Health Resources and Services Administration 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published a Federal Register Notice on October 22, 2024, with proposed updates to the HRSA-supported Women's Preventive Services Guidelines (Guidelines). The proposed updates specifically relate to recommendations for Screening and Counseling for Intimate Partner and Domestic Violence, Breast Cancer Screening for Women at Average Risk, and Patient Navigation Services for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening. Recommendations to update the Guidelines are developed by the Women's Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) for consideration by HRSA. WPSI convenes expert health professionals to conduct rigorous reviews of the evidence following the National Academy of Medicine standards for establishing foundations for and rating strengths of recommendations, articulation of recommendations, and external reviews and it develops draft recommendations for HRSA's consideration. After consideration of public comment, HRSA has accepted the recommendations as revised and detailed in this notice. Under applicable law, non- grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers offering non-grandfathered group and individual health insurance coverage must include coverage, without cost sharing, for certain preventive services, including those provided for in the HRSA-supported Guidelines. The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury have previously issued regulations describing how group health plans and health insurance issuers apply the coverage requirements. Please see https://www.hrsa.gov/womens-guidelines for additional information.

HRSA is publishing this notice of petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (the Program), as required by the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. While the Secretary of HHS is named as the respondent in all proceedings brought by the filing of petitions for compensation under the Program, the United States Court of Federal Claims is charged by statute with responsibility for considering and acting upon the petitions.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces that the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD or Committee) will hold public meetings for the 2025 calendar year (CY). Information about ACTPCMD, agendas, and materials for these meetings can be found on the ACTPCMD website at: https://www.hrsa.gov/advisory-committees/primarycare- dentist.

HRSA requests public comments on the Draft Health Center Program Scope of Project Manual (draft Scope Policy Manual). The draft Scope Policy Manual provides updated policy guidance on what constitutes the Health Center Program scope of project under the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act).

HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Programs are requesting input from the public to inform future SCD program development.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, HHS is hereby giving notice that the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP or Council) is rechartered.

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

HRSA provided supplemental funds to the National Rural Health Information Clearinghouse Program recipient, University of North Dakota, to develop toolkits and other resources that address strategies to promote rural community health and support the improvement of health care in rural areas.

HRSA provided supplemental funds to the sole award recipient of the Rural Health and Economic Development Analysis Program to support a research project that quantifies the relationships between health care and economic factors in rural communities.

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

HRSA proposes modifications to the list of standardized tests and minimum passing scores for foreign health care workers to demonstrate English language proficiency pursuant to section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA).

This notice informs the public of the availability of the complete lists of all geographic areas, population groups, and facilities designated as primary medical care, dental health, and mental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) in a designated status as of October 15, 2024. The lists are available on the shortage area topic page on HRSA's data.hrsa.gov website.

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate below or any other aspect of the ICR.

This notice seeks comment on draft recommendations for the HRSA-supported Women's Preventive Services Guidelines ("Guidelines") relating to Screening and Counseling for Intimate Partner and Domestic Violence, Breast Cancer Screening for Women at Average Risk, and Patient Navigation for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening. These draft recommendations have been developed by the Women's Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI), through which clinicians, academics, and expert health professionals develop draft recommendations for HRSA's consideration. Under applicable law, non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers must include coverage, without cost sharing, for certain preventive services, including those provided for in the HRSA-supported Guidelines. The Departments of Labor, HHS, and Treasury have issued regulations and policy guidance which describe how group health plans and health insurance issuers apply the coverage requirements.

HRSA published a notice in the Federal Register of July 23, 2024, concerning a meeting of the National Advisory Council on Migrant Health on October 22, 2024, and October 23, 2024. The notice states the meeting will be held in-person and via webinar. However, due to the impact of recent hurricanes on council members, this meeting now will be held via webinar only on Zoom.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces that the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC or Committee) has scheduled a public meeting. Information about ACHDNC and the agenda for this meeting can be found on the ACHDNC website at https://www.hrsa.gov/advisory- committees/heritable-disorders/.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public during the review and approval period. OMB may act on HRSA's ICR only after the 30-day comment period for this notice has closed.

HRSA will provide supplemental award funds in fiscal year 2024 to the current recipient of the Supporting Healthy Start (HS) Performance Project cooperative agreement (HRSA-24-038) to support the second year of the Alumni Peer Navigator (APN) Services Pilot.

HRSA is publishing this notice of petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (the Program), as required by the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. While the Secretary of HHS is named as the respondent in all proceedings brought by the filing of petitions for compensation under the Program, the United States Court of Federal Claims is charged by statute with responsibility for considering and acting upon the petitions.

HRSA is announcing supplemental award funds through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund to the current HRSA award recipient to expand activities under the Autism Longitudinal Data Project (ALDP). The funding will be used to create and share a combined de-identified dataset from the Boston Birth Cohort (BBC), Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Social Determinants of Health database.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces that the Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality (ACIMM or Committee) has scheduled a public meeting. Information about ACIMM and the agenda for this meeting can be found on the ACIMM website at https://www.hrsa.gov/advisory-committees/infant- mortality/.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this notice announces a change to the 2-day Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME or Council) public meeting scheduled for September 12, 2024, and September 13, 2024. The meeting will now be a 1-day meeting held on September 12, 2024. Information about COGME, agendas, and materials for this meeting can be found on the COGME website at https:/ /www.hrsa.gov/advisory-committees/graduate-medical-edu/meetin gs. This notice supersedes information about COGME's 2024 meetings found in the Federal Register notice dated December 15, 2023, Meeting of the Council on Graduate Medical Education.