Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 12, 2007 / Notices 52131 

http://iccvam.niehs.nih.gov/SuppDocs/ 

FedDocs/FR/FR_E7_9544.pdf). In June 

2007, SACATM endorsed these 

activities as high priorities for ICCVAM. 

In response to SACATM comments, 

along with those provided by the public 

in response to the previous Federal 

Register notice, ICCVAM endorsed 

these activities, including the 

development of performance standards, 

as high priorities. ICCVAM 

subsequently prepared draft 

performance standards for the LLNA, 

which are available on the NICEATM/ 

ICCVAM Web site at: (http:// 

iccvam.niehs.nih.gov/methods/ 

immunotox/immunotox.htm). 

These draft test method performance 

standards are proposed to evaluate the 

performance of LLNA test methods that 

incorporate specific modifications to the 

measurement of lymphocyte 

proliferation in the traditional LLNA. 

These modifications focus specifically 

on incorporating non-radioactive 

procedures to evaluate lymphocyte 

proliferation in the draining auricular 

lymph nodes rather than incorporation 

of radioactivity (i.e., 3H-thymidine), 

which is used in the traditional LLNA. 

Public comments received in response 

to the draft LLNA performance 

standards will be considered by 

ICCVAM during development of a 

revised draft version of this document. 

A public meeting is planned for early 

2008 where an international, 

independent, peer review panel will 

evaluate the revised draft LLNA 

performance standards and review the 

other nominated LLNA related 

activities. Following this meeting, the 

recommendations of the peer review 

panel will be made available for public 

and SACATM comment. ICCVAM will 

consider the panel report and public 

and SACATM comments in preparing 

final LLNA performance standards. 

Request for Public Comments 

NICEATM invites the submission of 

written comments on the draft LLNA 

performance standards. When 

submitting written comments, please 

refer to this Federal Register notice and 

include appropriate contact information 

(name, affiliation, mailing address, 

phone, fax, e-mail, and sponsoring 

organization, if applicable). All 

comments received by the deadline 

listed above will be placed on the 

NICEATM/ICCVAM Web site (http:// 

ntp-apps.niehs.nih.gov/iccvampb/ 

searchPubCom.cfm) and made available 

to the peer review panel and ICCVAM. 

Background Information on ICCVAM 

and NICEATM 

ICCVAM is an interagency committee 

composed of representatives from 15 

federal regulatory and research agencies 

that use or generate toxicological 

information. ICCVAM conducts 

technical evaluations of new, revised, 

and alternative methods with regulatory 

applicability and promotes the scientific 

validation and regulatory acceptance of 

toxicological test methods that more 

accurately assess the safety and hazards 

of chemicals and products and that 

refine, reduce, or replace animal use. 

The ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000 

(42 U.S.C. 285l–3, available at http:// 

iccvam.niehs.nih.gov/about/ 

PL106545.htm) establishes ICCVAM as a 

permanent interagency committee of the 

NIEHS under NICEATM. NICEATM 

administers ICCVAM and provides 

scientific and operational support for 

ICCVAM-related activities. NICEATM 

and ICCVAM work collaboratively to 

evaluate new and improved test 

methods applicable to the needs of 

federal agencies. Additional information 

about ICCVAM and NICEATM is 

available on the following Web site: 

http://iccvam.niehs.nih.gov. 

Dated: September 5, 2007. 

Samuel H. Wilson, 

Acting Director, National Institute of 

Environmental Health Sciences and National 

Toxicology Program. 

[FR Doc. E7–18011 Filed 9–11–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality, HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

intention of the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) to allow the proposed 

information collection project: ‘‘2008–

2009 Medical Expenditure Panel 

Survey—Insurance Component (MEPS–

IC).’’ In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–

13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ 

invites the public to comment on this 

proposed information collection. 

This proposed information collection 

was previously published in the Federal 

Register on June 28, 2007 and allowed 

60 days for public comment. Public 

comments were received and have been 

addressed in the supporting statement, 

available upon request. The purpose of 

this notice is to allow an additional 30 

days for public comment. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by October 12, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to: Karen Matsuoka by fax 

at (202) 395–6974 (attention: AHRQ’s 

desk officer) or by e-mail at 

OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov 

(attention: AHRQ’s desk officer). 

Copies of the proposed collection 

plans, data collection instruments, and 

specific details on the estimated burden 

can be obtained from the AHRQ Reports 

Clearance Officer. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports 

Clearance Officer, (301) 427–1477. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project 

2008 and 2009 Medical Expenditure 

Panel Survey—Insurance Component 

(MEPS–IC) 

The MEPS–IC, an annual survey of 

the characteristics of employersponsored health insurance, was first 

conducted by AHRQ in 1997 for the 

calendar year 1996. The survey has 

since been conducted annually for 

calendar years 1997 through 2006. 

AHRQ proposes to continue this annual 

survey of establishments for calendar 

years 2008 and 2009. The survey data 

for calendar year 2008 will be collected 

in that year. Likewise, calendar year 

2009 data will be collected in 2009. This 

is a change from earlier MEPS–IC 

collections, when survey data for a 

calendar year were collected in the 

following year (i.e., 2005 survey data 

were collected in 2006). This 

changeover means that there will be no 

data collected for the year 2007. 

However, the data for 2008 and 2009 

will now be released a year earlier than 

would have occurred under the former 

collection scheme. 

This survey will be conducted for 

AHRQ by the Bureau of Census using a 

sample comprised of an annual sample 

of employers selected from Census 

Bureau lists of private sector employers 

and governments. 

Data to be collected from each 

employer will include a description of 

the business (e.g., size, industry) and 

descriptions of health insurance plans 

available, plan enrollments, total plan 

costs and costs to employees. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
52132 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 12, 2007 / Notices 

Data Confidentiality Provisions 

All MEPS–IC data collected, both 

identifiable and non-identifiable, will be 

stored at the Census Bureau. Their 

confidentiality is protected under the 

U.S. Census Bureau confidentiality 

statute, Section 9 of Title 13, United 

States Code. In addition, because the 

Census sample lists are developed using 

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax 

Information, the data also fall under the 

review of the IRS which conducts 

regular audits of the data collection 

storage and use (Title 26, United States 

Code). 

The confidentiality provisions of the 

AHRQ statute at 42 USC 299c–3(c) 

apply to all data collected for research 

that is supported by AHRQ. All data 

products listed below must fully comply 

with the data confidentiality statute 

under which their raw data was 

collected as well as any additional 

confidentiality provisions that apply. 

Data Products 

Data will be produced in two forms: 

(1) Files containing employer 

information will be available for use by 

researchers at the Census Bureau’s 

Research Data Centers (all research 

output is reviewed by Census 

employees and no identifiable data may 

leave the Center) and (2) a large 

compendium of tables of estimates, 

produced by Census and containing no 

identifiable data, will be made available 

on the AHRQ website. These tables will 

contain descriptive statistics, such as, 

numbers of establishments offering 

health insurance, average premiums, 

average contributions, total enrollments, 

numbers of self insured establishments 

and other related statistics for a large 

number of population subsets defined 

by firm size, state, industry and other 

establishment characteristics such as, 

age, profit/nonprofit status and union/ 

nonunion status of the workforce. 

The data are intended to be used for 

purposes such as: 

• Generating National and State 

estimates of employer health care 

offerings; 

• Producing estimates to support the 

Bureau of Economic Analysis and the 

Center for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services in their production of health 

care expenditure estimates for the 

National Health Accounts and the Gross 

Domestic Product; 

• Producing National and State 

estimates of spending on employersponsored health insurance to study the 

results of National and State health care 

policies; and 

• Supplying data for modeling the 

demand for health insurance. 

These data provide the basis for 

researchers to address important 

questions for employers and 

policymakers alike. 

Method of Collection 

The data will be collected using a 

combination of modes. The Census 

Bureau’s first contact with employers 

will be made by telephone. This contact 

will provide information on the 

availability of health insurance from 

that employer and essential persons to 

contact. Based upon this information, 

Census will mail a questionnaire to the 

employer. In order to assure high 

response rates, Census will follow-up 

with a second mailing after an interval 

of approximately 30 working days, 

followed by a telephone call to collect 

data from those who have not 

responded by mail. 

For larger respondents with high 

burdens, such as State employers and 

very large firms, Census may follow 

special procedures, as needed. These 

include performing personal visits and 

doing customized collection, such as 

accepting data in computerized formats 

and using special forms. The response 

rate for the most recent survey was 

approximately 79%. 

ESTIMATED ANNUAL RESPONDENT BURDEN

Survey years 

Annual number of respondents Estimated time 

per respondent in hours 

Estimated total 

annual burden 

hours 

Estimated annual cost to 

the Government 

2008 ................................................................................................................. 33,262 .57 19,032 $9,650,000 

2009 ................................................................................................................. 33,262 .57 19,032 9,950,000 

Request for Comments 

In accordance with the above cited 

legislation, comments on the AHRQ 

information collection proposal are 

requested with regard to any of the 

following: (a) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of functions 

of the Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the Agency’s 

estimate of the burden (including hours 

and costs) 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 the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of the proposed information 

collection. All comments will become a 

matter of public record. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 07–4447 Filed 9–11–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

[30 Day–07–0527] 

Proposed Data Collections Submitted 

for Public Comment and 

Recommendations 

The Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) publishes a list of 

information collection requests under 

review by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) in compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35). To request a copy of these 

requests, call the CDC Reports Clearance 

Officer at (404) 639–5960 or send an email to omb@cdc.gov. Send written 

comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 

Management and Budget, Washington, 

DC or by fax to (202) 395–6974. Written 

comments should be received within 30 

days of this notice. 

Proposed Project 

Human Exposure to Cyanobacterial 

Toxins in Water (OMB No. 0920–

0527)—Reinstatement—National Center 

for Environmental Health (NCEH), 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC). 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES