E9-29899. Notice of Meeting: Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society

Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given of the twenty-first meeting of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS), U.S. Public Health Service. The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2010, and from 8 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, February 5, 2010, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street, NW., Washington, DC 20008. The meeting will be open to the public with attendance limited to space available. The meeting also will be Web cast.

The main agenda items involve the review of a revised report on gene patents and licensing practices, the review of a public consultation draft report on genetics education and training, and an information-gathering session on the mechanisms and policies related to genomic data sharing. Other agenda items include a preliminary discussion to help plan a future session on implications of an affordable genome; a report on activities of the Clinical Utility and Comparative Effectiveness Task Force; and updates from Federal agencies on activities related to the implementation of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the coverage and reimbursement of genetic tests, the oversight of genetic testing, and the retention and use of residual dried blood spot specimens after newborn screening.

As always, the Committee welcomes hearing from anyone wishing to provide public comment on any issue related to genetics, health and society. Individuals who would like to provide public comment should notify the SACGHS Executive Secretary, Ms. Sarah Carr, by telephone at 301-496-9838 or e-mail at [e-mail]. The SACGHS office is located at 6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20892. Anyone planning to attend the meeting who needs special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, is also asked to contact the Executive Secretary.

Under authority of 42 U.S.C. 217a, Section 222 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, the Department of Health and Human Services established SACGHS to serve as a public forum for deliberations on the broad range of human health and societal issues raised by the development and use of genetic and genomic technologies and, as warranted, to provide advice on these issues. The draft meeting agenda and other information about SACGHS, including information about access to the Web cast, will be available at the following Web site: http://oba.od.nih.gov/​SACGHS/​sacghs_​meetings.html.

Dated: December 10, 2009.

Jennifer Spaeth,

Director, NIH Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy.