61292 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 203 / Friday, October 21, 2005 / Notices 

approved collection; Title of 

Information Collection: Request for 

Retirement Benefit Information (BBA 

‘97); Form Number: CMS–R–285 

(OMB#: 0938–0769); Use: The Request 

for Retirement Benefit Information form 

is used to obtain retirement benefit 

information from beneficiaries that 

purchase Medicare Part A coverage. The 

Social Security Administration (SSA) 

will use this information to determine if 

a beneficiary meets the requirements to 

qualify for a Medicare Part A premium 

reduction.; Frequency: Reporting—On 

occasion; Affected Public: State, Local 

or Tribal Government; Number of 

Respondents: 1500; Total Annual 

Responses: 1500; Total Annual Hours: 

375. 

To obtain copies of the supporting 

statement and any related forms for the 

proposed paperwork collections 

referenced above, access CMS’l Web site 

address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

regulations/pra/, or E-mail your request, 

including your address, phone number, 

OMB number, and CMS document 

identifier, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, 

or call the Reports Clearance Office on 

(410) 786–1326. 

To be assured consideration, 

comments and recommendations for the 

proposed information collections must 

be received at the address below, no 

later than 5 p.m. on December 20, 2005. 

CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and 

Regulatory Affairs, Division of 

Regulations Development, Attention: 

Bonnie L Harkless, Room C4–26–05, 

7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, 

Maryland 21244–1850. 

Dated: October 13, 2005. 

Michelle Shortt, 

Director, Regulations Development Group, 

Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 05–20962 Filed 10–20–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS–10133] 

Emergency Clearance: Public 

Information Collection Requirements 

Submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) 

AGENCY: Center for Medicare and 

Medicaid Services. 

In compliance with the requirement 

of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services (CMS), Department of Health 

and Human Services, is publishing the 

following summary of proposed 

collections for public comment. 

Interested persons are invited to send 

comments regarding this burden 

estimate or any other aspect of this 

collection of information, including any 

of the following subjects: (1) The 

necessity and utility of the proposed 

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. 

We are, however, requesting an 

emergency review of the information 

collection referenced below. In 

compliance with the requirement of 

section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, we have 

submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) the following 

requirements 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. This is necessary to ensure 

compliance with an initiative of the 

Administration. We cannot reasonably 

comply with the normal clearance 

procedures because the use of normal 

clearance procedures will jeopardize 

program implementation by a statutorily 

mandated deadline and could 

contribute to impaired beneficiary 

access to Part B drugs. 

Section 303(d) of the MMA provides 

an alternative payment methodology for 

Part B drugs that are not paid on a cost 

or prospective payment basis. In 

particular, Section 303(d) of the MMA 

amends Title XVIII of the Social 

Security Act (the Act) by adding a new 

section 1847B, which establishes a 

competitive acquisition program for the 

acquisition of and payment for Part B 

covered drugs and biologicals furnished 

on or after January 1, 2006. Beginning in 

2006, physicians will have a choice 

between acquiring and billing for Part B 

covered drugs under the Average Sales 

Price (ASP) drug payment methodology 

or electing to receive these drugs from 

vendors/suppliers selected for the 

Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP), 

through a competitive bidding process. 

The provisions for this new payment 

system are described in the proposed 

rule (42 CFR Part 414 Subpart K) 

published March 4, 2005 (70 FR 10746), 

the interim final rule published July 6, 

2005 (70 FR 39022), and a final rule that 

is expected to be published in 

November 2005. 

1. Type of Information Collection 

Request: Extension of a currently 

approved collection; Title of 

Information Collection: Competitive 

Acquisition Program for Medicare Part B 

Drugs: Vendor Application and Bid 

Form; Use: The CAP Vendor 

Application and Bid Form is a 

collection tool which will be used by 

potential vendors to provide 

information related to the characteristics 

of their company and to submit their bid 

prices for CAP drugs. The information 

collected on the CAP Vendor 

Application and Bid Form will be used 

by CMS during the bidding evaluation 

process to evaluate the vendors bid 

prices, their credentials, experience and 

to assess their ability to provide quality 

service to physicians and beneficiaries. 

Competitive bidding is seen as a means 

of using the dynamics of the 

marketplace to provide incentives for 

suppliers to provide reasonably priced 

products and services of high quality in 

an efficient manner. The CAP’s 

objectives include providing an 

alternative method for physicians to 

obtain Part B drugs to administer to 

Medicare beneficiaries and reducing 

drug acquisition and billing burdens for 

physicians; Form Number: CMS–10133 

(OMB#: 0938–0955); Frequency: 

Reporting—Other, during enrollment; 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; Number of Respondents: 12; 

Total Annual Responses: 12; Total 

Annual Hours: 480. 

CMS is requesting OMB review and 

approval of this collection by November 

1, 2005, with a 180-day approval period. 

Written comments and 

recommendations will be considered 

from the public if received by the 

individuals designated below by 

October 28, 2005. 

To obtain copies of the supporting 

statement and any related forms for the 

proposed paperwork collections 

referenced above, access the CMS Web 

site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

regulations/pra or e-mail your request, 

including your address, phone number, 

OMB number, and CMS document 

identifier, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, 

or call the Reports Clearance Office on 

(410) 786–1326. 

Interested persons are invited to send 

comments regarding the burden or any 

other aspect of these collections of 

information requirements. However, as 

noted above, comments on these 

information collection and 

recordkeeping requirements must be 

mailed to the designees referenced 

below by October 28, 2005: 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 203 / Friday, October 21, 2005 / Notices 61293 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services, Office of Strategic Operations 

and Regulatory Affairs, Room C4–26–05, 

7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 

21244–1850, Fax Number: (410) 786–

5267, Attn: William N. Parham, III and, 

OMB Human Resources and Housing 

Branch, Attention: CMS Desk Officer, 

New Executive Office Building, Room 

10235, Washington, DC 20503. 

Dated: October 17, 2005. 

Michelle Shortt, 

Director, Regulations Development Group, 

Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 05–21101 Filed 10–20–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Food and Drug Administration 

Science Board to the Food and Drug 

Administration; Notice of Meeting 

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, 

HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

This notice announces a forthcoming 

meeting of a public advisory committee 

of the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA). The meeting will be open to the 

public. 

Name of Committee: Science Board to 

FDA. 

General Function of the Committee: 

The Board shall provide advice 

primarily to the agency’s Senior Science 

Advisor and, as needed, to the 

Commissioner of Food and Drugs and 

other appropriate officials on specific 

complex and technical issues as well as 

emerging issues within the scientific 

community in industry and academia. 

Additionally, the Board will provide 

advice to the agency on keeping pace 

with technical and scientific evolutions 

in the fields of regulatory science, on 

formulating an appropriate research 

agenda, and on upgrading its scientific 

and research facilities to keep pace with 

these changes. It will also provide the 

means for critical review of agencysponsored intramural and extramural 

scientific research programs. 

Date and Time: The meeting will be 

held on November 4, 2005, from 8:30 

a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Location: Washington Room, Holiday 

Inn Bethesda, 8120 Wisconsin Ave., 

Bethesda, MD. 

Contact Person: Jan Johannessen, 

Office of the Commissioner (HF–33), 

Food and Drug Administration, 5600 

Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 

301–827–6687, jjohannessen@fda.gov, 

or FDA Advisory Committee 

Information Line, 1–800–741–8138 

(301–443–0572 in the Washington, DC 

area), code 3014512603. Please call the 

Information Line for up-to-date 

information on this meeting. 

Agenda: The Science Board will hear 

about and discuss the following topics: 

(1) An update on activities of the Drug 

Safety Oversight Board, (2) the agency’s 

Bioresearch Monitoring Initiative, and 

(3) the Board’s science peer review 

activities, including presentation of the 

Board’s peer review of the Office of 

Regulatory Affairs’ pesticide monitoring 

program. 

Procedure: Interested persons may 

present data, information, or views, 

orally or in writing, on issues pending 

before the committee. Written 

submissions may be made to the contact 

person by October 28, 2005. Oral 

presentations from the public will be 

scheduled between approximately 12:30 

p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Time allotted for 

each presentation may be limited. Those 

desiring to make formal oral 

presentations should notify the contact 

person before October 28, 2005, and 

submit a brief statement of the general 

nature of the evidence or arguments 

they wish to present, the names and 

addresses of proposed participants, and 

an indication of the approximate time 

requested to make their presentation. 

Persons attending FDA’s advisory 

committee meetings are advised that the 

agency is not responsible for providing 

access to electrical outlets. 

FDA welcomes the attendance of the 

public at its advisory committee 

meetings and will make every effort to 

accommodate persons with physical 

disabilities or special needs. If you 

require special accommodations due to 

a disability, please contact Jan 

Johannessen at least 7 days in advance 

of the meeting. 

Notice of this meeting is given under 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 

U.S.C. app. 2). 

Dated: October 14, 2005. 

Jason Brodsky, 

Acting Associate Commissioner for External 

Relations. 

[FR Doc. 05–21036 Filed 10–20–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–01–S 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Health Resources and Services 

Administration 

Statement of Organization, Functions 

and Delegations of Authority 

This notice amends Part R of the 

Statement of Organization Functions 

and Delegations of Authority of the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS), Health Resources and 

Services Administration (HRSA) as 

amended at (60 FR 56605, November 6, 

1995; amended at 67 FR 46519, July 15, 

2002; 68 FR 787–793, January 7, 2003, 

and 68 FR 64357–64358, November 13, 

2003; and last amended at 69 FR 56433–

56434, September 21, 2004). 

This notice reflects changes to the 

organization and functions of the Office 

of Communications (RA6) and the 

Office of Information Technology (RAG) 

both in the Office of the Administrator 

(RA): Specifically, it moves the Audio 

Visual technology support function 

from the Office of Information 

Technology to the Office of 

Communications. 

Chapter RA—Office of the 

Administrator 

Section RA–10, Organization 

The Office of the Administrator (OA) 

is headed by the Administrator, Health 

Resources and Services Administration, 

who reports directly to the Secretary. 

The OA includes the following 

components: 

(1) Immediate Office of the 

Administrator (RA); 

(2) Office of Equal Opportunity and 

Civil Rights (RA2); 

(3) Office of Planning and Evaluation 

(RA5); 

(4) Office of Communications (RA6); 

(5) Office of Minority Health and 

Health Disparities (RA9); 

(6) Office of Legislation (RAE); 

(7) Office of International Health 

Affairs (RAH); and 

(8) Office of Information Technology 

(RAG). 

Section RA–20, Functions 

Delete the functional statements for 

the Office of Communications (RA6) 

and the Office of Information 

Technology (RAG) in their entirety and 

replace it with the following: 

Office of Communication (RA6) 

Provides leadership and general 

policy and program direction for, and 

conducts and coordinates 

communications and public affairs 

activities of the Agency; Specifically, (1)