59720 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 213 / Tuesday, November 4, 1997 / Notices

As of December 31 As of December 31 As of December 31

1996 1997 1998 1996 1997 1998 1996 1997 1998

Ratio of assets less liabilities to

expenditures (in percent) 3 ......... 35.8 38.0 31.3 38.4 44.5 43.2 33.5 32.3 20.6

1As recognized for payment under the program.

2 Increase in the number of services received per enrollee and greater relative use of more expensive services.

3 Ratio of assets less liabilities at the end of the year to total incurred expenditures during the following year, expressed as a percent.

IV. Waiver of Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking

The Medicare statute, as discussed

previously, requires publication of the

monthly actuarial rates and the Part B

premium amount in September. The

amounts are determined according to

the statute. As has been our custom, we

use general notices, rather than formal

notice and comment rulemaking

procedures, to make such

announcements. In doing so, we

acknowledge that, under the

Administrative Procedure Act,

interpretive rules, general statements of

policy, and rules of agency organization,

procedure, or practice are excepted from

the requirements of notice and comment

rulemaking.

We considered publishing a proposed

notice to provide a period for public

comment. However, we may waive that

procedure if we find good cause that

prior notice and comment are

impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary

to the public interest. We find that the

procedure for notice and comment is

unnecessary because the formula used

to calculate the SMI premium is

statutorily directed, and we can exercise

no discretion in following that formula.

Moreover, the statute establishes the

time period for which the premium

rates will apply, and delaying

publication of the SMI premium rate

would be contrary to the public interest.

Therefore, we find good cause to waive

publication of a proposed notice and

solicitation of public comments.

In accordance with the provisions of

Executive Order 12866, this notice was

reviewed by the Office of Management

and Budget.

(Section 1839 of the Social Security Act; 42

U.S.C. 1395r)

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 93.774, Medicare—

Supplementary Medical Insurance)

Dated: October 13, 1997.

Nancy-Ann Min DeParle,

Deputy Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

Dated: October 21, 1997.

Donna E. Shalala,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–29031 Filed 11–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

Notice of Availability of Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact for Actions to be

Taken Under the NIH Guidelines for

Research Involving Recombinant DNA

Molecules

Notice is hereby given of the

availability of an Environmental

Assessment (EA) and Finding of No

Significant Impact (FONSI) for public

review. The EA is for actions to be taken

under the NIH Guidelines for Research

Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules

(59 FR 34496, amended 59 FR 40170, 60

FR 20726, 61 FR 1482, 61 FR 10004, 62

FR 4782). Under the actions, the

National Institutes of Health (NIH) will

relinquish its approval of individual

human gene transfer protocols to the

Food and Drug Administration, which

has statutory authority for such

approvals. Instead, the NIH will

emphasize its role as the focal point for

policy discussion and review of

scientific, safety, social, and ethical

issues arising from human gene transfer

research. The EA finds that these

actions will not significantly affect the

quality of the human environment.

Copies of the EA and FONSI can be

viewed in the NIH Environmental

Reading Room, Building 31, Room

2B04, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda,

MD 20892. Additional copies of the EA

and FONSI are available for viewing in

the NIH Office of Recombinant DNA

Activities (ORDA), 6000 Executive

Boulevard, Suite 302, Bethesda, MD

20892–7010.

For further information, contact Debra

Knorr, Deputy Director, Office of

Recombinant DNA Activities, National

Institutes of Health, MSC 7010, 6000

Executive Boulevard, Suite 302,

Bethesda, Maryland 20892–7010, Phone

301–496–9838, FAX 301–496–9839.

Dated: October 26, 1997.

Lana Skirboll,

Associate Director for Science Policy,

National Institutes of Health.

[FR Doc. 97–29072 Filed 11–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Eye Institute; Notice of Closed

Meeting

Pursuant to Section 10(d) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as

amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice

is hereby given of the following

National Eye Institute Special Emphasis

Panel (SEP) meeting:

Name of SEP: Clinical Research.

Date: November 24, 1997.

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Place: National Eye Institute, Executive

Plaza South, Suite 350, 6120 Executive Blvd.,

Bethesda, MD 20892–7164.

Contact Person: Andrew P. Mariani, Ph.D.,

Executive Plaza South, Room 350, 6120

Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20892–7164,

(303) 496–5561.

Purpose/Agenda: Review of Grant

Applications.

The meeting will be closed in accordance

with the provisions set forth in secs.

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5, U.S.C.

Applications and/or proposals and the

discussions could reveal confidential trade

secrets or commercial property such as

patentable material and personal information

concerning individuals associated with the

applications and/or proposals, the disclosure

of which would constitute a clearly

unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 93.867, Vision Research:

National Institutes of Health)

Dated: October 28, 1997.

LaVerne Y. Stringfield,

Committee Management Officer, NIH.

[FR Doc. 97–29076 Filed 11–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Heart, Lung, and Blood

Institute, Notice of Meeting of Board of

Scientific Counselors

Pursuant to Pub. L. 92–463, notice is

hereby given of the meeting of the Board

of Scientific Counselors, National Heart,

Lung, and Blood Institute at 8:00 a.m.

on December 11–12, 1997, National

Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville