Department of Health and Human Services February 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of Health and Human Services issues this final rule which provides that enforcement of the federal statutory health care provider conscience protections will be handled by the Department's Office for Civil Rights, in conjunction with the Department's funding components. This Final Rule rescinds, in part, and revises, the December 19, 2008 Final Rule entitled ``Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law'' (the ``2008 Final Rule''). Neither the 2008 final rule, nor this final rule, alters the statutory protections for individuals and health care entities under the federal health care provider conscience protection statutes, including the Church Amendments, Section 245 of the Public Health Service Act, and the Weldon Amendment. These federal statutory health care provider conscience protections remain in effect.

As required by section 423(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 623(c)), the Department is publishing the allotment percentage for each State under the Title IV-B Subpart 1, Child Welfare Services State Grants Program. Under section 423(a), the allotment percentages are one of the factors used in the computation of the Federal grants awarded under the Program.

NIOSH requests public review and comment on the draft publication, ``NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program Ten Year ReviewPhase I Report on Quality of Science.'' This publication is part of a review by NIOSH of its program in support of the role of the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (The Act). As stated in NIOSH Docket 194, Phase I of the review is a data-driven assessment of the dose reconstruction program. The information provided in Phase I will be used by NIOSH in considering recommendations for improving the program during Phase II of the review. This publication is the Phase I report on one of the five topics under consideration during the program review: The quality of science practiced by NIOSH in the program. The document can be found at https:// www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/archive/docket194.html.

This interim final rule amends the requirements that a long- term care (LTC) facility must meet in order to qualify to participate as a skilled nursing facility (SNF) in the Medicare program, or a nursing facility (NF) in the Medicaid program. These requirements implement section 6113 of the Affordable Care Act to ensure that, among other things, in the case of a LTC facility closure, individuals serving as administrators of a SNF or NF provide written notification of the impending closure and a plan for the relocation of residents at least 60 days prior to the impending closure or, if the Secretary terminates the facility's participation in Medicare or Medicaid, not later than the date the Secretary determines appropriate.