[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44344-44350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14702]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Reorganization of the Office of Readiness and Response

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: CDC has modified its structure. This notice announces the 
reorganization of the Office of Readiness and Response (ORR). ORR 
reorganized to improve rapid response to disease outbreaks and public 
health emergencies within the United States and around the world. It is 
critical for CDC's internal emergency response structure and readiness 
capabilities align with the changing public health landscape in order 
to best protect populations that are at increased risk of death, 
disability, and disease before, during, and after responses.

DATES: This reorganization was approved by the Director of CDC on June 
28, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Thurmond, Office of the Chief 
Operating Officer, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS TW-2, Atlanta, GA 30329. 
Telephone 770-488-4401; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Part C (Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention) of the Statement of Organization, Functions, and 
Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services 
(45 FR 67772-76, dated October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, 
October 20, 1980, as amended most recently at 88 FR 9290-9291, dated 
February 13, 2023) is amended to reflect the reorganization of the 
Office of Readiness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention. Specifically, the changes are as follows:
    I. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, insert 
the following:

Office of Readiness and Response (CAD)
Office of the Director (CAD1)
Information Resources Office (CAD12)
Office of Policy, Planning, and Communications (CAD13)
Office of Science and Laboratory Readiness (CAD14)
Management Resources Office (CAD15)
Division of State and Local Readiness (CADB)
Office of the Director (CADB1)
Field Assignments Branch (CADBB)
Grants Management and Fiscal Strategy Branch (CADBC)
Jurisdictional Readiness and Response Support Branch (CADBD)
Capacity Building and Technical Assistance Development Branch (CADBE)
Division of Regulatory Science and Compliance (CADC)
Office of the Director (CADC1)
Federal Select Agent Program Operations Branch (CADCB)
Import Permit Program Operations Branch (CADCC)
Innovation and Information Technology Branch (CADCD)
Biosafety, Science, Training and Expertise Branch (CADCE)
Division of Emergency Operations (CADD)
Office of the Director (CADD1)
Resource Support Branch (CADDB)
Operations Branch (CADDC)
Plans, Exercise, and Evaluation Branch (CADDD)
Emergency Management Training and Capacity Development Branch (CADDE)
Division of Readiness and Response Science (CADE)
Office of the Director (CADE1)

[[Page 44345]]

Community-Based Solutions and Health Equity Branch (CADEB)
Response Analytics, Decision Support, and Surveillance Branch (CADEC)
Public Health Readiness and Response Evaluation Branch (CADED)
Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CADL)
Office of the Director (CADL1)
Office of Policy and Communications (CADL12)
Office of Management Services (CADL13)
Inform Division (CADLB)
Office of the Director (CADLB1)
Predict Division (CADLC)
Office of the Director (CADLC1)
Real Time Monitoring Branch (CADLCB)
Analytics Response Branch (CADLCC)
Technology and Innovation Division (CADLD)
Office of the Director (CADLD1)
Technology Branch (CADLDB)
Innovate Branch (CADLDC)

    II. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, retitle 
the following organizational units:

Office of Science and Public Health Practice (CAD14) to Office of 
Science and Laboratory Readiness (CAD14)
Division of Select Agents and Toxins (CADC) to Division of Regulatory 
Science and Compliance (CADC)
Field Select Agent Branch (CADCB) to the Federal Select Agent Program 
Operations Branch (CADCB)

    III. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, delete 
the mission or functional statements for and replace with the 
following:
    Office of Readiness and Response (CAD). The mission of the Office 
of Readiness and Response (ORR) is to lead, promote, and integrate 
programs, science, data, communications, and policies that enable CDC 
to respond to public health threats at home and abroad. The ORR 
Director is accountable and vested with authority for positioning CDC 
to successfully respond to all public health threats, including through 
preparedness activities that maintain a constant readiness to respond. 
ORR supports the following functions: (1) serves as the principal 
source of advice and expertise for the CDC Director on issues related 
to emergency readiness and response domestically and globally; (2) 
assists the CDC Director in formulating and communicating readiness and 
response strategic initiatives and policies; (3) informs and represents 
the CDC Director on key emergency readiness and response issues; (4) 
develops overall strategic direction, provides leadership, and supports 
implementation of emergency readiness and response priorities across 
the agency's workforce, data and laboratory systems, science, policies, 
and programs; (5) leverages cross-agency expertise to inform U.S. 
Government readiness and response plans and aligns agency emergency 
readiness and response strategies to these plans; (6) advises CDC 
senior leadership on resource allocation decisions that have readiness 
and response implications; (7) identifies emergency readiness and 
response issues of public health importance and facilitates and 
promotes cross-agency, cross-United States Government interagency 
collaboration, innovation, and initiatives to address them, including 
developing shared goals and monitoring progress and accomplishments; 
(8) enhances robust connections, cooperation, and collaboration through 
partnerships across multiple emergency readiness and response sectors 
(e.g., government, professional organizations, industry, academia), 
domestically and globally; (9) upholds integrity, transparency, and 
excellence in public health science and practice related to emergency 
readiness and response; (10) continually evaluates agency-wide 
emergency readiness and response effectiveness and efficiency, and 
recommends and implements adjustments based on findings; (11) promotes 
an environment that increases synergies and efficiencies and reduces 
duplication within CDC's emergency readiness and response programs; 
(12) provides overall strategic direction and leadership for emergency 
operations, forecasting, and outbreak analytics (e.g., surveillance, 
modeling, analytics); (13) coordinates strategic direction and 
leadership for partner funding and technical assistance for readiness 
and response; (14) leads cross-agency readiness and medical 
countermeasure (MCM) efforts, in coordination with other HHS operating 
and staff divisions and their constituent agencies; (15) maintains an 
Office of the Director (OD) to provide oversight and support for 
crosscutting functions, including but not limited to management and 
operations, policy, communication, health equity, and science, (16) 
guides and supports public health emergency readiness and response 
activities both within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and, as 
appropriate, CDC Centers, Institute, and Offices (CIOs); and (17) 
provides staff and scientific expertise, including through the EOC, for 
public health emergency responses and exercises.
    Office of the Director (CAD1). (1) provides overall leadership, 
oversight, and guidance for all ORR programs; (2) oversees the 
development of ORR policy, communication, long-range plans, and 
programs, (3) leads the implementation and enforcement of overarching 
statutory and regulatory compliance responsibilities, policies and 
guidelines developed by Federal agencies, HHS, and CDC Staff Offices, 
as they relate to public health; emergency preparedness, readiness, and 
response; select agents and toxins; and poliovirus (PV) containment; 
(4) manages ORR preparedness, readiness, and response activities; (5) 
coordinates program activities with other CDC components, other 
Federal, state, and local government agencies, and private sector 
groups; (6) provides leadership for the coordination of technical 
assistance to other countries and international organizations in 
establishing and implementing preparedness, readiness, and response 
programs; (7) provides leadership, direction, coordination and 
evaluation of science and health-related activities for priority 
programs and preparedness, readiness, and emergency response agenda(s); 
(8) provides executive coordination for ORR research programs and 
science policies; (9) leads cross-agency readiness and MCM efforts and 
coordination; (10) maintains liaisons with other Federal, state, and 
local agencies, institutions, and organizations; (11) coordinates ORR 
public health science efforts to protect the public's health; (12) 
develops capacity within the states to integrate new and existing 
emergency preparedness, readiness, and response principles into their 
operational and programmatic activities; (13) utilizes best practices 
to collect, analyze, and interpret data and disseminate scientific 
information to enable internal and external partners to make actionable 
decisions; (14) integrates science, data analytics, and visualization 
into science products; (15) coordinates ORR involvement in CDC public 
health ethics activities; (16) represents ORR on various CDC scientific 
committees, work groups, and taskforces; (17) provides leadership and 
guidance in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, 
priorities, policies, program planning, management and operations of 
all general activities within ORR; (18) oversees, manages, directs, 
coordinates, and evaluates all ORR management and operations activities 
including human resources, intramural and extramural funding, space, 
budgeting and other related activities; (19) coordinates with all ORR 
offices and divisions in determining and interpreting operating policy 
and in

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ensuring their respective management input is included in specific 
program activity plans (20) provides overall issues management, health 
policy and partnership development direction to the ORR offices and 
divisions; (21) provides and directs overall internal and external 
communication strategies for the ORR; (22) directs and coordinates ORR 
activities in support of the Department's Equal Employment Opportunity 
program, diversity enhancement and employee professional development 
opportunities; and (23) reviews the effectiveness and efficiency of all 
administration and operations of ORR programs.
    Information Resources Office (CAD12). (1) provides expert 
consultation in application development, information science, and 
technology to efficiently use resources; (2) provides information 
technology (IT) application development for ORR OD, center, and 
divisions; (3) reports all IT project costs, schedules, performances, 
and risks; (4) performs technical evaluation and integrated baseline 
reviews of all information systems' products and services prior to 
procurement to ensure software purchases align with ORR strategy; (5) 
coordinates all enterprise-wide IT security policies and procedures 
with the Office of the Chief Information Officer; (6) ensures 
operations are in accordance with CDC Capital Planning and Investment 
Control guidelines; (7) ensures adherence to CDC enterprise 
architecture policies, guidelines, and standards; (8) ensures 
coordination of data harmonization and systems interoperability within 
ORR and facilitates linkage to related CDC-wide strategies; (9) 
coordinates with ORR offices, center, and divisions to determine IT 
needs and to develop strategic and action plans; and (10) provides 
leadership in ORR's Information Resource Governance Committee and 
coordination with CDC's IT and Data Governance.
    Office of Policy, Planning, and Communications (CAD13). (1) serves 
as liaison with CDC/Immediate Office of the Director (IOD) Offices and 
other CIO policy offices, other government agencies, and external 
partners on policy, program, communications, legislative, and budgetary 
issues related to ORR offices, center, and divisions; (2) provides 
consultation, support and service to ORR's offices, center, and 
divisions for policy, planning, evaluation, and communications; (3) 
leads annual ORR budget formulation and development of appropriations 
materials; (4) provides expertise, guidance, coordination, and guidance 
for strategic planning, performance measurement and communications, 
including health literacy, communications clearance, plain language 
implementation, 508 compliance, and social marketing programs, in 
collaboration with CDC/IOD and ORR OD, center, and division staff; (5) 
oversees and coordinates ORR accountability activities, including 
Government Accountability Office and Office of the Inspector General 
engagements and Freedom of Information Act audits and reviews; (6) 
develops and manages policy, program, and communication materials for 
stakeholders and partnership activities, including with governmental, 
non-governmental and private sector organizations; (7) serves as ORR 
communications clearance office for health communication campaigns and 
products; (8) maintains liaison with CDC/Washington and the Office of 
Appropriations concerning congressional matters including 
appropriations, legislative bill tracking, legislative requests for 
technical assistance, testimony for hearings, congressional inquiries, 
etc.; (9) oversees the preparation and routing of controlled 
correspondence, reviews clearance processes, and other issues 
management related materials; (10) assists divisions in the development 
and clearance of Federal Register Notices, rulemaking, and other 
documents for public comment; (11) develops and implements all 
proactive media outreach and reactive media responses for ORR; (12) 
serves as liaison to key offices for obtaining CDC and HHS traditional 
and social media clearance on products/activities; (13) coordinates CDC 
and ORR brand management, policy guidance, and governance of ORR 
content on digital channels and websites per HHS and CDC policy for the 
use of communication platforms; (14) leads, coordinates and provides 
strategic oversight of ORR's health communication and marketing 
practice, research, evaluation, and science; and (15) collects/
analyzes/evaluates user data/metrics from communication channels and 
technologies to assess system performance, usability, accessibility, 
usefulness and impact of key messages.
    Office of Science and Laboratory Readiness (CAD14). (1) engages and 
collaborates with ORR office, center, and division Associate Directors 
for Science and staff and other CDC CIOs to develop and maintain cross-
cutting scientific partnerships that advance science, ensure mutual 
awareness of activities, and promote scientific capability, capacity 
and quality within ORR; (2) fosters opportunities to support CDC's 
mission in science and laboratory readiness through partnerships across 
government, non-profit organizations, and businesses; (3) fosters 
innovation and strategic foresight in science and laboratory readiness 
to mitigate risks, address current and future gaps, and inform 
partnerships and investments; (4) collaborates on and supports the 
creation of knowledge to advance public health emergency preparedness, 
readiness, and response, and recovery policy and practice; (5) provides 
technical assistance and scientific clearance for products submitted to 
ORR; (6) provides oversight and direction for the Board of Scientific 
Counselors by ensuring Federal Advisory Committee Act compliance and 
assuring the Board provides advice and guidance on preparedness, 
readiness, and response activities conducted by CDC and ORR; (7) 
monitors and maintains ORR compliance with the statutes, regulations, 
and policies governing the conduct of science by the Federal 
Government, including but not limited to, protecting the rights and 
welfare of humans in research, ensuring compliance with Paperwork 
Reduction Act, and providing guidance to protect individuals' privacy 
and confidentiality; and (8) develops and maintains the ORR clearance 
policy and performs scientific review and clearance of ORR products to 
ensure the quality of publications.
    Management Resources Office (CAD15). (1) provides leadership and 
guidance for ORR's management of business operations; (2) oversees, 
manages, directs, coordinates, and evaluates all ORR management and 
operations activities; (3) coordinates and provides oversight to ORR's 
overall extramural strategy for contracts, grants, cooperative 
agreements, and reimbursable agreements; (4) develops and implements 
all ORR-wide administrative policies, procedures, and operations; (5) 
conducts management and organizational analyses to review the 
effectiveness and efficiency of all management and administrative 
operations of ORR programs and translates these into quality controls 
for improvement; (6) provides leadership for and assessment of all 
administrative management activities to assure coordination for all 
management and program matters, such as coordinating risk management 
and continuity of operations activities (COOP); (7) provides overall 
programmatic direction for planning and management oversight of 
allocated resources, human resource

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management and general administrative support; (8) provides and 
coordinates ORR-wide administrative, management, and support services 
in the areas of fiscal management, personnel, travel, procurement, 
facility management, and other administrative services; (9) develops 
and directs employee engagement programs; (10) analyzes workforce, 
succession, strategic planning systems, and resources on an ongoing 
basis; and (11) directs and coordinates activities in support of the 
diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility integration into ORR 
activities and employee training and professional development 
opportunities.
    Division of State and Local Readiness (CADB). (1) provides program 
support, funding, technical assistance, guidance, technical 
integration, and capacity building of preparedness planning across 
public health, healthcare, and emergency management sectors; (2) 
provides fiscal oversight to state, tribal, local, and territorial 
(STLT) public health department Cooperative Agreement recipients for 
the development, monitoring, and evaluation of public health 
capabilities, plans, infrastructure, and systems to prepare for and 
respond to terrorism, outbreaks of disease, natural disasters, and 
other public health emergencies; and (3) provides staff and scientific 
expertise, including through the EOC, for public health emergency 
responses and exercises.
    Office of the Director (CADB1). (1) provides national leadership, 
strategic direction, and guidance that supports and advances the work 
of STLT public health emergency preparedness and response programs; (2) 
coordinates the development of guidelines and standards for 
programmatic materials within the division to provide technical 
assistance and program planning at the STLT level; (3) represents and 
communicates the interests and needs of the STLT jurisdictions on state 
and local preparedness and response issues; (4) develops and ensures 
effective partnerships with national stakeholders and preparedness and 
response partners; (5) provides oversight and management of division 
budgets, including contracts and awards; (6) manages the IT strategy 
and infrastructure to support division and recipient programmatic, 
evaluation, and fiscal activities; (7) addresses key internal and 
external policy and communications issues related to STLT public health 
preparedness and response; and (8) supports and advances the science 
and data analysis work of the division.
    Field Assignments Branch (CADBB). (1) advances nationwide 
preparedness efforts through strategic placement of CDC field staff to 
support STLT public health agencies; (2) provides input to the 
development and implementation of field-based science initiatives and 
strategies; (3) provides situational awareness to CDC leadership when 
activated for public health responses; (4) provides consultation and 
technical assistance to STLT health departments in developing, 
implementing and evaluating activities in support of CDC 
recommendations and the host site; (5) provides direct support for 
public health preparedness and epidemiologic capacity at the STLT 
levels; (6) participates in the development of national preparedness 
and response policies and guidelines for public health emergencies and 
facilitates the transfer of guidelines into clinical and public health 
practice; (7) serves as liaisons to CDC to assist STLT partners in 
linking with proper resources, contacts and obtaining technical 
assistance; (8) provides technical supervision and support for the CDC 
field staff and trainees as appropriate; (9) provides input into the 
development of branch and division policy, priorities, and operational 
procedures; (10) analyzes technical and epidemiologic information to 
present at national and international scientific meetings; (11) 
publishes programmatic, surveillance, and epidemiologic information in 
collaboration with host agencies; (12) develops and implements a 
comprehensive training and field placement program for entry-level 
public health preparedness and response professionals (Preparedness 
Field Assignee Program); and (13) serves as a response resource for 
local, regional, national, and international public health emergencies.
    Office of the Director (CADC1). (1) manages day-to-day operations 
of the division; (2) provides scientific leadership and consultation in 
laboratory biosafety and biosecurity involving select agents and toxins 
and other infectious agents; (3) supports the functional teams in the 
Office of the Director; (4) plans for and implements sound 
communications efforts in order to effectively and strategically inform 
and influence key internal and external partners regarding the program; 
(5) provides strategic planning, facilitating oversight studies of 
Division of Regulatory Science and Compliance (DRSC), regulatory and 
policy matters related to select agent and import permit programs, and 
executes compliance actions; including, notification of some matters to 
the HHSOffice of Inspector General; (6) develops and maintains 
professional relationships and collaborates with internal (CDC CIOs) 
and external partners (interagency partners, World Health Organization 
(WHO) on matters involving laboratory biosafety and biosecurity of 
select agents and toxins and other infectious agents (e.g., PV); (7) 
manages personnel actions, travel, purchases as well as budget planning 
and execution, contracts, and interagency agreement support for the 
division; (8) minimizes the risk of PV release through effective 
implementation and oversight of the global PV containment plan in the 
United States; (9) provides leadership in developing and executing a 
national PV containment program; (10) plans, establishes, and launches 
the national survey and maintains the national inventory of PV 
materials; (11) prepares and contributes to the annual national reports 
on PV containment and eradication; (12) ensures U.S. facilities 
transfer, inactivate or destroy PV materials appropriately, as needed; 
(13) ensures containment measures are implemented for facilities 
retaining PV, according to WHO's Global Action Plan; (14) develops and 
publishes PV containment guidance and policies to U.S. containment 
requirements; (15) works with internal and external partners to 
establish science-based recommendations for PV containment; (16) audits 
and certifies facilities as a PV-essential facility (PEF) according to 
the WHO Containment Certification Scheme; (17) seeks WHO endorsement 
for U.S. PEF certification applications; (18) provides annual training 
and assists U.S. facilities working with PV materials to develop 
containment programs; (19) supports the dissemination of PV-containment 
information to Federal, state, and local agencies, private 
organizations, and other national and international agencies; (20) 
develops and distributes informational products for educational and 
promotional activities related to PV containment; (21) provides 
technical assistance and consultations to other countries in 
establishing and implementing PV containment and national inventory 
programs; (22) plans, directs, and supports research focused on PV 
containment-related issues; (23) investigates exposures and root cause 
analysis of a containment breach; and (24) collaborates with other CDC 
entities, HHS agencies, academic institutions, private organizations, 
Ministries of Health, WHO Headquarters and regional WHO offices, as 
appropriate.

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    Federal Select Agent Program Operations Branch (CADCB). (1) 
processes entity applications for registration, awarding entities 
certification, processing entity amendments to their registration, 
performing inspections at regulated entities; (2) prepares reports of 
inspections and conducts follow-up on noted deficiencies; (3) receives 
reports of the theft, loss, or release of select agents or toxins; (4) 
processes requests for transfers of select agents and toxins; (5) 
processes reports of select agents or toxins identified through 
diagnosis, verification or proficiency testing; (6) provides expert 
advice to entities on compliance with the select agent regulations; (7) 
serves as a liaison with the United States Department of Agriculture 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Select Agent Regulatory 
Program on operational issues; and (8) performs assessment of foreign 
select agent laboratories in accordance with inter-agency agreements.
    Import Permit Program Operations Branch (CADCC). (1) processes 
applications for permits to import infectious biological agents that 
could cause disease in humans to prevent their introduction and spread 
into the United States; (2) performs inspections to ensure facilities 
receiving permits have appropriate biosafety measures in place to work 
safely with the imported materials; (3) prepares reports of inspections 
and conducts follow-up on noted deficiencies; (4) provides guidance and 
support to assist the regulated community in meeting the requirements 
of the import permit regulations; (5) collaborates with Innovation and 
Information Technology Branch on the development and revisions for 
improvement with the electronic Import Permit Program information 
system; and (6) collaborates with CDC's Division of Global Migration 
Health (which is charged with preventing the introduction, 
transmission, or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries 
into the United States) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
    Biosafety, Science, Training and Expertise Branch (CADCE). (1) 
provides scientific, biosafety, biosecurity, and facilities 
consultation to the division and regulated community; (2) coordinates 
and supports the CDC Intragovernmental Select Agent and Toxin Technical 
Advisory Committee; (3) develops and implements training programs for 
the division and conducts trainings and outreach to increase knowledge 
of and compliance with the regulations and increase staff's ability to 
conduct scientific research, writing and publishing and improve the 
scientific basis for regulation; (4) develops, coordinates, and 
implements the DRSC research agenda and for the clearing of DRSC 
scientific manuscripts; (5) manages security risk assessment process 
with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to provide 
authorization for individuals to access select agents and toxins; (6) 
assists the FBI with criminal investigations; (7) coordinates division 
emergency response activities; and (8) provides expert advice to 
entities on compliance with the select agent regulations.
    Delete item 6 in the Division of Emergency Operations (CADD) 
functional statement and insert the following:
    (6) coordinates logistics, staffing, and other emergency management 
functions support for cross-CIO responses.
    Delete item 2 in the Resource Support Branch (CADDB) functional 
statement and insert the following:
    (2) directs the Resource Support Section within the EOC during CDC 
emergency responses.
    Delete items 3 and 8 in the Operations Branch (CADDC) functional 
statement and insert the following:
    (3) directs the Operations Section within the EOC during CDC 
emergency responses.
    (8) manages the EOC facility, including its processes and 
components (e.g., audiovisual equipment and communications tools) to 
maintain its operational capability, including when COOP plans are 
implemented.
    Delete items 2 and 3 in the Plans, Exercise, and Evaluation Branch 
(CADDD) functional statement and insert the following:
    (2) directs the Planning Section within the EOC during CDC 
emergency responses. (3) develops, publishes, and maintains contingency 
plans, incident action plans, transition plans, situation reports, and 
evaluation products, including through the Planning Section.
    Delete item 3 in the functional statement Emergency Management 
Training and Capacity Development Branch (CADDE) and insert the 
following:
    (3) develops and delivers training curricula for emergency 
responders and response leadership within CDC.
    IV. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and functions, add the 
following functional statements:
    After the Field Assignments Branch (CADBB) within the Division of 
State and Local Readiness (CADB), insert the following:
    Grants Management and Fiscal Strategy Branch (CADBC). (1) 
administers the pre-award, award, post-award, and closeout phases of 
the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) and Crisis Response 
Cooperative Agreement (CRCA), in coordination with relevant 
stakeholders; (2) monitors state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) 
progress on programmatic activities of the PHEP and CRCA, as 
applicable, to assure requirements are achieved; (3) provides technical 
assistance related to grants management functions and fiscal strategy 
to STLT partners; (4) provides grants management and fiscal strategy 
expertise to agency stakeholders related to public health emergency 
preparedness and response; (5) identifies, develops/coordinates the 
development and implementation (as applicable) of innovative 
operational solutions for agency and STLT administrative and fiscal 
challenges related to preparedness and response activities; and (6) 
maintains and operationalizes the CRCA to rapidly deliver response 
funding to STLTs.
    Jurisdictional Readiness and Response Support Branch (CADBD). (1) 
provides direct consultation, technical assistance, and training to 
STLT health departments in management and operation of activities to 
support public health preparedness, response, and recovery; (2) 
provides assistance to STLT governments and public health agencies to 
prepare for effective responses to large scale public health events; 
(3) serves as a primary conduit for STLT engagements with CDC during 
public health emergency responses via the Health Department Liaison 
Officers; (4) serves as the primary cadre of emergency responders from 
the division, supporting various components of program, center, and 
agency-led activations as a critical link with STLT partners; (5) 
provides subject matter expertise related to STLT coordination for 
preparedness and response planning; and (6) collaborates within the 
agency, interagency, and jurisdictional partners during exercises and 
responses.
    Capacity Building and Technical Assistance Development Branch 
(CADBE). (1) ensures high-quality technical assistance is available to 
STLT jurisdictions on preparedness capabilities and the Response 
Readiness Framework, in collaboration with other partners; (2) develops 
or coordinates the development of tools and facilitates plans to 
address identified gaps in jurisdictional operational readiness; (3) 
improves the delivery of technical assistance to public health in 
coordination with other branches of the division; (4) maintains a 
training program organized around the Response

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Readiness Framework to improve internal and STLT readiness and response 
performance; (5) develops and implements various communities of 
practice across critical readiness and response-related topics, and (6) 
maintains an information sharing platform to post resources and 
facilitate the sharing of readiness and response-related best practices 
across CDC and jurisdictions.
    After item 9 of the Division of Regulatory Science and Compliance 
(CADC) functional statement, insert the following: (10) leads in 
developing and executing a national poliovirus (PV) containment program 
and minimizes the risk of PV release through effective implementation 
and oversight of the global PV containment plan in the United States 
and (11) provides staff and operational and scientific expertise, 
including through the EOC, for public health emergency responses and 
exercises.
    After the Division of Emergency Operations (CADD), insert the 
following:
    Division of Readiness and Response Science (CADE). (1) develops and 
implements the science of readiness and response, builds scientific 
expertise to address health disparities and community mitigation, 
evaluates the STLT readiness and response, and informs a broader 
framework for evaluating CDC's and partners' readiness state; (2) 
advances and coordinates CDC's readiness and response science agenda in 
partnership with CDC CIOs and partners (STLTs, non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs), healthcare providers, academia, etc.); (3) 
fosters innovation and advances and coordinates CDC readiness and 
response to public health emergencies by building and enhancing 
epidemiology, surveillance, health equity science, social and 
behavioral science, community mitigation, and utilization, safety and 
effectiveness of countermeasures in partnership with CDC CIOs; (4) 
engages with various CDC leadership and partners to develop and 
maintain partnerships, conduct research projects, maintain mutual 
awareness of activities, and advocate for evidence-informed response 
practices that works toward health equity; (5) provides subject matter 
expertise, recommendations and guidelines, and a scientific basis for 
CDC and national epidemiologic response protocols and surveillance 
methods; (6) evaluates the effectiveness of public health interventions 
as a key readiness activity to shorten the timeline for implementation 
of a response during an emergency; (7) utilizes best practices to 
collect, analyze, and interpret data and disseminate scientific 
information for internal and external partners to make actionable 
decisions; (8) socializes, implements, and reinforces established 
health equity principles and strategies, in partnership with CDC's 
Office of Health Equity; (9) establishes an agency-wide strategy and 
coordinates activities across CDC CIOs on CDC's role in community 
mitigation and social and behavioral science; (10) leads management and 
maintenance of public health emergency preparedness, readiness, and 
response information gathering, analysis, and sharing to support 
response decision making; (11) supports and coordinates special 
projects ; and (12) provides staff and scientific expertise, including 
through the EOC, for public health emergency responses and exercises.
    Office of the Director (CADE1). (1) provides leadership and 
guidance that supports, advances, and creates the development, 
research, and implementation infrastructure of readiness and response 
science; (2) coordinates the development of policy and guidelines for 
scientific readiness and response research and publication as well as 
for evaluation of emergency preparedness programs; (3) creates 
standards for implementation of readiness and response science to 
improve emergency identification, response, and mitigation; (4) 
provides agency-wide communication pertaining to evolving scientific 
readiness and response research and publications; (5) communicates and 
coordinates with STLT jurisdictions on state and local preparedness and 
response issues to advance readiness and response research; (6) 
develops and maintains effective partnerships with national partners 
and preparedness and response partners to communicate scientific 
evidence; (7) develops and maintains effective partnerships and 
engagements with ORR staff and other CDC CIOs to establish and maintain 
mutual awareness of activities and promote scientific capability, 
capacity and quality; (8) develops and maintains effective partnerships 
and engagements with ORR staff, other CDC CIOs, the academic community, 
Federal agencies, and non-government research and practitioner 
organizations to establish and maintain mutual awareness of activities 
and advocate for evidence-informed practice related to populations with 
access and functional needs and activities; (9) provides management and 
information resources direction and support to Division of Readiness 
and Response Science branches; (10) establishes and maintains Centers 
for Public Health Preparedness and Response that may include 
institutions of higher education, including accredited schools of 
public health, or other nonprofit private entities to identify, 
translate, and disseminate promising research findings or strategies 
into evidence-informed or evidence-based practices; (11) evaluates 
readiness and response of CDC, intramural funding recipients (e.g., 
Strategic Capacity Building and Innovation Program and external funding 
recipients including STLT partners/jurisdictions, and NGO partners by 
developing strategies, developing performance metrics on readiness and 
response efforts, assessing performance, and specifically holding 
grantees accountable to meet metrics; (12) develops draft protocols, 
data collection instruments, and standards for rapid data collection in 
collaboration with STLT partners to inform guidance and critical public 
health action; (13) provides project management, IT, and other wrap 
around support for special projects such as the Response Ready 
Enterprise Data Integration (RREDI) platform; (14) fosters innovation 
to advance science, mitigate risks, address current and future gaps, 
and inform partnerships and investments; (15) provides development, 
implementation, support and technical assistance regarding policies and 
procedures for research funding proposals and announcements, technical 
review, award selections, and award administration/management to 
sponsoring divisions, applicants, and awardees; and (16) assists in the 
development and maintenance of investigational new drug protocols and 
emergency use authorizations for vaccinations, treatments, and 
prophylaxis of selected bioterrorist agents.
    Community-Based Solutions and Health Equity Branch (CADEB). (1) 
addresses health equity readiness and leads agency-wide social and 
behavioral science efforts (e.g., data, analytics, scientific 
guidance), community-based readiness, and response mitigation 
activities and engagements (e.g., in school settings, in correctional 
facilities, for populations experiencing homelessness and housing 
insecurity); (2) proposes, develops, conducts research projects, and 
addresses the access- and functional-needs of populations at higher 
risk for adverse effects (e.g., youth, populations experiencing 
incarceration, and populations experiencing homelessness and housing 
insecurity) including

[[Page 44350]]

death, disability, and disease during emergency settings/responses 
through ORR funded research solicitations; (3) maintains a network of 
population-specific subject matter experts across CDC, fostering a 
culture that addresses health equity issues for readiness and response 
in domestic and international settings; (4) coordinates and supports 
readiness and response efforts and health equity principles and 
strategy with CDC's Office of Health Equity; (5) provides staff and 
scientific expertise, including through the EOC, for public health 
emergency responses and exercises, and supports the stand up and 
coordination of the Chief Health Equity Officer structure and functions 
during such activities; (6) provides technical assistance and expertise 
in surveillance, epidemiology, and behavioral research to inform 
guidelines and recommendations for schools, correctional and detention 
facilities, people experiencing homelessness, and other populations 
that are disproportionately affected in a response; (7) oversees and 
coordinates the translation of scientific findings for healthcare 
providers, public health professionals, and the public, on pediatric 
preparedness and response matters; (8) develops and disseminates 
guidelines and tools to help schools and other societal institutions 
apply research synthesis findings to reduce priority health risks among 
youth; (9) plans, implements, provides technical assistance, and 
evaluates public health readiness and response efforts in emergency and 
post-emergency settings; and (10) coordinates efforts with appropriate 
Federal advisory committees as necessary.
    Response Analytics, Decision Support, and Surveillance Branch 
(CADEC). (1) provides CDC (and partners, as appropriate) reliable, 
comprehensive, and high-quality information (e.g., event-based 
surveillance) on international disease outbreaks and other health 
threats as they emerge and evolve; (2) leads, in partnership with 
Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, the management and 
maintenance of public health emergency preparedness, readiness, and 
response information gathering, analysis, and sharing through knowledge 
management and scalable processes that support response decision 
making; (3) provides readiness and response technical assistance to 
international partners via deployments, data calls, etc.; (4) 
establishes public health emergency preparedness vocabulary and 
information exchange standards to meet the reporting and information 
sharing requirements of cross-jurisdictional partners; (5) compiles, 
correlates, supports response and CDC leadership decision-making; (6) 
provides coordination, planning, and development support for data 
collection, management, and production of analytics and geospatial 
data, including GIS/mapping; (7) provides informatics, data management, 
event-based surveillance and reporting technical assistance and support 
to external Federal, STLT, and international partners; (8) conducts and 
supports data management, information exchange, and risk communication 
among Federal, STLT and international partners; (9) supports the 
development, maintenance, and implementation of policies related to 
public health emergency situational awareness, data analytics and 
visualization, and knowledge management activities; and (10) leads 
special projects such as the RREDI platform.
    Public Health Readiness and Response Evaluation Branch (CADED). (1) 
informs and supports the development and execution of an agency process 
to evaluate CDC's performance in reaching readiness and response goals; 
(2) integrates evaluation approaches with ongoing, routine practices 
that involve engaging all partners, not just evaluation experts; (3) 
develops strategy to evaluate achievement of readiness and response 
objectives across relevant STLT funding mechanisms; (4) coordinates and 
communicates with STLT units to efficiently evaluate readiness and 
response effectiveness across programs; (5) assesses the effectiveness 
of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement via 
performance measurement and evaluation; (6) develops and coordinates a 
strategy to measure and report on jurisdictional operational readiness, 
in consultation with Division of State and Local Readiness; (7) 
provides analytic support and evaluation expertise to ORR offices, 
center, and divisions; and (8) fosters innovation and efficiency in 
evaluation and research through collaboration with partners.
    V. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, the 
following organizational unit is deleted in its entirety:

 Office of Communications (CBC14)
 Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation (CBC16)
 US National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus (CBC19)
 Program Implementation Office (CBCBB)
 Evaluation and Analysis Branch (CBCBC)
 Emergency Risk Communication Branch (CBCDB)

Delegations of Authority

    All delegations and redelegations of authority made to officials 
and employees of affected organizational components will continue in 
them or their successors pending further redelegation, provided they 
are consistent with this reorganization.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3101)

Robin D. Bailey, Jr.,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2023-14702 Filed 7-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P