Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices 13539

constraints, or is federal jurisdiction

necessary? How do the rationales for

federal jurisdiction over electric power

transmission siting compare to the

reasons underlying federal jurisdiction

over the siting of natural gas pipelines?

7. How have state siting regulations

for new generation and transmission

facilities been affected by the onset of

retail competition? Has new generation

siting kept pace with demand growth in

the state? If not, why not? Is federal

jurisdiction necessary for siting of

electric power generation facilities? Has

the state actively monitored and

reported the relationship between instate capacity and peak demand in the

state? What incentives do suppliers

have to maintain adequate reserve

capacity? What are the ways to value

capacity in competitive markets? Is

reserve sharing still important in

competitive markets? Do other

institutions/market processes provide a

reasonable substitute for reserve

sharing?

8. Since the start of retail competition,

what has been the rate of generation

plant outages (scheduled and

unscheduled)? To what extent has the

state monitored these outages and

examined their causes?

Other Issues

1. What measures has the state taken

to make customer demand responsive to

changes in available supply? Has the

state provided utilities incentives to

make customers more price responsive?

Has the state moved away from average

cost pricing? What effect have these

measures had on demand and on

demand elasticity?

2. Has the state provided mechanisms

and incentives for owners of cogeneration capacity to offer power

during peak demand periods? Has the

state identified, reported, and facilitated

development of pumped storage

facilities or other approaches to

arbitraging between peak and off-peak

wholesale electricity prices?

3. What issues have arisen under

retail competition that have required

cooperation or coordination with other

states? What approach was taken to

securing this cooperation or

coordination? Are there other issues

requiring cooperation that have not yet

been addressed? Which of these issues

are the most significant?

4. How prevalent is the use of

distributed resources (e.g., distributed

generation) within the state? What

barriers do customers face to

implementing distributed resources?

5. Which specific jurisdictional issues

prevent state retail competition

programs from being as successful as

they might be?

6. Which specific technological

developments are likely to substantially

affect retail or wholesale competition in

the electric power industry that may

alter the manner in which states

structure retail competition plans?

Why? What time frame is associated

with these developments?

7. What are the lessons to be learned

from the retail electricity competition

efforts of other countries? Are there

other formerly-regulated industries in

the U.S. (e.g., natural gas) that allow

customer choice and provide useful

comparisons to retail electricity

competition? If so, what are the relevant

insights or lessons to be learned?

By direction of the Commission.

Donald S. Clark,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–5429 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6750–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

Draft Guideline for Environmental

Infection Control in Healthcare

Facilities, 2001

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), Department of Health

and Human Services (DHHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability and

request for public comment.

SUMMARY: This notice is a request for

review of and comment on the ‘‘Draft

Guideline for Environmental Infection

Control in Healthcare Facilities, 2001.’’

The guideline consists of two parts,

references, and appendices. Part I is

entitled ‘‘Background Information:

Environmental Infection Control in

Healthcare Facilities,’’ and Part II is

entitled ‘‘Recommendations for

Environmental Infection Control in

Healthcare Facilities.’’ The document

was prepared by the Healthcare

Infection Control Practices Advisory

Committee (HICPAC), the Division of

Healthcare Quality Promotion (formerly

Hospital Infections Program), the

Division of Bacterial and Mycotic

Diseases, and the Division of Parasitic

Diseases, National Center for Infectious

Diseases (NCID), and the Division of

Oral Health, National Center for Chronic

Disease Prevention and Health

Promotion, CDC.

DATES: Comments on the draft

document must be submitted in writing

on or before April 20, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft

Guideline for Environmental Infection

Control in Healthcare Facilities, 2001

should be submitted to the Resource

Center, Attention: EnviroGuide,

Division of Healthcare Quality

Promotion, CDC, Mailstop E–68, 1600

Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia

30333; fax: 404–639–6459; e-mail:

envirocomments@cdc.gov; or Internet

URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/

enviro/guide.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for copies of the Draft

Guideline for Environmental Infection

Control in Healthcare Facilities, 2001

should be submitted to the Resource

Center, Division of Healthcare Quality

Promotion, CDC, Mailstop E–68, 1600

Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia

30333; fax: 404–639–6459; e-mail:

envirorequests@cdc.gov; or Internet

URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/

enviro/guide.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 2-

part document updates and replaces

portions of the previously published

CDC Guideline for Handwashing and

Hospital Environmental Control and the

Environmental Infection Control

portions of the CDC Guideline for

Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia,

1994. Part I, ‘‘Background Information:

Environmental Infection Control in

Healthcare Facilities,’’ serves as the

background for the consensus

recommendations of HICPAC that are

contained in Part II, ‘‘Recommendations

for Environmental Infection Control in

Healthcare Facilities.’’ This guideline

also identifies key process management

elements to assist facilities in

monitoring compliance with the

evidence-based Category IA or IB

recommendations provided in Part II.

These include: (1) Conducting risk

assessment prior to construction,

renovation, demolition, or major repair

projects; (2) conducting ventilation

assessments related to construction

barrier installation; (3) establishing and

maintaining appropriate pressure

differentials for special care areas [e.g.,

operating rooms, airborne infection

isolation, protective environments]; (4)

evaluating non-tuberculous

mycobacteria culture results for possible

environmental sources; and (5)

implementing infection control

procedures to prevent environmental

spread of antibiotic-resistant grampositive cocci and assuring compliance

with these procedures.

HICPAC was established in 1991 to

provide advice and guidance to the

Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for

Health, DHHS; the Director, CDC, and

the Director, NCID, regarding the

13540 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2001 / Notices

practice of infection control and

strategies for surveillance, prevention,

and control of healthcare-associated

infections in U.S. healthcare facilities.

The committee advises CDC on

guidelines and other policy statements

regarding prevention of healthcareassociated infections and related

adverse events.

Dated: February 28, 2001.

Joseph R. Carter,

Associate Director for Management and

Operations, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 01–5376 Filed 3–5–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

Proposed Vaccine Information

Materials for Pneumococcal

Conjugate, Diphtheria, Tetanus,

Acellular Pertussis (DTaP/DT) and

Hepatitis B Vaccines

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), Department of Health

and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

SUMMARY: Under the National

Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (42 U.S.C.

300aa–26), the CDC must develop

vaccine information materials that all

health care providers are required to

give to patients/parents prior to

administration of specific vaccines. CDC

seeks written comment on proposed

new vaccine information materials for

pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and

revised vaccine information materials

for diphtheria, tetanus, acellular

pertussis (DTaP/DT) vaccines and

hepatitis B vaccine.

DATES: Written comments are invited

and must be received on or before May

7, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to Walter A. Orenstein,

M.D., Director, National Immunization

Program, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, Mailstop E–05, 1600

Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia

30333.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Walter A. Orenstein, M.D., Director,

National Immunization Program,

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, Mailstop E–05, 1600 Clifton

Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333,

telephone (404) 639–8200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act

of 1986 (Pub. L. 99–660), as amended by

section 708 of Public Law 103–183,

added section 2126 to the Public Health

Service Act. Section 2126, codified at 42

U.S.C. 300aa-26, requires the Secretary

of Health and Human Services to

develop and disseminate vaccine

information materials for distribution by

all health care providers in the United

States to any patient (or to the parent or

legal representative in the case of a

child) receiving vaccines covered under

the National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program.

Development and revision of the

vaccine information materials have been

delegated by the Secretary to the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC). Section 2126 requires that the

materials be developed, or revised, after

notice to the public, with a 60-day

comment period, and in consultation

with the Advisory Commission on

Childhood Vaccines, appropriate health

care provider and parent organizations,

and the Food and Drug Administration.

The law also requires that the

information contained in the materials

be based on available data and

information, be presented in

understandable terms, and include:

(1) A concise description of the

benefits of the vaccine,

(2) A concise description of the risks

associated with the vaccine,

(3) A statement of the availability of

the National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program, and

(4) Such other relevant information as

may be determined by the Secretary.

The vaccines initially covered under

the National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program were diphtheria,

tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps,

rubella, and poliomyelitis vaccines.

Since April 15, 1992, any health care

provider in the United States who

intends to administer one of these

covered vaccines is required to provide

copies of the relevant vaccine

information materials prior to

administration of any of these vaccines.

Since June 1, 1999, health care

providers are also required to provide

copies of vaccine information materials

for the following vaccines that were

added to the National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program: hepatitis B,

haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib),

and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines.

Instructions for use of the vaccine

information materials and copies of the

materials can be found on the CDC

website at: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/

publications/VIS/. In addition, single

camera-ready copies are available from

State health departments. A list of State

health department contacts for obtaining

copies of these materials is included in

a December 17, 1999 Federal Register

notice (64 FR 70914).

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

Information Materials

With the December 18, 1999, addition

of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to

the National Vaccine Injury

Compensation Program, CDC, as

required under 42 U.S.C. 300aa-26, is

proposing vaccine information materials

covering that vaccine, which are

included in this notice.

Revised Vaccine Information Materials

for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Acellular

Pertussis (DTaP/DT) Vaccines and

Hepatitis B Vaccine

This notice also includes proposed

revised vaccine information materials

for diphtheria, tetanus and acellular

pertussis vaccines (other than Td

vaccine) and hepatitis B vaccine.

The DTaP/DT materials are being

revised to remove references to DTP

(whole cell pertussis-containing

vaccine) because this vaccine is no

longer used in the United States. In

addition, these proposed revised

materials reflect a new adverse event

profile for DTaP, including updated

adverse event information on acellular

pertussis vaccine.

The hepatitis B materials are being

revised to note a recently approved two

dose schedule for administration to

adolescents 11 to 15 years of age as an

alternative to the three dose schedule.

Interim revised hepatitis B vaccine

information materials were published in

a September 1, 2000 Federal Register

notice (65 FR 53316) for use pending

completion of the formal revision

process.

Development of New/Revised Vaccine

Information Materials

The proposed vaccine information

materials included in this notice were

drafted in consultation with the

Advisory Commission on Childhood

Vaccines, the Food and Drug

Administration, the American Academy

of Pediatrics, American Pharmaceutical

Association, Association of American

Indian Physicians, Every Child by Two,

Immunization Action Coalition,

Immunization, Education and Action

Committee, Infectious Disease Society of

America, National Association for

Pediatric Nurse Associates and

Practitioners and the National Vaccine

Advisory Committee. Also, CDC

provided copies of the draft materials to

other organizations and sought their

consultation; however, those

organizations did not provide

comments. Comments provided by the

consultants were considered in drafting