### 23261 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 75 / Thursday, April 18, 2013 / Notices

to adult health care (for example, preparation readiness or evaluation of transfer). The survey development team is looking for items for which young adults or their parent proxies are generally the best or only judge; for example, the young adult or parent proxy can best say if the provider spent sufficient time with them or explained things in ways they could understand. Existing instruments that have been tested should have a high degree of reliability and validity; and evidence of wide use will be helpful.

Dated: April 8, 2013. Carolyn M. Clancy, AHRQ Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–08937 Filed 4–17–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4160–90–M**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality** 

**Solicitation for Nominations for Members of the U.S. Preventive**  **Services Task Force (USPSTF)**

**AGENCY :**  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

**ACTION :**  Solicits nominations for new members of USPSTF.

**SUMMARY :**  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites nominations of individuals qualified to serve as members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

**DATES :**  All nominations submitted in writing or electronically will be considered for appointment to the USPSTF. Nominations must be received by May 15th of a given year to be considered for appointment to begin in January of the following year. Arrangement for Public Inspection

Nominations and applications are kept on file at the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships, AHRQ, and are available for review during business hours. AHRQ does not reply to individual nominations, but considers all nominations in selecting members. Information regarded as private and personal, such as a nominee’s social security number, home and email addresses, home telephone and fax numbers, or names of family members will not be disclosed to the public (in accord with the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6); 45 CFR 5.67).

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit your responses either in writing or electronically to: Robert Cosby, ATTN: USPSTF Nominations, Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USPSTFmember nominations@ahrq.hhs.gov

. Nomination Submissions

Nominations may be submitted in writing or electronically, but must include:

(1) The applicant’s current curriculum vitae and contact information, including mailing address, email address, and telephone number, and

(2) a letter explaining how this individual meets the qualification requirements and how he/she would contribute to the USPSTF. The letter should also attest to the nominee’s willingness to serve as a member of the USPSTF.

AHRQ will later ask persons under serious consideration for USPSTF membership to provide detailed information that will permit evaluation of possible significant conflicts of interest. Such information will concern matters such as financial holdings, consultancies, and research grants or
contracts.

Nominee Selection

Appointments to the USPSTF will be made on the basis of qualifications as outlined below (see Qualification Requirements) and the current expertise needs of the USPSTF.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Robert Cosby at USPSTFmember nominations@ahrq.hhs.gov

. **SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Background

Under Title IX of the Public Health Service Act, AHRQ is charged with enhancing the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services and access to such services. 42 U.S.C. 299(b). AHRQ accomplishes these goals through scientific research and promotion of improvements in clinical practice, including clinical prevention of diseases and other health conditions, and improvements in the organization, financing, and delivery of health care services. See 42 U.S.C. 299(b).

The USPSTF, an independent body ofexperts in prevention and evidencebased medicine, works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about the effectiveness of clinical preventive services and health promotion. The recommendations made by the USPSTF address clinical preventive services for adults and children, and include screening tests, counseling services, and preventive medications.

The USPSTF was first established in 1984 under the auspices of the U.S. Public Health Service. Currently, the USPSTF is convened by the Director of AHRQ, and AHRQ provides ongoing administrative, research and technical support for the USPSTF’s operation. USPSTF members serve for four year terms. New members are selected each year to replace those members who are completing their appointments.

The USPSTF is charged with rigorously evaluating the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and appropriateness of clinical preventive services and formulating or updating recommendations regarding the appropriate provision of preventive services. See 42 U.S.C. 299b–4(a)(1). AHRQ is charged with supporting the dissemination of USPSTF recommendations. In addition to hard copy materials (that may be obtained from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse), current USPSTF recommendations and associated evidence reviews are available on the Internet ( www.uspreventiveservices taskforce.org ). USPSTF members meet three times a year for two days in the Washington, DC area. A significant portion of the USPSTF’s work occurs between meetings during conference calls and via email discussions. Member duties include prioritizing topics, designing research plans, reviewing and commenting on systematic evidence reviews of evidence, discussing and making recommendations on preventive-services, reviewing stakeholder comments, drafting final recommendation documents, and participating in workgroups on specific topics and methods. Members can expect to receive frequent emails, can expect to participate in multiple conference calls each month, and can expect to have periodic interaction with stakeholders. AHRQ estimates that members devote approximately 200 hours a year outside of in-person meetings to their USPSTF duties. The members are all volunteers and do not receive any compensation beyond support for travel to in person meetings.

Nominated individuals will be selected for the USPSTF on the basis of their qualifications (in particular, those that address the required qualifications, outlined below) and the current expertise needs of the USPSTF. It is anticipated that three to four individuals will be invited to serve on the USPSTF beginning in January 2014. All individuals will be considered; however, strongest consideration will be


### 23262 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 75 / Thursday, April 18, 2013 / Notices

given in 2014 to individuals with demonstrated training and expertise in the areas of behavioral medicine, internal medicine, nursing, obstetrics/ gynecology and pediatrics. AHRQ will retain and may consider nominations received this year and not selected during this cycle for future vacancies.

To obtain a diversity of perspectives, AHRQ particularly encourages nominations of women, members of minority populations, and persons with disabilities. Interested individuals can self nominate. Organizations and individuals may nominate one or more persons qualified for membership on the USPSTF at any time. Individuals nominated prior to May 15, 2012, who continue to have interest in serving on the USPSTF, should be re-nominated.

Qualification Requirements: To qualify for the USPSTF and support its mission, an applicant or nominee must, at a minimum, demonstrate knowledge, expertise and national leadership in the following areas:

1. The critical evaluation of research published in peer reviewed literature and in the methods of evidence review;

2. Clinical prevention, health promotion and primary health care; and

3. Implementation of evidence-based recommendations in clinical practice including at the clinician-patient level, practice level, and health system level.

Some USPSTF members without primary health care clinical experience may be selected based on their expertisein methodological issues such as metaanalysis, analytic modeling or clinical epidemiology. For individuals with clinical expertise in primary health care, additional qualifications in methodology would enhance their candidacy.

Additionally, the Task Force benefits from members with expertise in the following areas:

• Public health

• Health equity and the reduction of health disparities

• Application of science to health policy

• Communication of scientific findings to multiple audiences including health care professionals, policy makers and the general public.

Candidates with experience and skills in any of these areas should highlight them in their nomination materials.

Applicants must have no substantial conflicts of interest, whether financial, professional, or intellectual, that would impair the scientific integrity of the work of the USPSTF and must be willing to complete regular conflict of interest disclosures.

Applicants must have the ability to work collaboratively with a team of diverse professionals who support the mission of the USPSTF. Applicants must have adequate time to contribute substantively to the work products of the USPSTF.

Dated: April 8, 2013. Carolyn M. Clancy,

Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–08935 Filed 4–17–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4160–90–M DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND**  **HUMAN SERVICES**

**Administration for Children and Families** 

**Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request** 

Title: Descriptive Study of County versus State Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs.

OMB No.: New Collection. Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing an information collection activity as part of the Descriptive Study of County and State Administered TANF Programs. The proposedinformation collection consists of semistructured interviews with key County and State staff on questions of county TANF administration, policies, service delivery, and program context. Through this information collection, ACE seeks to gain an in-depth, systematic understanding of the differences in program implementation, operations, outputs and outcomes between state and county administered TANF programs, and identify special technical assistance needs of state supervised, county administered programs.

Respondents: Semi-structured interviews will be held with state and county TANF administrators and staff.



### A NNUAL 

### B URDEN 

### E STIMATES

Instrument Annual Number of respondents Number of responses per

respondent Average burden hours per response Annual burden hours

State TANF administrators discussion guide ................................................ 6 1 1 6 State human service department director discussion guide ......................... 6 1 1 6 County TANF administrators discussion guide ............................................. 12 1 1 .5 18 County executives discussion guide ............................................................. 12 1 1 12 County TANF directors’ associations discussion guide ................................ 6 1 1.5 9 Telephone interview protocol for state TANF directors ................................. 30 1 0.5 15

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 66.

Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection. Email address: OPREinfocollection@acf.hhs.gov.

OMB Comment: OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the Federal Register

. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent directly to the following: Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Email: OIRA

_SUBMISSION@OMB.EOP.GOV

, Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration, for Children and Families.

Steven M. Hanmer, OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013–09097 Filed 4–17–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4184–09–M**