Change in Date of Publication of Final HIV Content Guidelines for AIDS-Related Materials, Pictorials, Audiovisuals, Questionnaires, Survey Instruments, Marketing, Advertising and Web Site Materials, and Educational Sessions in CDC Regional, State, Territorial, Local, and Community Assistance Programs

AGENCY:

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

ACTION:

General notice.

SUMMARY:

On June 16, 2004, CDC published a notice in the Federal Register entitled “Proposed Revision of Interim HIV Content Guidelines for AIDS-Related Materials, Pictorials, Audiovisuals, Questionnaires, Survey Instruments, Marketing, Advertising, and Web Site Materials, and Educational Sessions in CDC Regional, State, Territorial, Local, and Community Assistance Programs.” The purpose of the notice was to request public comment on proposed revisions to the Guidelines last published in 1992. Also in the notice, CDC stated that it anticipated publishing a Final Guidance document within 120 days of the close of the public comment period.

The purpose of this notice is to announce a revised publication date of the Final Guidance document. CDC anticipated receiving approximately 500 public comments but received nearly 5,000 comments to both notices published on June 16, 2004. CDC is working to appropriately consider each of the comments it received. Because of the increased time that it will take to adequately review the nearly 5,000 comments, CDC now intends to publish the “Final HIV Content Guidelines for AIDS-related Materials, Pictorials, Audiovisuals, Questionnaires, Survey Instruments, Marketing, Advertising and Web Site Materials, and Educational Sessions in CDC Regional, State, Territorial, Local, and Community Assistance Programs” by spring, 2005.

On June 16, 2004, CDC also published another notice in the Federal Register entitled “Interim HIV Content Guidelines for AIDS-Related Materials, Pictorials, Audiovisuals, Questionnaires, Survey Instruments, Marketing, Advertising, and Web Site Materials, and Educational Sessions in CDC School-based Assistance Programs.” Like the notice for Community-based assistance programs, this notice requested public comment on the Interim HIV Guidelines for School-based assistance programs and stated that CDC anticipated publishing a Final Guidance document within 120 days of the close of the public comment period. CDC now also intends to publish the Final “HIV Content Guidelines for AIDS-Related Materials, Pictorials, Audiovisuals, Questionnaires, Survey Instruments, Marketing, Advertising, and Web Site Materials, and Educational Sessions in CDC School-based Assistance Programs” by spring 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Hale, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E07, Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Telephone: (404) 639-8008.