Department of Health and Human Services July 1, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has added a definition of the term ``emergency response employees'' to the definitions section of the document entitled ``Implementation of Section 2695 (42 U.S.C. 300ff-131) Public Law 111-87: Infectious Diseases and Circumstances Relevant to Notification Requirements.'' This list of potentially life-threatening infectious diseases to which emergency response employees may be exposed and companion guidelines has been re-published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and is available on the NIOSH website.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a guidance entitled ``Unique Device Identification: Policy Regarding Compliance Dates for Class I and Unclassified Devices and Certain Devices Requiring Direct Marking; Immediately in Effect Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff.'' This guidance revises the guidance by the same title issued November 5, 2018, and describes FDA's intention with respect to the enforcement of unique device identification (UDI) requirements for class I and unclassified devices, other than implantable, life-sustaining, or life- supporting (I/LS/LS) devices. In this revised guidance, FDA clarifies that, at this time, in light of the considerations described in the guidance, it does not intend to enforce standard date formatting, labeling, and Global Unique Device Identification Database (GUDID) data submission requirements for these devices before September 24, 2022. The guidance is immediately in effect, but it remains subject to comment in accordance with the Agency's good guidance practices.