meeting. Registration is required to attend the virtual meeting 
and is open to all interested persons. Registrants will receive 
instructions on how to access the virtual meeting in the email 
confirming their registration. Individuals who plan to provide oral 
comments (see below) are required to register online at the SACATM 
meeting website (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/32822) by September 13, 
2022, to facilitate planning for the meeting. Individuals are 
encouraged to visit the website often to stay abreast of the most 
current information regarding the meeting.
    Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as 
sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should 
notify Ms. Robbin Guy at phone: (984) 287-3136 or email: 
[email protected] in advance of the meeting. TTY users should contact 
the Federal TTY Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Requests should be made 
at least five business days in advance of the event.

Written Public Comments

    Written and oral public comments are invited for the agenda topics. 
Guidelines for public comments are available at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/guidelines_public_comments_508.pdf. The 
deadline for submission of written comments is September 13, 2022. 
Written public comments should be submitted through the meeting 
website. Persons submitting written comments should include name, 
affiliation, mailing address, phone, email, and sponsoring organization 
(if any). Written comments received in response to this notice will be 
posted on the NTP website, and the submitter will be identified by 
name, affiliation, and sponsoring organization (if any).

Oral Public Comments Registration

    The preliminary agenda allows for several public comment periods, 
each allowing up to six commenters a maximum of five minutes per 
speaker. Registration for oral comments is on or before September 13, 
2022, at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/32822. Registration is on a 
first-come, first-served basis. Each organization is allowed one time 
slot per comment period. After the maximum number of speakers per 
comment period is exceeded, individuals registering to submit an oral 
comment for the topic will be placed on a wait list and notified should 
an opening become available. Commenters will be notified after 
September 13, 2022, to provide logistical information for their 
presentations. If possible, oral public commenters should send a copy 
of their slides and/or statement or talking points to Ms. Robbin Guy by 
email: [email protected] by September 13, 2022.

Meeting Materials

    The preliminary meeting agenda will be posted when available on the 
meeting web page at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/32822 and will be 
updated one week before the meeting. Individuals are encouraged to 
visit this web page often to stay abreast of the most current 
information regarding the meeting.
    Responses to this notice are voluntary. No proprietary, classified, 
confidential, or sensitive information should be included in statements

[[Page 48191]]

submitted in response to this notice or presented during the meeting. 
This request for input is for planning purposes only and is not a 
solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the U.S. 
Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to 
the request. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for the 
preparation of any information submitted or for its use of that 
information.

Background Information on ICCVAM, NICEATM, and SACATM

    ICCVAM is an interagency committee composed of representatives from 
17 federal regulatory and research agencies that require, use, 
generate, or disseminate toxicological and safety testing information. 
ICCVAM conducts technical evaluations of new, revised, and alternative 
safety testing methods and integrated testing strategies with 
regulatory applicability. ICCVAM also promotes the scientific 
validation and regulatory acceptance of testing methods that more 
accurately assess the safety and hazards of chemicals and products and 
replace, reduce, or refine animal use.
    The ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 285l-3) establishes 
ICCVAM as a permanent interagency committee of NIEHS and provides the 
authority for ICCVAM involvement in activities relevant to the 
development of alternative test methods. Additional information about 
ICCVAM can be found at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvam.
    NICEATM administers ICCVAM, provides scientific and operational 
support for ICCVAM-related activities, and conducts and publishes 
analyses and evaluations of data from new, revised, and alternative 
testing approaches. NICEATM and ICCVAM work collaboratively to evaluate 
new and improved testing approaches applicable to the needs of U.S. 
federal agencies. NICEATM and ICCVAM welcome the public nomination of 
new, revised, and alternative test methods and strategies for 
validation studies and technical evaluations. Additional information 
about NICEATM can be found at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/niceatm.
    SACATM, established by the ICCVAM Authorization Act [Section 285l-
3(d)], provides advice on priorities and activities related to the 
development, validation, scientific review, regulatory acceptance, 
implementation, and national and international harmonization of new, 
revised, and alternative toxicological test methods to ICCVAM, NICEATM, 
and Director of NIEHS and NTP. Additional information about SACATM, 
including the charter, roster, and records of past meetings, can be 
found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/167.

    Dated: August 3, 2022.
Brian R. Berridge,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2022-16954 Filed 8-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P