Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 194 / Thursday, October 7, 2004 / Notices 60153

finding temporary lodging facilities may 

be difficult, and distances involved may 

be great.

The provisions in this bulletin are 

effective from the date of the 

Presidential declaration of a county as 

an individual assistance disaster area 

and apply only upon that designation 

for the subject states. The provisions of 

the bulletin expire as stated in 

paragraph 5.

2. Background. Due to the scope of 

destruction caused by these natural 

disasters, agencies should consider 

delaying all non-essential TDY and PCS 

to the affected locations for a period of 

90 days. This is especially important 

with PCS travel because the 120–day 

maximum for TQSE cannot be extended 

due to statutory restrictions. If such 

TDY and PCS travel cannot be delayed 

due to mission requirements or personal 

hardships, then the following applies:

3. For PCS travel that cannot be 

delayed due to mission requirements or 

personal hardships the following 

applies: For temporary quarters 

subsistence expense (TQSE), the FTR 

provisions requiring that temporary 

quarters be in reasonable proximity to 

the new official station are hereby 

waived for the areas listed in paragraph 

4. The maximum limit of 120 days that 

TQSE may be authorized remains in 

effect.

Additionally, the provisions of FTR 

302–6.102 limiting per diem 

reimbursement to the standard CONUS 

rate for TQSE are hereby waived to 

allow the reimbursement of subsistence 

expenses at the locality per diem rate 

under the provisions of FTR 301–11.101 

or an actual expense reimbursement 

allowance under FTR 301–11.300–306, 

at the discretion of the agency, for the 

areas specified in paragraph 4. The 

provisions of FTR 302–6.200–203 

providing for fixed amount 

reimbursement option for TQSE remain 

in effect. In addition, for house hunting 

trips (HHT), the provisions of FTR 302–

5.13 that restrict reimbursement of 

subsistence expenses to the lodgingsplus method are hereby waived. Thus, 

actual expense allowances under FTR 

301–11.300–306 may be authorized, at 

the discretion of the agency, for those 

areas listed in paragraph 4. The 

provisions of FTR 302–5.13 providing 

for fixed amount reimbursement option 

for HHT remain in effect. In all cases, 

the provisions of 41 CFR 301–11.303 

limiting actual expenses not to exceed 

300 percent (rounded to the next higher 

dollar) of the applicable maximum per 

diem rate remains in effect.

4. Maximum rates. As a result of 

Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and 

Jeanne, and Tropical Storm Bonnie, the 

provisions of FTR 301–11.300 and 301–

11.70.200(f) requiring an agency 

determination that reimbursement 

under the actual expense method is 

appropriate are hereby waived for the 

locations specified below. Thus, 

agencies may approve actual 

subsistence expense reimbursement, not 

to exceed 300 percent of the applicable 

per diem rate, without further 

justification, for the following affected 

counties and parishes:

Florida (effective August 11, 2004):

The counties of Brevard, Charlotte, 

Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flager, 

Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, 

Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, 

Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, 

Pasco, Polk, St. Johns, Sarasota, 

Seminole, and Volusia.

Florida (effective September 3, 2004):

The counties of Alachua, Baker, 

Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, 

Citrus, Clay, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, 

Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, 

Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, 

Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, 

Levy, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, 

Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, 

Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, 

Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, 

Sumter, Union and Volusia Counties.

Alabama effective September 13, 2004:

The counties of Baldwin, Butler, 

Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, 

Crenshaw, Escambia, Geneva, Mobile, 

Monroe, and Washington.

Florida (effective September 13, 2004):

The counties of Bay, Calhoun, 

Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, 

Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, 

Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Taylor, Wakulla, 

Walton, and Washington.

Louisiana (effective September 13, 

2004):

The parishes of Jefferson, Lafourche, 

Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St, 

Charles, St. Tammany, and Terrebonne.

Mississippi (effective September 13, 

2004):

The counties of George, Hancock, 

Harrison, Jackson, Perry, Stone, and 

Wayne.

5. Expiration date. This bulletin 

expires on December 31, 2004, unless 

sooner rescinded by this office.

6. For further information contact.

Ms. Peggy Deprospero, Director, Travel 

Management Policy, at (202) 501–2826.

By delegation of the Administrator, 

General Services Administration.

[FR Doc. 04–22528 Filed 10–6–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6820–14–S

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Nursing Home Care Planning 

Technical Expert Panel Meeting

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality (AHRQ), Center 

for Quality Improvement and Patient 

Safety (CQulPS) will convene a 

technical expert panel (TEP) to discuss 

nursing home care planning and quality 

improvement research options for 

advancing this process in order to 

maximize quality of nursing home care. 

The authority for this meeting is derived 

from 42 U.S.C. 299b–1 and 299 which 

respectively authorize AHRQ to provide 

scientific and technical support to 

improve health care quality and to 

promote improvements in health system 

practices by synthesizing and 

disseminating available scientific 

information to providers and 

policymakers and by conducting and 

supporting research on methods and 

strategies for improving quality.

DATES: This meeting will take place on 

October 12, 2004 from 8:45 a.m.–5 p.m. 

and October 13 from 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

The meeting is open to the public and 

a 30 minute public comment period is 

scheduled starting at 3 p.m. on the first 

day and 2:30 p.m. on the second day of 

the meeting. 

Due to security measures and space 

constraints, it will be necessary for you 

to pre-register to attend the meeting. For 

pre-registration information please 

contact the meeting contractor, Karen 

Sofer at (301) 231–7537, ext. 260, by 11 

a.m. on Monday, October 11. You will 

need to bring a picture ID with you. 

Please note that persons attempting to 

attend without prior registration will 

not be admitted to the meeting.

ADDRESSES: Please note that individuals 

interested in attending the meeting 

without prior registration will not be 

admitted to the meeting. The meeting 

will be at the AHRQ Conference Center, 

Watts Branch Conference Room, 540 

Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850. 

Please also be advised that seating is 

very limited and food will be available 

for panelists and Agency staff. A report 

of the meeting will be made available to 

the public after the meeting. 

For driving and public transportation 

directions, please visit http://

www.ahrq.gov/aout/map.htm. There is a 

shuttle from the Shady Grove Metro 

60154 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 194 / Thursday, October 7, 2004 / Notices 

stop. For those driving, parking is $4.00. 

You must enter the parking lot at the 

‘‘Redland Center’’ entrance on Gaither 

Road, about one-eighth mile from 

Redland Boulevard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Judith Sangl (301) 427–1308.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The panel 

will concentrate on improving the 

overall framework for care planning in 

nursing homes. They will cover topics 

of patient-centered care, Resident 

Assessment Protocols (RAPs) format, 

clinical utility and ease of use (but not 

the specific content detail of the RAPs), 

informatics and decision support for 

care planning, and interdisciplinary 

planning.

Dated: October 5, 2004. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director.

[FR Doc. 04–22729 Filed 10–6–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[60Day–04–04KK] 

Proposed Data Collections Submitted 

for Public Comment and 

Recommendations 

In compliance with the requirement 

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for 

opportunity for public comment on 

proposed data collection projects, the 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic 

summaries of proposed projects. To 

request more information on the 

proposed projects or to obtain a copy of 

the data collection plans and 

instruments, call 404–498–1210 or send 

comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC 

Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 

1600 Clifton Road, MS–E11, Atlanta, GA 

30333 or send an e-mail to 

omb@cdc.gov.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including through the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. Written comments should 

be received within 60 days of this 

notice. 

Proposed Project 

Evaluation of ‘‘Steps to a 

HealthierUS’’ Program—New—National 

Center for Chronic Disease Prevention 

and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC). 

Background and Description of 

Proposed Collection 

The Steps to a Healthier U.S. 

(HealthierUS) Program, known as 

STEPS, is an innovative program that 

advances the goals of helping 

Americans live longer, better, and 

healthier lives by preventing obesity, 

diabetes, and asthma. Forty 

communities across the country will or 

have received funding to develop and 

implement community action plans. 

These action plans will include 

multiple evidence-based public health 

strategies and interventions to increase 

healthy behavior change. 

The goal of this evaluation is to 

provide annual data on STEPS program 

outcomes in the STEPS communities 

collectively and a matched national 

sample, using a questionnaire that is 

tailored to the needs of the STEPS 

evaluation. The survey will be 

administered by computer assisted 

telephone interviews (CATI) annually in 

the STEPS sites and in a nationally 

representative (non-STEPS sites) sample 

of adults 18 years and older that is 

matched to key characteristics of the 

STEPS sites collectively (e.g., age, race/

ethnicity, income). The proposed survey 

will enable the CDC to determine if 

target outcomes are being achieved, and 

achieved more rapidly in Steps 

communities compared to the rest of the 

country. 

The survey will help answer key 

questions that cannot be adequately 

addressed by existing data 

infrastructures or by each sites’ local 

evaluation alone. In the absence of a 

comparison sample, it is not possible to 

know if progress in STEPS communities 

is simply a reflection of national secular 

trends or an impact of the interventions. 

By implementing a data collection 

system that is uniform across all STEPS 

sites and a national comparison sample, 

directly comparable data to answer 

specific research questions will be 

collected. Results from this data 

collection will help provide data 

necessary to develop innovative 

solutions that can be applied by states, 

communities, and CDC to improve the 

health behaviors of Americans. There 

are no costs to respondents except their 

time to respond.

ANNUALIZED BURDEN TABLE

Respondents Number of

respondents 

Number of

responses per 

respondent 

Average burden per

response

(in hrs.) 

Total burden 

hours 

Adults at STEPS sites ..................................................................................... 4000 1 25/60 1667 

Adults at Non-STEPS sites ............................................................................. 2000 1 25/60 833 

Total .......................................................................................................... 6000 ........................ ........................ 2500