Statements and Testimony - 2005

• December 19, 2005 - ASM Comments on Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins--Reconstructed Replication Competent Forms of the 1918 Pandemic Influenza Virus Containing Any Portion of the Coding Regions of All Eight Gene Segments
  ASM commented on the interim final rule published in the October 20, 2005 Federal Registered on the reconstructed replication competent forms of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus containing any portion of the coding regions of all eight gene segments.

• November 16, 2005 - ASM Participates in USDA Plant and Pest Biology Workshop
  On November 16, ASM participated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) Stakeholders Workshop on Plant and Pest Biology and provided recommendations on how microbial research can enhance the five strategic goals of USDA-CSREES.

• December 5, 2005 - ASM Statement on Pandemic Influenza Plan
  The ASM sent a letter to Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services commenting on the Pandemic Influenza Plan.

• November 11, 2005 - ASM Comments on FY 2006 Appropriations
  The ASM sent a letter to the House and Senate conferees regarding the FY 2006 Labor/Health and Human Services/Education appropriations bill supporting increased funding for the NIH and CDC.

• November 10, 2005 - ASM Signs on to Coalition Letter Regarding NIH FY 2006 Funding
  ASM has cosigned a coalition letter to the House and Senate conferees on the FY 2006 appropriations bill for Labor/Health and Human Services/Education and Related Agencies in support of the Senate passed recommendation of $29.4 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

• November 8, 2005 - ASM Comments on U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), Proposed Changes to Chapter
  On November 8, 2005, the ASM submitted comments to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) regarding its proposed changes to Chapter which contains guidelines for compounding sterile products.

• November 4, 2005 - ASM Comments on the Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2005
  The ASM sent a letter to the Senate Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness commenting on Section 3, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA), in the Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2005 (S. 1873)

• November 3, 2005 - FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee Meeting (BPAC)
  On November 3, Patricia Charache, MD, member of PSAB's Committee on Laboratory Practices, provided comments to the Blood Products Advisory Committee (BPAC) regarding approaches to over-the-counter home-use HIV test kits.

• October 11, 2005 - ASM Comments on DOD Proposed Rule on Export-Controlled Information and Technology
  The ASM submitted comments in response to the Notice of the Proposed Rulemaking to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) regarding export-controlled information and technology under Department of Defense (DOD) contracts.

• August, 12, 2005 - ASM Comments to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
  The ASM submitted comments in response to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Federal Register notice requesting comments, on the NIEHS 2006 strategic plan.

• August 1, 2005 - ASM Comments on 2005 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule
  On August 1, ASM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to Publication 100-04, Change Request 3526, "2005 Annual Update for Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and Laboratory Services Subject to Reasonable Charge Payment."

• August 2, 2005 - ASM Comments on NIH Reauthorization Bill
  The ASM sent comments to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the draft legislation to amend title IV of the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend the authorities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

• July 18, 2005 - ASM Comments on FY 2006 CFSAN Program Priorities
  The ASM sent comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning the establishment of program priorities in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) for fiscal year 2006.

• July 18, 2005 – Payment Determinations for Calendar Year 2006 for New Clinical Laboratory Tests
  PSAB Professional Affairs Committee Member, Vickie Baselski, presented comments before the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at its public meeting regarding payment methodology for new laboratory tests which will be included in the 2006 Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule.

• June 16, 2005 ASM Presentation at the Biological Weapons Convention Meeting, Geneva
  The ASM presentation on the Professional Responsibilities of Scientists at the Biological Weapons Convention Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction in Geneva with comments from the International Union for Microbiological Societies.

• May 19, 2005 - ASM Comments on recommendations in the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General Report on Deemed Export Controls and the Transfer of Sensitive Technology to Foreign Nationals in the US
  The ASM sent comments to the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, on the March 28, 2005 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, "Revision and Clarification of Deemed Export Related Regulatory Requirements" on Department of Commerce Inspector General recommendations that would affect existing requirements and policies for deemed export licenses.

• May 11, 2005 - ASM Comments to SACGHS on Coverage and Reimbursement of Genetic Tests and Services
  PSAB's Committee on Professional Affairs submitted comments to the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society (SACGHS) regarding its draft report on coverage and reimbursement of genetic tests and services.

• May 11, 2005 – ASM Sends Thank You Letter to Chairman Wolf
  The ASM sent a letter to Congressman Frank Wolf, Chair of the House Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee thanking him for his letter to President Bush urging the tripling of the nation’s innovation budget, for federal basic research and development, over the next decade.

• April 27, 2005 - Laboratory Workforce Legislation
  The ASM sent a letter to Representative John Shimkus for introducing H.R. 1175, the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Act of 2005.

• March 28, 2005 - ASM Comments on Interim Final HHS Supplemental Ethics Rule
  The ASM submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Interim Final HHS Supplemental Ethics Rule which was published in the February 3, 2005 Federal Register.

• March 16, 2005 - ASM Sends Letter to State Department Regarding Visas Mantis Extensions
  The ASM sent a letter to the U.S. State Department applauding the extension of the Visas Mantis clearances to two years for scientists and scholars and to four years for students.

• March 16, 2005 - ASM Supports Specter Amendment to Budget Resolution
  The ASM sent a letter to all members of the U.S. Senate supporting Senator Arlen Specter's amendment to the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Resolution to add $1.5 billion to Health Function 550 for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

• February 4, 2005 - ASM Comments on CDC's draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of TB in Health Care Settings, 2005
  ASM's Committee on Laboratory Practices sent comments to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health Care Settings, 2005.

• February 3, 2005 - ASM Comments on FSIS Report Assessing the Listeria monocytogenes Interim Final Rule
  ASM submitted the comments in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notice requesting comments on the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) report, “Assessing the Effectiveness of the Listeria monocytogenes Interim Final Rule.” The comments were developed by the ASM Committee on Agriculture and Food Microbiology, of the Public and Scientific Affairs Board.