Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 178 / Friday, September 13, 2024 / Notices 74961 

2. How could this document better 

identify and characterize the health 

hazards of exposures to wildland fire 

smoke based on the available scientific 

literature in Chapter 3? Is there 

additional scientific information to be 

considered regarding the adverse health 

endpoints associated with exposure to 

wildland fire smoke? Please provide 

scientific references to support your 

response as necessary. 

3. What additional information 

should NIOSH consider adding or how 

should NIOSH modify the discussion of 

exposure assessment methods for 

wildland fire smoke (based on PM2.5

airborne concentration, and when 

desired, other airborne exposures) to 

measure outdoor worker exposures in 

Chapter 4? What are the barriers to 

employers to implement these 

recommended methods? Please provide 

scientific evidence to support your 

response as necessary. 

4. How can the recommendation in 

Chapter 4 to use the air quality index 

(AQI) for PM2.5 to define exposure 

control categories be better explained 

and supported from both a scientific 

and health communications standpoint? 

Please provide scientific evidence to 

support your response as necessary. 

5. What additional information 

should NIOSH consider to improve the 

strategies identified in Chapter 5 for 

controlling exposure to wildland fire 

smoke (e.g., engineering controls, work 

practices, personal protective 

equipment) to make them more effective 

and reduce barriers to implementation? 

What additional controls could be 

considered to protect outdoor workers 

from wildland fire smoke? Please 

provide scientific evidence to support 

your response as necessary. 

6. Do the recommendations in 

Chapter 5 adequately address the 

protection of potentially disadvantaged 

or at-risk outdoor workers, such as 

persons with pre-existing health 

conditions (e.g., asthma, cardiovascular 

disease), migrant workers, persons of 

lower socioeconomic status, and elderly 

or minor workers? If not, how could the 

recommendations be changed to better 

protect these populations? Are there 

additional recommendations to consider 

to protect these at-risk workers? 

7. How could the recommendations in 

Chapter 5 better address accessibility 

and feasibility for outdoor workers and 

employers? 

8. What are the potential barriers to 

the understandability of the 

recommendations in Chapter 5 for 

outdoor workers and employers? When 

developing supplementary educational 

materials to support the implementation 

of these recommendations, how can 

NIOSH best address those barriers? 

9. What other research needs should 

be considered in addition to those 

included in Chapter 6, Research Needs? 

Please provide a scientific justification 

for additional research needs. 

The draft Hazard Review was 

developed to provide the scientific 

rationale for characterizing hazards of 

exposure to wildland fire smoke for 

outdoor workers. The draft Hazard 

Review also provides recommendations 

and guidance for minimizing exposures 

and potential health effects associated 

with wildland fire smoke for outdoor 

workers. 

After the comments received on the 

draft Hazard Review are considered and 

addressed, the final Hazard Review will 

be posted on the NIOSH website. 

Background: The purpose of the 

Hazard Review document is to provide 

an overview of the relevant health 

effects literature and present evidencebased recommendations to protect 

outdoor workers, including farm 

workers, construction workers, oil and 

gas workers, park rangers, emergency 

responders, and others from the adverse 

health effects of occupational exposure 

to wildland fire smoke. On March 14, 

2024, CDC/NIOSH published a Request 

for Information (RFI) in the Federal 

Register (89 FR 18638). The Federal 

Register notice announced plans to 

develop a Hazard Review document that 

summarizes the scientific literature 

about the health effects from exposures 

to wildland fire smoke and provides 

recommendations to protect outdoor 

workers [NIOSH 2024]. In response to 

the RFI, NIOSH received 10 comment 

submissions, all of which were 

reviewed and considered during the 

development of this draft Hazard 

Review. The RFI and comments 

received are accessible in the docket 

(CDC–2024–0019, NIOSH–352). In 

addition to requesting information from 

the public, the Hazard Review 

development process involved review 

and assessment of the scientific 

literature about exposures to wildland 

fire smoke, potential health effects, 

outdoor worker populations at risk, and 

development or update of 

recommendations to protect outdoor 

workers. The information presented in 

this draft Hazard Review represents the 

scientific rationale and the current 

methodology about approaches to assess 

and control the hazards of wildland fire 

smoke to outdoor workers. Scientific 

information related to wildland fire 

smoke presented in the draft Hazard 

Review covers the following topics: 

• Background on wildland fire smoke 

• History of NIOSH and other 

government organizations’ related 

activity 

• Chemical and physical properties of 

the smoke 

• Population of outdoor workers with 

potential exposure 

• Routes of worker exposure 

• Health equity 

• Health effects of exposure 

• Exposure assessment 

• Controlling workplace exposures 

• Medical surveillance and medical 

monitoring 

• Research needs 

Reference 

NIOSH [2024]. National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health; Outdoor 

workers exposed to wildland fire smoke; 

Request for information. 89 FR 18638. 

https://www.federalregister.gov/ 

documents/2024/03/14/2024-05403/ 

national-institute-for-occupationalsafety-and-health-outdoor-workersexposed-to-wildland-fire-smoke. 

Dated: September 9, 2024. 

John J. Howard, 

Director, National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention, Department of Health and 

Human Services. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20763 Filed 9–12–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention 

Notice of Award of a Sole Source 

Cooperative Agreement To Fund 

Northwestern Provincial Health Office 

in Zambia 

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), Department of Health 

and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), located 

within the Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS), announces the 

award of approximately $4,450,000, for 

Year 1 funding to Northwestern 

Provincial Health Office (NWPHO) in 

Zambia. The award will provide 

NWPHO with CDC Technical Assistance 

and financial support to maintain and 

sustain the province’s overall oversight 

and quality assurance for the 

implementation of high-impact HIV 

combination prevention, treatment, and 

support services, including clinical, 

surveillance, and laboratory services as 

well as to identify and mitigate 

emerging disease threats for people 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
74962 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 178 / Friday, September 13, 2024 / Notices 

living with HIV (PLHIV). Funding 

amounts for years 2–5 will be set at 

continuation. 

DATES: The period for this award will be 

January 1, 2025, through September 29, 

2029. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Vance Brown, Global Health Center, 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, 351 Independence Avenue, 

P.O Box 320065, Lusaka, Zambia, 

Telephone: +260–761–428–720, email: 

vhu7@cdc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The sole 

source award will support the Zambian 

Ministry of Health (MOH) to achieve 

and sustain HIV epidemic control gains 

by providing programmatic oversight, 

coordination, and direct service delivery 

in the provision of comprehensive HIV/ 

TB prevention, treatment, and support 

services, while strengthening health 

systems for sustainability. 

NWPHO is the only entity that can 

carry out this work, as it is the sole 

government institution with the 

mandate to support the health service 

delivery through capacity building, 

systems strengthening and oversight for 

HIV program implementation for the 

population of the Northwestern 

Province (NWP) of Zambia by the 

National Public Health Act of Zambia. 

NWPHO has been actively 

implementing PEPFAR programs 

through support provided by USGawarded implementing partners funded 

by USAID. The government-togovernment award is only possible to be 

executed with NWPHO as the registered 

sub-national provincial health authority 

in NWP Zambia. 

Summary of the Award 

Recipient: Northwestern Provincial 

Health Office (NWPHO). 

Purpose of the Award: The purpose of 

this award is to provide NWPHO with 

CDC Technical Assistance and financial 

support to maintain and sustain the 

province’s overall oversight and quality 

assurance for the implementation of 

high-impact HIV combination 

prevention, treatment, and support 

services, including clinical, 

surveillance, and laboratory services as 

well as to identify and mitigate 

emerging disease threats for PLHIV. The 

award aims to strengthen capacity 

development activities, while providing 

optimal health systems strengthening in 

support of continued and sustainable 

HIV epidemic control in Zambia. 

Amount of Award: The approximate 

year 1 funding amount will be 

$4,450,000 in Federal Fiscal Year (FYY) 

2025 funds, subject to the availability of 

funds. Funding amounts for years 2–5 

will be set at continuation. 

Authority: This program is authorized 

under Public Law 108–25 (the United 

States Leadership Against HIV AIDS, 

Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003) 

[22 U.S.C. 7601, et seq.] and Public Law 

110–293 (the Tom Lantos and Henry J. 

Hyde United States Global Leadership 

Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and 

Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008), 

and Public Law 113–56 (PEPFAR 

Stewardship and Oversight Act of 2013). 

Period of Performance: January 1, 

2025, through September 29, 2029. 

Dated: September 4, 2024. 

Terrance Perry, 

Acting Director, Office of Grants Services, 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20790 Filed 9–12–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1822–N] 

Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting 

on the Fiscal Year 2026 Applications 

for New Medical Services and 

Technologies Add-On Payments 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), Department 

of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces a town 

hall meeting in accordance with the 

Social Security Act (the Act) to discuss 

fiscal year (FY) 2026 applications for 

add-on payments for new medical 

services and technologies under the 

hospital inpatient prospective payment 

system (IPPS). Interested parties are 

invited to this virtual meeting to present 

their comments, recommendations, and 

data regarding whether the FY 2026 new 

medical services and technologies 

applications meet the substantial 

clinical improvement criterion. 

DATES: 

Meeting Dates: The New Technology 

Town Hall meeting announced in this 

notice will be held virtually on 

Wednesday, December 11, 2024, and 

Thursday, December 12, 2024 (the 

number of presentations will determine 

if a second day for the meeting is 

necessary; see the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section for details 

regarding the second day of the meeting 

and the posting of the final schedule). 

The New Technology Town Hall 

meeting will begin each day at 9 a.m. 

eastern standard time (EST) and checkin via online platform will begin at 8:30 

a.m. EST. 

Deadline for Registration of Presenters 

at the New Technology Town Hall 

Meeting: The deadline to register to 

present at the New Technology Town 

Hall meeting is 5 p.m., EST on Monday, 

November 4, 2024. 

Deadline for Submission of Agenda 

Item(s) or Written Comments for the 

New Technology Town Hall Meeting: 

Written comments and agenda items 

(public comments to be delivered at the 

New Technology Town Hall meeting) 

for discussion at the New Technology 

Town Hall meeting, including agenda 

items by presenters (presentation slide 

decks), must be received by 5 p.m. EST 

on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. 

Deadline for Requesting Special 

Accommodations: The deadline to 

submit requests for special 

accommodations is 5 p.m., EST on 

Tuesday, November 12, 2024. 

Deadline for Submission of Written 

Comments after the New Technology 

Town Hall Meeting for Consideration in 

the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Hospital 

Inpatient Prospective Payment System/ 

Long Term Care PPS (IPPS/LTCH PPS) 

Proposed Rule: Individuals may submit 

written comments after the New 

Technology Town Hall meeting, as 

specified in the ADDRESSES section of 

this notice, on whether the service or 

technology represents a substantial 

clinical improvement. These comments 

must be received by 5 p.m. EST on 

Monday, December 16, 2024, to ensure 

consideration in the FY 2026 IPPS/ 

LTCH PPS proposed rule. 

ADDRESSES: 

Meeting Location: The New 

Technology Town Hall meeting will be 

held virtually via live stream technology 

or webinar and listen-only via toll-free 

teleconference. Live stream or webinar 

and teleconference dial-in information 

will be provided through an upcoming 

listserv/email notice and will appear on 

the final meeting agenda, which will be 

posted on the New Technology website 

when available at: http://www.cms.gov/ 

Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-ServicePayment/AcuteInpatientPPS/ 

newtech.html. Continue to check the 

website for updates. 

Registration and Special 

Accommodations: Individuals wishing 

to present at the meeting must follow 

the instructions located in section III. of 

this notice. Individuals who need 

special accommodations should send an 

email to newtech@cms.hhs.gov. 

Submission of Agenda Item(s) or 

Written Comments for the New 

Technology Town Hall Meeting: Each 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES