1776 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 8 / Monday, January 13, 1997 / Notices

collecting and reviewing the collection

of information.

We are, however, requesting an

emergency review of this notice. In

compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

we have submitted to the OMB the

following information collection for

emergency review. We are requesting an

emergency review because the

collection of this information is needed

before the expiration of the normal time

limits under OMB’s regulations at 5

CFR, part 1320. So that a State does not

have to incur the burden of temporarily

implementing the Federal default

requirements or live under Federal

enforcement of those requirements,

HIPAA requires a State to submit to us

its proposed alternative mechanisms by

April 1, 1997. A State may voluntarily

submit the suggested information

collection referenced in this notice

when it submits its proposed alternative

mechanisms. The description of the

information collection will assist a State

in submitting sufficient information for

our review of its proposed alternative

mechanisms.

We are requesting that OMB provide

a 2-day public comment period with a

2-day OMB review period and a 180-day

approval. During this 180-day period,

we will publish a separate Federal

Register notice announcing the

initiation of an extensive 60-day agency

review and public comment period on

these requirements. We will submit the

requirements for OMB review and an

extension of this emergency approval.

Type of Information Request: New

collection.

Title of Information Collection:

Notification Procedures for States

Implementing ‘‘Alternative

Mechanisms’’ in the Individual Health

Insurance Market and Supporting

Notice (BPD–882–N).

Form Number: HCFA–R–202.

Use: To outline the documentation for

States to obtain Federal approval of a

State’s alternative mechanism under

section 111 of HIPAA.

Frequency: On occasion.

Affected Public: States.

Number of Respondents: 55.

Total Annual Responses: 55.

Total Annual Hours Requested:

66,000.

In summary, the information

collection referenced in section VI.

‘‘Notification, Documentation, and

Review’’ provides that each State

electing to implement an alternative

mechanism notify us that the State has

enacted, or intends to enact, any

necessary legislation to provide for the

implementation of a mechanism

reasonably designed to be an acceptable

alternative mechanism and provides us

with the information to review the

mechanism and its implementation (or

proposed implementation).

If a State chooses to submit a

proposed alternative mechanism, the

State must submit sufficient information

to provide us with a reasonable basis for

concluding that the proposed alternative

mechanism meets the criteria described

in section VI.C.2. of this notice. Along

with a detailed description of the

alternative mechanism and how it will

function, we recommend the State

include the name of a contact person,

State Legislative Calendar, and text of

existing State laws and regulations

pertaining to the individual health

insurance market.

If a State chooses to implement an

‘‘other mechanism’’ described in section

2744(c)(3) of the Act, we recommend

that the State submit a more detailed

description of the mechanism than it

would if it planned to implement a

mechanism that relies on one of the

three NAIC Model Acts referenced in

section 2744 of the PHS Act.

To request copies of the proposed

information collections referenced

above, call the Reports Clearance Office

on (410) 786–1325.

The information collections of this

notice are not effective until they have

been approved by the OMB. We have

submitted a copy of this notice to the

OMB for its review of these information

collections. A notice will be published

in the Federal Register when approval

is obtained. Interested persons are

invited to send comments regarding this

burden or any other aspect of these

collections of information, including

any of the following subjects: (1) The

necessity and utility of the information

collection for the proper performance of

the agency’s functions; (2) the accuracy

of the estimated burden; (3) ways to

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity

of the information to be collected; and

(4) the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology to minimize the information

collection burden.

Comments on these information

collections may be faxed to Allison

Herron Eydt at 202–395–6974 or mailed

directly to the following address: Office

of Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget,

Room 10235, New Executive Office

Building, Washington, DC 20503, Attn:

Allison Herron Eydt, HCFA Desk

Officer. A copy of the comments may be

mailed to the following address: Health

Care Financing Administration, Office

of Financial and Human Resources,

Management Analysis and Planning

Staff, Room C2–26–17, 7500 Security

Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850.

X. Waiver of Solicitation of Comments

This notice announces the options a

State has under section 111 of HIPAA to

ensure that eligible individuals have

access to the individual health

insurance market. As has been our

custom, we use general notices, rather

than formal notice and comment

rulemaking procedures, to make these

announcements. In doing so, we

acknowledge that, under the

Administrative Procedure Act,

interpretive rules, general statements of

policy, and rules of agency organization,

procedure or practice are excepted from

the requirements of notice and comment

rulemaking.

This notice does not establish new

policy or requirements beyond those

found in the statute. We are publishing

this notice to assist a State that chooses

to submit a proposed alternative

mechanism under section 111 of

HIPAA. We intend that the information

we have identified in this notice

provide guidance to a State and assist it

in submitting sufficient information to

enable us to approve the State’s

proposed alternative mechanism. We

intend that this information assist a

State to implement timely HIPAA

provisions under its own State

requirements. This would prevent the

need for a State to comply with Federal

requirements and subsequently

transition to the State’s requirements

after we approve a State’s proposed

alternative mechanism. We wish to

avoid an unnecessary burden on the

State.

In accordance with the provisions of

Executive Order 12866, this notice was

reviewed by the Office of Management

and Budget.

Authority: Section 2741 of the Public

Health Service Act.

Dated: December 17, 1996.

Bruce C. Vladeck,

Administrator, Health Care Financing

Administration.

Approved: December 20, 1996.

Donna E. Shalala,

Secretary, Health and Human Services.

[FR Doc. 97–672 Filed 1–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P

Health Resources and Services

Administration

Advisory Council; Notice of Meeting

In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Public Law 92–463), announcement is

made of the following National
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 8 / Monday, January 13, 1997 / Notices 1777

Advisory body scheduled to meet

during the month of February 1997.

Name: National Advisory Council on the

National Health Service Corps.

Date and Time: February 6–9, 1997.

Place: Radisson Hotel, La Jolla, 3299

Holiday Court, La Jolla, California 92037.

The meeting is open to the public.

Agenda: Agenda items include updates on

the National Health Service Corps program,

meetings with current and former NHSC

providers; presentations on managed care,

academic-community educational linkages,

and the future role of the Corps; and

meetings of NHSC workgroups on new

environment strategies, health system

linkages, and mission coalition building.

The opening meeting will be held on

Thursday, February 6 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00

p.m. and will include an orientation session

for new Council members. On friday and

Saturday, meetings will begin at 9:00 a.m.

and conclude around 7:00 p.m. Sunday’s

meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. and adjourn

around noon.

The meeting is open to the public. Anyone

requiring information regarding the subject

Council should contact Ms. Jewel Davis,

National Advisory Council on the National

Health Service Corps, Health Resources and

Services Administration, 8th floor, 4350 East

West Highway, Rockville, Maryland 20857,

Telephone (301) 594–4144.

Agenda Items are subject to change as

priorities dictate.

Dated: January 7, 1997.

J. Henry Montes,

Director, Office of Policy and Information

Coordination, HRSA.

[FR Doc. 97–724 Filed 1–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Reopening of Comment

Period on Draft Recovery Plan for the

Wetland and Aquatic Species of the

Owens Basin, Inyo and Mono

Counties, California and Related Public

Information Workshops

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment

period and related public information

workshops.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) announces the

reopening of the comment period for a

draft recovery plan for endangered,

proposed, and species of concern found

in the wetland and aquatic habitats of

the Owens Basin in Inyo and Mono

Counties, California, and related public

information workshops. The recovery

plan targets recovery of 11 species

found throughout the Owens River

drainage on Federal, State and private

lands. Also available for review is the

draft Owens Basin Management

Guidelines Plan for rare species. The

Service solicits review and comment

from the public on these draft plans.

Three public information workshops

will be held in conjunction with the

reopening of the comment period.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery

plan and/or Management Guidelines

Plan must be received on or before April

14, 1997 to ensure consideration by the

Service.

Public information workshops will be

held:

Tuesday, February 11, from 6 to 8

p.m. in the Mammoth High School,

Multipurpose Room, 365 Sierra Park

Road, Town of Mammoth Lakes;

Wednesday, February 12, from 6 to 8

p.m. in the Eastern Sierra Tri-County

Fairgrounds, Home Economics Building,

Sierra Street and Fairgrounds Drive,

Bishop; and

Thursday, February 13, from 6 to 8

p.m. in Statham Hall, corner of Jackson

and Bush, Lone Pine, California.

ADDRESSES: The draft recovery plan

and/or Management Guidelines Plan are

available for public inspection, by

appointment, during regular business

hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday

through Friday) at the Service’s Ventura

Field Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B,

Ventura, California, 93003, phone 805–

644–1766. Copies of the draft plans may

also be obtained by written or phone

request to the Ventura Field Office.

(Note: Copies of the draft Management

Guidelines Plan will automatically be

mailed to all parties who received the

draft recovery plan during its previous

release.) Comments and materials

regarding the plan should be addressed

to the Field Supervisor at the Ventura

Field Office. Comments and materials

received will be available for public

inspection upon request, by

appointment, at the Ventura Field

Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Carl Benz, Assistant Field Supervisor,

Division of Listing and Recovery, in the

Ventura Field Office (see ADDRESSES

section).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On August 26, 1996, the Service

published a notice of availability for

public review of a draft recovery plan

for endangered, proposed, and species

of concern found in the wetland and

aquatic habitats of the Owens Basin in

Inyo and Mono Counties, California.

The original comment period closed on

October 25, 1996. The draft

Management Guidelines Plan was not

completed at that time and therefore not

available for public review.

Restoring an endangered or

threatened animal or plant to the point

where it is again a secure, selfsustaining member of its ecosystem is a

primary goal of the Service’s

endangered species program. To help

guide recovery efforts, the Service

prepares recovery plans for most of the

listed species native to the United

States. Recovery plans describe actions

considered necessary for conservation of

listed species, establish criteria for the

recovery levels for reclassification from

endangered to threatened or removal

from the list, and estimate the time and

cost for implementing the needed

recovery measures.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973,

as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et

seq.) requires the development of

recovery plans for listed species unless

such a plan would not promote the

conservation of a particular species.

Section 4(f) of the Act requires that

public notice and an opportunity for

public review and comment be provided

during recovery plan development. The

Service will consider all information

presented during a public comment

period prior to approval of each new or

revised recovery plan. The Service and

other Federal agencies will take these

comments into account in the course of

implementing approved recovery plans.

The draft recovery plan for the Owens

Basin wetland and aquatic species

addresses conservation of the following

species: Owens tui chub, Owens

pupfish, Fish Slough milk-vetch, Owens

speckled dace, Long Valley Speckled

dace, Inyo County mariposa lily, Owens

Valley checkerbloom, Fish Slough

springsnail, Owens Valley springsnail,

Aardhal’s springsnail, and Owens

Valley vole. Owens tui chub and Owens

pupfish are federally listed as

endangered, and the Fish Slough milkvetch has been proposed for listing as

endangered. All of these species are

threatened by loss and degradation of

wetland and aquatic habitats.

The draft recovery plan was

developed in accordance with the

Service’s recent policy emphasizing an

ecosystem approach to conservation of

endangered species. The goal of the

recovery plan is to restore the target

species to secure status within their

natural habitats. Protecting the

ecosystem of endangered species in the

Owens Basin will also protect other

locally rare species, and, it is hoped,

avert future declines in plant and

wildlife populations that could lead to

future listings.

The draft recovery plan was

developed with the participation of