[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 189 (Thursday, September 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58279-58280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25000]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Health Resources and Services Administration Establishment of the 
Advisory Committee on Organ Transportation and Solicitation of 
Nominations for Membership

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of establishment of the Advisory Committee on Organ 
Transplantation and Solicitation of Nominations for Membership.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 42 CFR 121.12 and Public Law 92-463, the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), the 
Administrator, HRSA, announces the establishment of the Advisory 
Committee on Organ Transplantation by the Secretary, HHS. The Committee 
will advise the Secretary through the Administrator, HRSA, on all 
aspects of organ procurement, allocation, and transplantation, and on 
such other matters that the Secretary determines.
    Duration of this Committee is for two years unless renewed by the 
Secretary, HHS.
    This notice also requests nominations for membership on the 
Committee.

DATES: Nominations for members must be received no later than 5 p.m. on 
October 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or deliver nominations to the following 
address: Lynn Rothberg Wegman, M.P.A., Director, Division of 
Transplantation, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C-22, Rockville, MD 20857.
    A request for a copy of the charter for the Advisory Committee 
should be submitted to: Miguel Kamat, Division of Transplantation, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Room 7C-22, Rockville, MD 20857 or may be viewed on the 
Division's website at www.hrsa.gov/osp/dot

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Rothberg Wegman, (301) 443-7577.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   

I. Background and Authority

    As provided by 42 CFR 121.12 (64 FR 56661), the Secretary has 
established the Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation. The 
Committee is governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
Appendix 2), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of 
advisory committees.
    The Advisory Committee shall advise the Secretary, acting through 
the Administrator, HRSA, on all aspects of organ procurement, 
allocation, and transplantation, and on such other matters that the 
Secretary determines, including:
    (1) Proposed enforceable policies of the Organ Procurement and 
Transplantation Network (OPTN) submitted for Secretarial approval.
    (2) Organ allocation policies of the OPTN.
    (3) Other significant OPTN policies, existing or proposed.
    (4) The OPTN's system of collecting, disseminating and ensuring the 
validity, accuracy, timeliness and usefulness of data.
    (5) The current state of knowledge regarding transplantation.
    (6) Additional scientific, medical, public health, ethical, legal, 
coverage and financing issues and socioeconomic issues, including 
national and international policies and

[[Page 58280]]

developments, that are relevant to transplantation.

II. Structure

    The Committee shall consist of up to 20 members. The Secretary 
shall appoint members, including the Chair, from individuals 
knowledgeable in such fields as health care public policy, 
transplantation medicine and surgery, non-physician transplant 
professions, biostatistics, immunology, health economics, epidemiology 
and bioethics as well as representatives of transplant candidates, 
transplant recipients, organ donors, and family members. To the extent 
practicable, Committee members should represent the minority, gender 
and geographic diversity of transplant candidates, transplant 
recipients, organ donors and family members served by the OPTN. The 
Secretary may appoint non-voting Ex-Officio members, or designees of 
such officials, as the Secretary deems necessary for the Committee to 
effectively carry out its function.
    Subcommittees, composed of members of the parent Committee, may be 
established to perform specific functions. The HHS Committee Management 
Officer shall be notified upon establishment of each standing 
subcommittee and shall be provided with information on its name, 
membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.
    A member shall be appointed for a term of 4 years, except that 
initially the Secretary shall appoint a portion of the members to terms 
of 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years. Members of the Committee may serve 
after the expiration of their terms until their successors have taken 
office.
    Meetings shall be held not more than 3 times per year at the call 
of the Chair with the advance approval of a Federal Government official 
who shall also approve the agenda. A Federal Government official shall 
be present at all meetings.
    A vacancy on the Advisory Committee shall be filled in the manner 
in which the original appointment was made and shall be subject to any 
conditions that applied with respect to the original appointment. An 
individual chosen to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the 
remainder of the term of the member replaced. The vacancy shall not 
affect the power of the remaining members to execute the duties of the 
Committee.
    All members of HRSA advisory committees shall adhere to the 
conflict of interest rules applicable to special Government employees 
as such employees are defined in 18 U.S.C. section 202(a). These rules 
include relevant provisions in 18 U.S.C. related to criminal activity, 
Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive branch (5 
CFR part 2635), and Executive Order 12674 (as modified by Executive 
Order 12731).
    Management and support services shall be provided by the Director, 
Division of Transplantation, Office of Special Programs, HRSA.

III. Compensation

    Members shall be paid at a rate not to exceed the daily equivalent 
of the rate in effect for Executive level IV of the Executive Schedule 
for each day they are engaged in the performance of their duties as 
members of the Committee. Members shall receive per diem and travel 
expenses as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5703, as amended, for persons 
employed intermittently in the Government service. Members who are 
officers or employees of the United States shall not receive 
compensation for service on the Committee.

IV. Nominations

    HHS will consider nomination of all qualified individuals with a 
view to ensuring that the Committee includes the areas of subject 
matter expertise noted above (see ``Structure''). Individuals may 
nominate themselves or other individuals, and professional associations 
and other organizations may nominate individuals.
    HHS has a strong interest in ensuring that women, minority groups, 
and physically challenged individuals are adequately represented on the 
Committee and, therefore, encourages nominations of qualified 
candidates from these groups. HHS also encourages geographic diversity 
in the composition of the Committee.
    A nomination package should include the following information for 
each nominee: (1) A letter of nomination stating the name, affiliation, 
and contact information for the nominee, the basis for the nomination 
(i.e., what specific attributes recommend him/her for service in this 
capacity), and the nominee's field(s) of expertise; (2) a biographical 
sketch of the nominee and a copy of his or her curriculum vitae; and 
(3) the name, return address, and daytime telephone number at which the 
nominator can be contacted.
    All nomination information should be provided in a single, complete 
package within 30 days of the publication of this notice. All 
nominations for membership should be sent to the Director at the 
address provided above.

    Dated: September 11, 2000.
Claude Earl Fox,
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-25000 Filed 9-27-00; 8:45 am]
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