Notice of Meeting: Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing

Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given of the seventh meeting of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing (SACGT), U.S. Public Health Service. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on November 2, 2000 and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 3, 2000 at the National Institutes of Health, Building 31, C Wing, Conference Room 10, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892. The meeting will be open to the public with attendance limited to space available.

The Committee will hear progress reports from the working groups established at its August 4 meeting and discuss plans for future projects. The Committee will also hear presentations on current regulations governing the labeling and advertising of genetic tests and public and private sector policies regarding reimbursement for genetic testing services. There will be a limited period of time provided for public comment and interested individuals should notify the contact person listed below.

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 SACGT to advise and make recommendations to the Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for Health on all aspects of the development and use of genetic tests. The SACGT is directed to (1) recommend policies and procedures for the safe and effective incorporation of genetic technologies into health care; (2) assess the effectiveness of existing and future measures for oversight of genetic tests; and (3) identify research needs related to the Committee's purview.

The draft meeting agenda and other information about SACGT will be available at the following web site: http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/sacgt.htm Individuals who wish to provide public comments or who plan to attend the meeting and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should notify the SACGT Executive Secretary, Ms. Sarah Carr, by telephone at 301-496-9838 or E-mail at sc112c@nih.gov. The SACGT office is located at 6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 302, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.