Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 1997 / Notices 67373

substantiation for claims that: (1) The

filter in a Honeywell Air Purifier

removes 99.97% of mold spores, dust

mite allergens, bacteria and viruses from

the air that people breathe under

household living conditions; (2) The

filter in a Honeywell Air Purifier

removes nearly all or 99.97% of

impurities from the air that people

breathe under household living

conditions; (3) Consumers who use a

Honeywell Air Purifier that changes the

air in a room six or more times per hour

will experience noticeable symptom

relief from allergies and other

respiratory problems; and (4) Honeywell

Air Purifiers provide proven relief from

allergy symptoms.

According to the proposed complaint,

the 99.97% figure used in Honeywell’s

advertisement refers to the filter’s

expected efficiency in removing

particles that actually pass through the

filter. While the filter’s efficiency is a

factor in assessing the effectiveness of

an air purifier in particulate removal,

this figure overstates the actual

effectiveness of the air purifier in

removing pollutants from the air in a

user’s environment. The actual

effectiveness of an air purifier,

according to the proposed complaint,

depends on a variety of factors

including, the amount of air that the air

purifier processes, the nature of the

pollutant, and the rate at which the

pollutant is being introduced into the

environment.

Additionally, with respect to the

allergy relief claims made by

Honeywell, the proposed complaint

states that there is no guarantee that an

individual who suffers from allergies or

other respiratory problems will derive a

discernible reduction in symptoms

through the use of these or other air

purifiers. Whether individuals will

derive such relief depends on many

variables including, the source and

severity of their allergies, whether the

allergens at issue tend to remain

airborne, the rate at which the allergens

are emitted into their homes or offices,

and other environmental factors.

The proposed consent order contains

provisions designed to remedy the

violations charged and to prevent the

respondent from engaging in similar

acts and practices in the future.

Part I of the proposed order would

prohibit Honeywell from making certain

efficacy claims about Honeywell Air

Purifiers, enviracaire True HEPA

filters, or any other air cleaning product

which is normally used for personal,

family, or household purposes, unless at

the time of making the claims it

possesses and relies upon competent

and reliable scientific evidence.

Furthermore, claims that state or imply

a level of performance under any set of

conditions, such as household loving

conditions, must be substantiated by

evidence that either relates to such

conditions or that was extrapolated to

such conditions by generally accepted

procedures. The specific claims covered

by Part I include any representation: (1)

about such products’s ability to

eliminate, remove, clear, or clean any

quantity of indoor air contaminants

under household living conditions; and

(2) that such product will perform under

any set of conditions, including

household living conditions.

Part II of the proposed consent order

includes fencing-in relief, requiring that

Honeywell possess competent and

reliable evidence, which when

appropriate must be competent and

reliable scientific evidence, for any

claim about the performance, health or

other benefits, or efficacy of any air

cleaning product which is normally

used for personal, family, or household

purposes.

The proposed order also requires that

respondent to maintain materials relied

upon to substantiate claims covered by

the order; to provide a copy of the

consent agreement to all employees or

representatives involved in the

preparation and placement of the

company’s advertisements, as well as to

all company executives and marketing

and sales managers; to notify the

Commission of any changes in corporate

structure that might affect compliance

with the order; and to file one or more

reports detailing compliance with the

order.

The purpose of this analysis is to

facilitate public comment on the

proposed order. It is not intended to

constitute an official interpretation of

the agreement and proposed order or to

modify in any way their terms.

Donald S. Clark,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–33575 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6750–01–M

GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE

[GAO/AIMD–98–21.3.1]

Standards for Internal Control in the

Federal Government

AGENCY: General Accounting Office.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The General Accounting

Office (GAO) is seeking public comment

on the proposed ‘‘Standards for Internal

Controls in the Federal Government

dated December 1997.’’ The proposed

standards are being issued to update the

1983 ‘‘Standards for Internal Controls in

the Federal Government.’’ The proposed

standards incorporate the existing

standards and the components of

internal control covered in Internal

Control—Integrated Framework,

Committee of Sponsoring Organizations

of the Treadway Commission (COSO),

September 1992. The proposed

standards are intended to assist program

and financial managers achieve the

internal control objectives of their

organizations. This notice indicates that

the proposed standards are available

from GAO for review and comment.

DATES: Comments must be received by

March 11, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the internal

control standards draft are available by

(1) pick-up at Document Distribution,

U.S. General Accounting Office, Room

1100, 700 4th Street, NW. (corner of 4th

and G Streets, NW.), Washington, DC;

(2) mail from U.S. General Accounting

Office, P.O. Box 37050, Washington, DC

20013; (3) phone at 202–512–6000 or

FAX 202–512–6061 or TDD 202–512–

2537; or (4) on GAO’s home page (http:/

/www.gao.gov) on the Internet.

Comments should be addressed to the

Robert W. Gramling, Director, Corporate

Audits and Standards, Accounting and

Information Management Division, U.S.

General Accounting Office, 441 G Street

NW., Room 5089, Washington, DC

20548.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert W. Gramling, 202–512–9406.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning

with the Accounting and Auditing Act

of 1950, agency heads have been

required to establish and maintain

effective internal control. Since then,

other laws have required renewed focus

on internal control. The Federal

Managers’ Financial Integrity Act

(FMFIA) of 1982, for example, requires

agency heads periodically to evaluate

their systems of internal control, using

the guidance issued by the Office of

Management and Budget, and to prepare

a report on whether their systems

conform to the standards issued by the

GAO. Most recently, the Federal

Financial Management Improvement

Act (FFMIA) of 1996, in focusing on

financial management systems,

identified internal control as an integral

part of those systems. The OMB Circular

A–123, ‘‘Management Accountability

and Control,’’ June 21, 1995, provides

the requirements for assessing controls.

Over the years, GAO has issued

numerous publications to assist

agencies in establishing and

maintaining effective internal control

systems. In 1983, GAO drew on its
67374 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 24, 1997 / Notices

previously issued guidance and experts

throughout government, private sector,

and academic communities to develop

and issue ‘‘Standards for Internal

Controls in the Federal Government’’ to

facilitate implementation of FMFIA.

Although those standards remain

conceptually sound and are used

throughout the federal government, this

update enhances the standards by

recognizing recent internal control

evaluation guidance developed by the

private sector with assistance from GAO

and others, as well as to giving greater

recognition to the increasing use of

information technology.

The internal control standards

contained in the proposed standards

follow the COSO guidance closely and

refer to portions of OMB Circular A–123

that provide guidance for evaluating

internal control. However, two of the

standards concerning management

reporting on internal control and

resolution of audit findings are

standards not addressed by COSO but

reflect the public’s demand for a high

level of accountability for government

stewardship of resources. These two

standards are currently required by law

and by the existing internal control

standards. Appendix II cross-references

the existing standards with those

proposed in the document.

Comments received will be reviewed

and the proposed standards will be

revised as necessary. Publication of the

final standards will be announced in the

Federal Register.

Gene L. Dodaro,

Assistant Comptroller General for Accounting

and Information Management.

[FR Doc. 97–33623 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 1610–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

Cooperative Agreement With the

National Academy of Sciences

AGENCY: Office of Public Health and

Science.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: On behalf of the Public Health

Service agencies (PHS), the Office of

Public Health and Science has entered

into a cooperative agreement with the

National Academy of Sciences to

provide core support for activities in a

number of health areas, including health

promotion and disease prevention;

health care services; neuroscience and

behavioral health; health sciences

policy; food and nutrition; international

health; radiation effects research;

environmental studies and toxicology;

and children, youth and families. The

purpose of this cooperative agreement is

to provide access to expertise regarding

matters of interest to PHS, including

independent advice on how complex

issues might be defined and addressed

in discrete studies and on planning to

address the problems and issues

identified.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cindy Oswald, Contract Specialist,

Program Support Center, AOS/Division

of Acquisition Management, 5600

Fishers Lane, Room 5–101, Rockville,

Maryland 20857, for information about

this program, and Linda Meyers, Ph.D.,

Office of Disease Prevention and Health

Promotion, Office of Public Health and

Science, Room 738–G, 200

Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20201, for

programmatic technical assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Approximately $450,000 will be

available in FY 1998 to support this

project. This award was effective

December 1, 1997, for a 12-month

budget period with a project period of

5 years. Funding estimates may vary

and are subject to change. Continuation

awards within the project period will be

made if progress is satisfactory and

funds are available.

The PHS is committed to achieving

the health promotion and disease

prevention objectives of Healthy People

2000, an HHS-led national activity to

reduce morbidity and mortality and

improve the quality of life. This

announcement is related to objectives in

nearly all priority areas. (To order a

copy of ‘‘Healthy People 2000:

Midcourse Review and Revisions,’’

contact the Superintendent of

Documents, Government Printing

Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA

15250–7954; Telephone (202) 512–1800;

Internet address: http://

www.access.gpo.gov/index.html.)

Authority

This program is authorized under

Sections 301 and 1701 of the Public

Health Act.

Smoke-free Workplace

The PHS strongly encourages all

funding recipients to provide a smokefree workplace and promote the non-use

of all tobacco products, and Public Law

103–227, the Pro-Children’s Act of 1994,

prohibits smoking in certain facilities

that receive Federal funds in which

education, library, day care, health care,

and early childhood development

services are provided to the children.

Eligible Applicant

Assistance was provided only to the

National Academy of Sciences,

Washington, D.C. No other applications

were solicited. The National Academy

of Sciences (NAS) is the only

organization that has the ability to

assemble such National scientific

expertise in a range of health-related

fields to furnish independent advice

and guidance of the highest quality with

an unparalleled level of objectivity. This

combination of advice and objectivity is

a distinct asset to the PHS in carrying

out its mission.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number

A Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number is not required

because the project is the only one

funded in this activity.

Executive Order 12372 Review

This application is not subject to

Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs as governed by Executive

Order 12372.

Public Health System Reporting

Requirements

This program is not subject to the

Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

Dated: December 17, 1997.

Susanne A. Stoiber,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health

(Disease Prevention and Health Promotion).

[FR Doc. 97–33504 Filed 12–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–17–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Office of Disease Prevention

and Health Promotion, Office of Public

Health and Science.

ACTION: Commission on Dietary

Supplement Labels: Notice of

Availability of Final Report.

SUMMARY: The Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS) is providing

notice of the availability of the Report

of the Commission on Dietary

Supplement Labels.

DATES: The final report of the

Commission on Dietary Supplement

Labels was delivered to the Secretary,

Health and Human Services, the

President, and Congress on November

24, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: