67012 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 8, 2000 / Notices

ACTION: Opportunity to provide

comments; Notice of Public Meeting.

SUMMARY: The Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS) (a) solicits

written comments on the key elements

of a national action plan on overweight

and obesity, and (b) provides notice of

a public meeting.

DATES: (1) Written comments may be

submitted on or before 5 p.m. E.S.T. on

December 29, 2000. (2) A public

meeting will be held on December 7,

2000 from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on

December 8, 2000 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30

p.m.

ADDRESSES: (1) Written comments

should be sent to Paul Ambrose, M.D.,

M.P.H., HHS Office of Disease

Prevention and Health Promotion,

Office of Public Health and Science,

Room 738–G, 200 Independence Ave.,

SW., Washington, DC 20201, (202) 205–

4872 (telephone), 202–205–9478

(facsimile). Comments also may be

submitted electronically at

www.sgobesity.niddk.nih.gov. (2) A

public meeting will be held at the Lister

Hill Auditorium, Building 38A, NIH

Campus, Bethesda, Maryland. The

meeting is open to the public; seating is

limited.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

Ambrose, M.D., M.P.H., or Kathryn

McMurry, M.S., HHS Office of Disease

Prevention and Health Promotion,

Office of Public Health and Science,

Room 738–G, 200 Independence Ave.,

SW., Washington, DC 20201, (202) 205–

4872. To register for the meeting,

contact Ms. Susie Warner at (301) 897–

2789 (telephone), (301) 897–9587

(facsimile), or on-line at

www.sbogesity.niddk.nih.gov.

Additional information can be obtained

at this website or at

www.surgeongeneral.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Overweight and obesity is a

significant public health problem

because it increases risk for many

chronic diseases and premature death.

More than half of adults and 11 percent

of children and adolescents in the

United States are estimated to be

overweight or obese. The prevalence has

almost doubled among children and

adolescents since 1980 and is increasing

in both genders and among all

population groups of adults. Total costs

(medical costs and lost productivity)

attributed to obesity amounted to an

estimated $99 billion in 1995. Health

People 2010, the nation’s public health

agenda, has identified overweight and

obesity as one of ten Leading Health

Indicators.

While the magnitude of the problem

is great, the range of potential solutions

is even greater. The design of successful

prevention strategies will require the

careful attention of many individuals

and organizations working together.

Prevention of overweight and obesity

requires a broad array of strategies to

promote healthy eating and increased

physical activity. A number of activities

are underway in public and private

sectors related to the public health issue

of obesity.

Written Comments

In preparation for the development of

a national action plan to address

overweight and obesity in the United

States, comments are welcome from all

interested stakeholders. Further

opportunity for public input in

development of the plan is envisioned

during 2001.

Comments will be most useful if they

include the following information:

(1) What you consider to be the three

to five most important priorities for

addressing overweight and obesity in

the United States.

(2) How, as a nation, we should

pursue these strategies.

(3) Your views on the most effective

ways to address disparities among

different segments of the population.

(4) (If applicable) A short summary of

activities that your organization is

engaged in or plans to engage in to

address overweight and obesity. This

information may become part of a

publicly accessible website information

center.

Comments received by November 26

will be summarized and made available

at the listening session described below.

Comments will be accepted through 5

p.m., E.S.T. on December 29, 2000.

Announcement of Meeting

To launch a process of developing a

national action plan on overweight and

obesity, Assistant Secretary for Health

and Surgeon General David Satcher

plans a listening session entitled

Toward a National Action Plan on

Overweight and Obesity: The Surgeon

General’s Initiative on December 7–8,

2000. The event will include invited

panels of non-federal and

nongovernmental organizations to

discuss views on what the key elements

of a national action plan on overweight

and obesity should be, as well as time

for discussion.

Meeting Location and Registration

The meeting will be held on

December 7, 2000 from 1 p.m. to 5:30

p.m. and on December 8, 2000 from 8:30

a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Lister Hill

Auditorium in Bethesda, Maryland. The

Lister Hill auditorium is located at

Lister Hill Auditorium, Building 38A,

NIH Campus, Bethesda, MD. The

building is located near the Medical

Center metro stop (red line train).

Because seating is limited, registration

is required and may be limited to one

representative per organization. To

register, please contact Ms. Susie

Warner at (301) 897–2789 (telephone),

(301) 897–9587 (facsimile), or on-line at

www.sgobesity.niddk.nih.gov. If you

require a sign language interpreter,

please contact Ms. Warner by 5 p.m.

E.S.T. on November 30, 2000. The

meeting will be webcast live at

videocast.nih.gov.

Dated: November 1, 2000.

David Satcher,

Assistant Secretary for Health and Surgeon

General.

[FR Doc. 00–28642 Filed 11–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–17–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

Report on FDA Plan for Statutory

Compliance; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration,

HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) is announcing the

availability of a report entitled ‘‘Report

on FDA Plan for Statutory Compliance.’’

This report satisfies provisions of the

FDA Modernization Act of 1997

(FDAMA), which charged FDA to

develop a plan for meeting its statutory

requirements, and to report on planned

versus actual performance.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the report may be

obtained from the contact person at the

address listed below. Persons with

access to the Internet may obtain the

report at http://www.fda.gov/oc/fdama/

fdamaplnresponse/rptFY99.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill

J. Hagan, Office of Planning (HFP–20),

Food and Drug Administration, 5600

Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857,

301–827–5212, FAX 301–827–5225, or

e-mail: WHagan@oc.fda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FDA is

announcing the availability of a report

entitled ‘‘Report on FDA Plan for

Statutory Compliance.’’ This report

satisfies provisions outlined in section

406(b) of FDAMA, which charged FDA

to develop a plan for meeting its

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 8, 2000 / Notices 67013

statutory requirements, and to report on

planned versus actual performance. The

plan was published in November 1998.

This report identifies accomplishments

against that plan. As this report shows,

in fiscal year 1999, FDA achieved

significant gains in the six FDAMA

objectives by combining the agency’s

traditional principles and practices with

new approaches. In keeping with its

traditional values, FDA continued

providing a broad spectrum of consumer

protections based on rigorous sciencebased standards. To strengthen its

performance, FDA developed

partnerships with stakeholders and

stimulated cooperation and

participation by making its activities

more understandable and accessible to

stakeholders. FDA’s accomplishments

include the following:

• New drugs and biological products

are being reviewed and released to the

public in record time,

• A nationwide food safety

surveillance network has now been

established which is helping to

significantly reduce food-related

illnesses and deaths, and

• Millions of consumers have wider

and more timely access to information

about their new medications.

FDA will continue working with

Congress and our stakeholders to

improve performance and to work

towards meeting our statutory

obligations under FDAMA.

Dated: October 30, 2000.

Margaret M. Dotzel,

Associate Commissioner for Policy.

[FR Doc. 00–28616 Filed 11–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–01–F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services

Administration

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

and Intervention

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services

Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

SUMMARY: The Health Resources and

Services Administration (HRSA)

announces that approximately $5

million in fiscal year (FY) 2001 funds is

anticipated for 25 to 31 grants to States

for the implementation of universal

physiologic newborn hearing screening

prior to hospital discharge with linkages

to medical home, ongoing family-tofamily support, diagnostic evaluation by

three months of age, and enrollment in

a program of early intervention by six

months of age for those infants

identified with hearing loss. All awards

will be made under the program

authority of Title VI of the Labor-HHSEducation Appropriations Act for FY

2000 (Pub. L. 106–113). This Universal

Newborn Hearing Screening and

Intervention Program (CFDA #93.251)

will be administered by the Maternal

and Child Health Bureau (MCHB),

HRSA. Projects will be approved for a

4-year period, with awards at average

yearly amounts ranging from $100,000

to $200,000. Funding for Universal

Newborn Hearing Screening and

Intervention grants is contingent upon

the availability of FY 2001 funds.

DATES: Entities which intend to submit

an application for this grant program are

expected to notify MCHB’s Division of

Services for Children with Special

Health Care Needs by November 10,

2000. The deadline for receipt of

applications is December 8, 2000.

Applications will be considered ‘‘on

time’’ if they are either received on or

before the deadline date or postmarked

on or before the deadline date. The

project award date is March 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES: To receive a complete

application kit, applicants may

telephone the HRSA Grants Application

Center at 1–877–477–2123 (1–877–

HRSA–123) beginning November 3,

2000, or register on-line at: http://

www.hrsa.dhhs.gov/, or by accessing

http://www.hrsa.gov/glorder3.htm

directly. This program uses the standard

Form PHS 5161–1 (rev. 7/00) for

applications (approved under OMB No.

0920–0428). Applicants must use

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA) number 93.251 when requesting

application materials. The CFDA is a

Government wide compendium of

enumerated Federal programs, projects,

services, and activities which provide

assistance. All applications should be

mailed or delivered to: Grants

Management Officer, MCHB; HRSA

Grants Application Center, 1815 N. Fort

Meyer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington,

Virginia 22209; telephone: 1–877–477–

2123; E-mail: hrsagac@hrsa.gov.

This application guidance and the

required forms for the Universal

Newborn Screening and Intervention

program may be downloaded in either

WordPerfect 6.1 or Adobe Acrobat

format (.pdf) from the MCHB Home Page

at http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/. Please

contact Joni Johns, at 301/443–2088, or

jjohns@hrsa.gov/, if you need technical

assistance in accessing the MCHB Home

Page via the Internet.

This announcement will appear in the

Federal Register and on the HRSA

Home Page at: http://

www.hrsa.dhhs.gov/. Federal Register

notices are found by following

instructions at: http://

www.access.gpo.gov/suldocs/aces/

aces140.html.

Letter of Intent: Notification of intent

to apply can be made in one of three

ways: telephone, 301–443–2370; email,

iforsman@hrsa.gov; mail, MCHB, HRSA;

Division of Children with Special

Health Care Needs; Parklawn Building,

Room 18A–18; 5600 Fishers Lane;

Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Irene Forsman, M.S., R.N., 301/443–

2370, email: iforsman@hrsa.gov/ (for

questions specific to project activities of

the program, program objectives, or the

required Letter of Intent which is further

described in the application kit);

Paulette Faga, 301/443–6934, email

pfagan@hrsa.gov/ (for grants policy,

budgetary, and business questions).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

and Intervention Program Background

and Objectives

HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health

Bureau has been involved in newborn

screening and genetic testing for more

than a decade. In 1989, Dr. C. Everett

Koop, then Surgeon General, urged that

all infants with significant hearing loss

be identified by 12 months of age, and

encouraged inclusion of this goal in the

Public Health Service’s ‘‘National

Healthy People Goals 2000.’’ Since then,

MCHB, acting in concert with the

Centers for Disease Control and

prevention (CDC) and the National

Institutes of Health (NIH), has made

substantial progress in the adoption of

universal newborn hearing screening

and early intervention as the standard of

care in the United States. The new

‘‘Healthy People 2010’’ includes a

revised newborn hearing screening goal

of identifying all newborns with

significant hearing loss and enrolling

them in a program of early intervention

by age 6 months. All relevant

professional organizations, including

the American Academy of Pediatrics,

have endorsed the concept.

Also in 1989, MCHB’s Division of

Services for Children with Special

Health Needs began efforts under the

Special Projects of Regional and

National Significance (SPRANS)

authority of the Maternal and Child

Health (MCH) Block Grant (Title V of

the Social Security Act) to support

implementation of universal newborn

hearing screening prior to discharge

through a series of demonstration

projects to assess the effectiveness of

new technologies and to provide