45258 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 165 / Tuesday, August 26, 1997 / Notices

This notice provides HHS’

interpretation as to whether any other

HHS programs are subject to the

PRWORA requirements regarding

immigrants’ eligibility for ‘‘Federal

means-tested’’ benefits, and thereby

serves to prevent confusion among

administering agencies, grantee

agencies, benefit providers, and the

public. This interpretation has no effect

on overall spending levels for any

discretionary-funded HHS programs.

Nor does this interpretation create

burdens or mandates on states or small

entities.

As a result of the PRWORA eligibility

restrictions, this notice is classified as

economically ‘‘significant’’ under

Executive Order 12866’s criterion of an

economic effect of more than $100

million. For the same reason, it is

classified as a ‘‘major rule’’ for purposes

of Congressional review under 5 U.S.C.

§ 801 et. seq., Subtitle E of the Small

Business Regulatory Enforcement

Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104–121).

And, for the same reasons noted in

section III above, this notice is effective

immediately under the exception

procedures of § 808 of that statute

because we have determined for good

cause that delayed implementation is

impractical and contrary to the public

interest.

Dated: August 21, 1997.

Donna E. Shalala,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–22683 Filed 8–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4150–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Health Care Policy and

Research

Contract Review Meeting

In accordance with Section 10(a) of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5

U.S.C. Appendix 2), announcement is

made of the following technical review

committee to meet during the month of

September 1997:

Name: Committee on the Agency for

Health Care Policy and Research Health

Insurance Plan Abstraction Data Base Project.

Date and Time: September 3, 1997, 10:00–

12:00 p.m.

Place: Agency for Health Care Policy and

Research, 2101 East Jefferson Street, Suite

500, Rockville, Md 20852.

This meeting will be closed to the public.

Purpose: The Technical Review

Committee’s charge is to provide, on behalf

of the Agency for Health Care Policy and

Research (AHCPR) Contracts Review

Committee, recommendations to the

Administrator, AHCPR, regarding the

technical merit of the contract proposals

submitted in response to a specific Request

for Proposals regarding the AHCPR Health

Insurance Plan Abstraction Data Base Project.

The purpose of this contract is to create a

data base of health insurance benefits

information. These data describe the health

benefits included in health insurance policy

booklets that are collected as part of the

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. In order

to develop a uniform set of benefits data,

policy booklets are read, reviewed for

completeness, and information is abstracted

into an electronic data base. To support this

effort, the contract also provides support for

programming the required software and for

implementing a training component. The

training component is needed to instruct

personnel in a uniform set of standards to be

applied during the abstraction of information

from health insurance policy booklets.

Agenda: The Committee meeting will be

devoted entirely to the technical review and

evaluation of the contract proposals

submitted in response to the above

referenced Request for Proposals. The

Administrator, AHCPR, has made a formal

determination that this meeting will not be

open to the public. This action is necessary

to protect the free and full exchange of views

in the contract evaluation process and

safeguard confidential proprietary

information, and personal information

concerning individuals associated with the

proposals that may be revealed during the

meeting. This action is taken in accordance

with section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory

Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2, 5 USC

(b)(c)(6), 41 CFR Section 101–6.1023 and

Department procurement regulations, 48 CFR

section 315.604(d).

Anyone wishing to obtain information

regarding this meeting should contact Jessica

Vistnes, Center for Cost and Financing

Studies, Agency for Health Care Policy and

Research, 2101 East Jefferson Street, Suite

500, Rockville, Maryland 20852, 301/594–

1406.

Dated: August 20, 1997.

John M. Eisenberg,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–22620 Filed 8–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

[30DAY–22–97]

Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork

Reduction Act Review

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

Office on (404) 639–7090. Send written

comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human

Resources and Housing Branch, New

Executive Office Building, Room 10235,

Washington, DC 20503. Written

comments should be received within 30

days of this notice.

Proposed Projects

1998 National Health Interview

Survey, Basic Module (0920–0214)—

Revision—The annual National Health

Interview Survey (NHIS) is a basic

source of general statistics on the health

of the U.S. population. Due to the

integration of health surveys in the

Department of Health and Human

Services, the NHIS also has become the

sampling frame and first stage of data

collection for other major surveys,

including the Medical Expenditure

Panel Survey, the National Survey of

Family Growth, and the National Health

and Nutrition Examination Survey. By

linking to the NHIS, the analysis

potential of these surveys increases. The

NHIS has long been used by

government, university, and private

researchers to evaluate both general

health and specific issues, such as

cancer, AIDS, and childhood

immunizations. Journalists use its data

to inform the general public. It will

continue to be a leading source of data

for the Congressionally-mandated

‘‘Health US’’ and related publications,

as well as the single most important

source of statistics to track progress

toward the National Health Promotion

and Disease Prevention Objectives,

‘‘Healthy People 2000.’’

Because of survey integration and

changes in the health and health care of

the U.S. population, demands on the

NHIS have changed and increased,

leading to a major redesign of the

annual core questionnaire, or Basic

Module, and a redesign of the data

collection system from paper

questionnaires to computer assisted

personal interviews (CAPI). Those

redesigned elements were partially

implemented in 1996 and fully

implemented in 1997. This clearance is

for the second full year of data

collection using the Basic Module on

CAPI, and for implementation of the

first ‘‘Topical Module’’ (or supplement),

which is on Health People 2000

Objectives. Ad hoc Topical Modules on

various health issues are provided for in

the redesigned NHIS. This data

collection, planned for January–

December 1998, will result in

publication of new national estimates of

health statistics, release of public use

micro data files, and a sampling frame

for other integrated surveys. In
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 165 / Tuesday, August 26, 1997 / Notices 45259

particular, the topical module will

provide end-point estimates for many of

the Healthy People 2000 Objectives. The

Basic Module of the new data system is

expected to be in the field at least until

2006. The total annual burden hours are

57,000.

Respondents

No. of

respondents

No. of

responses/

respondent

Avg. burden/response

(in hrs.)

Family Core

(adult family

member) .... 42,000 1 0.5

Adult Core

(sample

adult) .......... 42,000 1 0.5

Child Core

(sample

child) .......... 18,000 1 0.25

Prevention

Module

(sample

adult) .......... 42,000 1 0.25

Dated: August 20, 1997.

Wilma G. Johnson,

Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning

and Evaluation, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 97–22614 Filed 8–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

Draft Document: Reporting of

Pregnancy Success Rates From

Assisted Reproductive Technology

Programs; Notice of Comment Period

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), Department of Health

and Human Services (DHHS).

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

SUMMARY: This notice is a request for

comment and review of the draft

document for the Reporting of

Pregnancy Success Rates from Assisted

Reproductive Technology (ART)

Programs as required by the Fertility

Clinic Success Rate and Certification

Act of 1992 (FCSRCA).

DATES: This notice is effective for the

calendar year 1997 and beyond. In order

to report outcomes of pregnancies

during a calendar year, clinic specific

data will be collected through October

of the following calendar year (e.g.,

outcomes of pregnancies occurring

during calendar year 1997 will be

collected through October 1998). CDC

will publish its first annual report under

this notice in March 1999.

To ensure consideration, written

comments on this document must be

received on or before September 25,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments shall be

submitted to: George Walter, M.S.P.H.,

Women’s Health and Fertility Branch,

Division of Reproductive Health,

National Center for Chronic Disease

Prevention and Health Promotion,

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), Mailstop K–34, 4770

Buford Hwy, NE., Atlanta, Georgia

30341–3724.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

George Walter, M.S.P.H., telephone

(770) 488–5204, E–Mail Address:

GBW4@CDC.GOV.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

2(a) of Pub. L. 102–493 (42 U.S.C. 263a–

1) requires that each ART program shall

annually report to the Secretary through

the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention—(1) pregnancy success rates

achieved by such ART program, and (2)

the identity of each embryo laboratory

used by such ART program and whether

the laboratory is certified or has applied

for such certification under this act.

Pub. L. 102–493, Section 8 (42 U.S.C.

263a–7) defines ‘‘assisted reproductive

technology’’ (ART) as ‘‘all treatments or

procedures which include the handling

of human oocytes or embryos, including

in vitro fertilization, gamete

intrafallopian transfer, zygote

intrafallopian transfer, and such other

specific technologies as the Secretary

may include in this definition, after

making public any proposed definition

in such manner as to facilitate comment

from any person (including any Federal

or other public agency).’’

The Secretary is directed in Section

2(b) to define pregnancy success rates

and ‘‘make public any proposed

definition in such a manner as to

facilitate comment from any person

during its development.’’

Section 2c states: In developing the

definitions under subsection (b), ‘‘the

Secretary shall consult with appropriate

consumer and professional

organizations with expertise in using,

providing, and evaluating professional

services and embryo laboratories

associated with assisted reproductive

technologies.’’

Section 6 requires the Secretary,

through the CDC, to annually ‘‘publish

and distribute to the States and the

public—pregnancy success rates

reported to the Secretary under section

2(a)(1) and, in the case of an assisted

reproductive technology program which

failed to report one or more success

rates as required under each section, the

name of each such program and each

pregnancy success rate which the

program failed to report.’’

CDC has prepared these proposed

reporting requirements after discussion

with representatives of the Society for

ART (a national professional association

of ART clinical programs), the American

Society for Reproductive Medicine (a

national society of professional

individuals who work with infertility

issues), the College of American

Pathologists (a national professional

association of pathologists having an

accreditation program for reproductive

laboratories), the American College of

Obstetricians and Gynecologists (a

national society of obstetricians and

gynecologists), RESOLVE (a national

consumer association of couples with

infertility diagnoses), and the New

England Patients’ Rights Group (a

regional consumer association

concerned with patients’ rights and

informed consent issues), as well as a

variety of individuals with expertise

and interest in this field.

This notice provides opportunity for

public review and comment (see

appendix).

Dated: August 20, 1997.

Joseph R. Carter,

Acting Associate Director for Management

and Operations, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC).

Appendix: Notice for the Reporting of

Pregnancy Success Rates From Assisted

Reproductive Technology Programs

Introduction

This notice includes four sections:

I. Who Reports * * * describes who shall

report to CDC.

II. Description of Reporting Process * * *

describes the reporting system and process

for reporting by each ART clinic.

III. Proposed Data to be Reported * * *

includes the definition of terms used in the

reporting database. These definitions are

provided only for the purpose of clarity in

reporting data and are not intended to define

standards of medical care.

IV. Definitions * * * describes terms, and

how pregnancy success rates will be defined

and reported, and outlines the topics and

analyses that will be included in the annual

published reports, using the data collected in

the reporting database.

I. Who Reports

The Fertility Clinic Success Rate and

Certification Act of 1992 (FCSRCA)

requires that each assisted reproductive

technology program shall annually

report to the Secretary of the

Department of Health and Human

Services through the CDC pregnancy

success rates and the certification status

of its embryology laboratory.

The Society for Assisted Reproductive

Technology (SART), an affiliate of the