07-965. Notice of Meeting: Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society

Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given of the twelfth 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 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. on Monday, March 26, 2007 and 8 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, at the Marriott Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland—College Park, 3501 University Boulevard East, Adelphi, MD 20783. The meeting will be open to the public with attendance limited to space available. The meeting also will be Web cast.

The agenda will focus on the oversight of genetic testing, including the role of the private sector in assuring the quality and validity of genetic tests; the impact of gene patents and licensing practices on patient access to genetic technologies, including a progress report on the Committee's study; and the status of Federal genetic information nondiscrimination legislation. The Committee will be briefed on the Secretary's Personalized Health Care Initiative and the work of the American Health Information Community, particularly its Personalized Health Care Working Group. The Committee's report on the Policy Issues Associated with Undertaking a New Large U.S. Population Cohort Project on Genes, Environment and Disease will be released at the meeting. There also will be updates on the Committee's draft report on pharmacogenomics and several Federal initiatives and activities.

Time will be provided each day for public comments. The Committee would welcome hearing from anyone wishing to provide public comments 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 is in need of 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 views. 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://www4.od.nih.gov/​oba/​sacghs.htm.

Dated: February 22, 2007.

Anna Snouffer,

Acting Director, NIH Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy.