83 FR 6179 - Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 30 (February 13, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6179-6185]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02821]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the 
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated 
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as 
amended most recently at 81 FR 84583-84591, dated November 23, 2016) is 
amended to reflect the reorganization of the National Center for 
Environmental Health, Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and 
Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    Delete in its entirety the titles and mission and function 
statements for the National Center for Environmental Health (CUG) and 
insert the following:
    National Center for Environmental Health (CUG). Plans, directs, and 
coordinates a national program to maintain and improve the health of 
the American people by promoting a healthy environment and by 
preventing premature death and avoidable illness and disability caused 
by non infectious, non occupational environmental and related factors. 
In carrying out this mission, the Center: (1) Assists in increasing the 
capacity of States to prevent and control environmental public health 
problems through training, technology transfer, grants, cooperative 
agreements, contracts, and other means; (2) provides services, advice, 
technical assistance, and information to State and local public health 
officials, other Federal agencies, academic, professional, 
international, and private organizations, and the general public; (3) 
plans for and provides emergency response assistance to States, 
localities, other Federal agencies, and international organizations; 
(4) identifies, designs, develops, implements, influences, and 
evaluates interventions to reduce or eliminate environmental hazards, 
exposures to these hazards, and adverse health outcomes resulting from 
exposure to these hazards; (5) measures, estimates, and predicts the 
incidence of adverse health outcomes through surveillance, surveys, and 
registries; (6) measures, estimates, and predicts the incidence of 
exposure to substances, conditions, or forces in the environment 
through surveillance, surveys, and registries; (7) describes and 
evaluates associations between environmental exposures and adverse 
health outcomes by using information from surveillance systems, 
surveys, registries, epidemiologic and laboratory studies, and by 
developing and maintaining a broad base of normative and diagnostic 
laboratory data; (8) develops and validates advanced laboratory 
technology for diagnosing selected chronic diseases and for assessing 
exposure and health effects in persons exposed or potentially exposed 
to environmental toxicants or other environmental agents; (9) develops 
and validates new epidemiologic techniques for use in study of the 
effects of exposure to environmental hazards; (10) provides leadership 
in coordinating efforts in States and in national and international 
organizations concerned with standardizing selected laboratory 
measurement systems; (11) conducts special programs, e.g., coordination 
and review of Environmental Impact Statements; and (12) in carrying out 
the above functions, collaborates, as appropriate, with other Centers/
Institute/Offices of CDC.
    Office of the Director (CUG1). (1) Manages, directs, coordinates, 
and evaluates all health-related programs of National Center for 
Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry (NCEH & ATSDR); (2) provides overall leadership in health-
related activities for hazardous substances, hazardous waste sites and 
chemical releases; (3) provides overall coordination for the research 
programs and science policies of the agencies; (4) develops goals and 
objectives and provides leadership, policy formulation, scientific 
oversight, and guidance in program planning and development; (5) 
provides overall programmatic direction for planning and management 
oversight of allocated resources, human resource management and 
administrative support; (6) provides information, publication and 
distribution services to NCEH & ATSDR; (7) maintains liaison with other 
Federal, State, and local agencies, institutions, and organizations; 
(8) coordinates NCEH & ATSDR program activities with other CDC 
components, other Federal, State and local Government agencies, the 
private sector, and other nations; and (9) directs and coordinates 
activities in support of the Department's Equal Employment Opportunity 
program and employee development.
    Office of Communication (CUG12). (1) Serves as the principal 
advisor to the center director and divisions on communication and 
marketing science, research, practice, and public affairs; (2) leads 
center strategic planning for communication and marketing science and 
public affairs programs and projects; (3) analyzes context, situation, 
and environment to inform center-wide communication and marketing 
programs and projects; (4) ensures use of scientifically sound research 
for marketing and communication programs and projects; (5) ensures 
accurate, accessible, timely, and effective translation of science for 
use by multiple audiences; (6) leads identification and implementation 
of information dissemination channels; (7) provides communication and 
marketing project management expertise; (8) collaborates with external 
organizations and the news, public service, and entertainment and other 
media to ensure that scientific findings and their implications for 
public health reach the intended audiences; (9) collaborates closely 
with divisions to produce materials tailored to meet the requirements 
of news and other media channels, including press releases, letters to 
the editor, public service announcements, television programming, video 
news releases, and other electronic and printed materials; (10) 
coordinates the development and maintenance of accessible public 
information through the internet, social media and other applicable 
channels; (11) provides training and technical assistance in the areas 
of health communication, risk communication, social marketing, and 
public affairs; (12)

[[Page 6180]]

manages or coordinates communication services such as internet/
Intranet, application development, social media, video production, 
graphics, photography, CDC name/logo use and other brand management; 
(13) provides editorial services, including writing, editing, and 
technical editing; (14) facilitates internal communication to center 
staff and allied audiences; (15) supervises and manages Office of 
Communications activities, programs, and staff; (16) serves as liaison 
to internal and external groups to advance the center's mission; (17) 
collaborates with the CDC Office of the Associate Director for 
Communication on media relations, electronic communication, health 
media production, and brand management activities; (18) collaborates 
with the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response and other 
NCEH & ATSDR entities to fulfill communication responsibilities in 
emergency response situations; (19) collaborates with other CDC 
Centers/Institute/Offices in the development of marketing 
communications targeted to populations that would benefit from a cross-
functional approach; and (20) ensures NCEH & ATSDR materials meet CDC 
and Department of Health and Human Services standards.
    Office of Policy, Partnerships and Planning (CUG13). (1) 
Coordinates, develops, recommends and implements strategic planning and 
tracking for NCEH & ATSDR; (2) develops and coordinates performance 
management to ensure achievement of goals in NCEH & ATSDR programs; (3) 
participates in reviewing, coordinating, and preparing legislation, 
briefing documents, Congressional testimony, and other legislative 
matters; (4) maintains liaison and coordinates with other Federal 
agencies for program planning and performance; (5) assists in the 
development of NCEH & ATSDR budget and program initiatives; (6) 
provides liaison with staff offices and other officials of CDC; (7) 
monitors and prepares reports on health-related activities to comply 
with provisions of relevant legislation; (8) coordinates the 
development, review, and approval of Federal regulations, Federal 
Register announcements, Freedom Of Information Act requests, GAO and IG 
reports, and related activities; (9) develops and strengthens strategic 
partnerships with key constituent groups; and (10) facilitates 
communication between NCEH & ATSDR and its partners.
    Office of Management and Analytics (CUG14). (1) Plans, manages, 
directs, and conducts the administrative and financial management 
operations of NCEH & ATSDR; (2) reviews the effectiveness and 
efficiency of administration and operation of all NCEH & ATSDR 
programs; (3) develops and directs systems for human resource 
management, financial services, procurement requisitioning, and travel 
authorization; (4) provides and coordinates services for the extramural 
award activities of NCEH & ATSDR; (5) formulates and provides overall 
programmatic direction for planning and management oversight of 
allocated resources, human resource management and administrative 
support; (6) develops and directs a system for cost recovery; (7) 
enables and supports NCEH & ATSDR data management, systems development, 
and information security needs; (8) directs and coordinates activities 
in support of the Department's Equal Employment Opportunity program and 
employee development; (9) coordinates employee training programs; (10) 
develops and directs employee engagement programs; (11) analyzes NCEH & 
ATSDR workforce, systems, and resources; and (12) manages and conducts 
a record management program for NCEH & ATSDR in accordance with 
Congressional mandate.
    Office of Science (CUG15). (1) Ensures NCEH & ATSDR compliance with 
the various statutes, regulations, and policies governing the conduct 
of science by the federal government, including: Human subjects 
research determinations, the protection of human research subjects and 
the use of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), the OMB Paperwork 
Reduction Act (relating to the collection of information from ten or 
more people in a 12-month period), the OMB Information Quality 
Bulletin, Confidentiality Protection, and the Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, and its ``Privacy 
Rule''); and others; (2) develops and maintains the NCEH & ATSDR 
Clearance Policy and managing and conducting clearance for NCEH & ATSDR 
documents; (3) coordinates and manages document cross-clearance between 
NCEH & ATSDR and other parts of CDC; facilitating center reviews of 
external documents, coordinating and managing information quality 
requests concerning NCEH & ATSDR documents; (4) coordinates and manages 
external peer review for NCEH & ATSDR documents and intramural 
programs; (5) coordinates and manages the activities of the NCEH & 
ATSDR Board of Scientific Counselors (a Federal Advisory Committee) and 
its subcommittees and workgroups; (6) coordinates interagency 
workgroups/committees such as the President's Task Force on 
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, and the 
National Toxicology Program Executive Committee; (7) coordinates and 
manages NCEH & ATSDR involvement in the Epidemic Intelligence Service 
Program; (8) coordinates NCEH & ATSDR involvement in CDC public health 
ethics activities; (9) coordinates NCEH & ATSDR involvement in CDC 
science awards activities (e.g., the Shepard Award, and CDC/ATSDR Honor 
Awards); (10) organizes and sponsors select training opportunities 
(e.g., Human Subjects/IRB, OMB/PRA, and eClearance Training for Authors 
and Reviewers); (11) represents NCEH & ATSDR on various CDC/ATSDR 
committees, work groups, and task forces, such as the CDC/ATSDR Office 
of the Chief Science Officer's Excellence in Science Committee, and the 
CDC Surveillance Science Advisory Group; (12) coordinates NCEH & ATSDR 
global health activities; (13) coordinates and manages the NCEH & ATSDR 
Healthy People 2020; (14) prepares an annual inventory of NCEH & ATSDR 
publications; and (15) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy 
Act, reviews draft Environmental Impact Statements on behalf of HHS 
where the proposed federal actions impact human health.
    Division of Laboratory Sciences (CUGD). (1) Provides advanced 
laboratory science to improve the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and 
prevention of environmental, tobacco-related, nutritional, newborn, 
selected chronic and selected infectious diseases; (2) provides 
advanced laboratory science to rapidly and accurately detect chemical 
threat agents, radiologic threat agents, and selected toxins; (3) 
develops, maintains, and applies unique, rapid, and high-quality 
measurement techniques to assess disease risk, identify harmful 
environmental exposures or nutrition deficiencies among Americans, and 
respond to public health emergencies (4) provides laboratory 
measurements in collaborative studies of human disease and vulnerable 
populations; (5) provides technical assistance, technology transfer, 
reference laboratory measurements, laboratory standardization programs, 
and external quality assurance to state and local public health 
laboratories and health officials; Federal agencies; international 
organizations; academic, international, and private laboratories; and 
professional organizations to continuously improve the accuracy, 
precision, and cost effectiveness of

[[Page 6181]]

laboratory tests for environmental chemicals, nutrition indicators, 
heart disease, stroke and newborn screening; and (6) collaborates with 
other CDC organizations; Federal, State, and local agencies; and 
private and professional organizations to investigate new or emerging 
health concerns.
    Inorganic and Radiation Analytical Toxicology Branch (CUGDC). (1) 
Develops, maintains, and distributes, as appropriate, analytical 
methods to measure trace essential and toxic elements in human 
specimens; (2) applies analytical methods to assess human exposure to 
chemicals, including surveillance of levels in the population, 
epidemiologic studies, and emergency-response investigations; (3) 
provides training, guidance, and assistance to state and local 
governments, and domestic and international laboratories in the 
development, maintenance, and technology transfer of analytical 
capability for measuring trace-essential and toxic elements in 
specimens from people and animals; (4) develops and maintains 
analytical capability and expertise, and distributes, as appropriate, 
standards, reference materials, and protocols for measuring chemicals 
in response to both terrorist and non-terrorist events; (5) 
distributes, as appropriate, standards, reference materials, and 
protocols to assist state, international, and other laboratories in 
transferring laboratory technology for urine iodine biomonitoring, 
blood metals biomonitoring, and radiologic analyses; and (6) provides 
technical assistance and guidance to governmental agencies, academia, 
and professional societies regarding quality control issues related to 
biomonitoring for inorganic and radiologic chemicals.
    Clinical Chemistry Branch (CUGDD). (1) Develops and maintains 
analytical methods and expertise in the measurement, interpretation and 
standardization of chronic disease biomarkers, chemicals known to cause 
disease or health concerns, and biological toxins; (2) develops, 
establishes and maintains laboratory standardization and improvement 
programs to assist state, national and international agencies and 
organizations to better diagnose, treat and prevent selected chronic 
diseases and infectious diseases; (3) applies these analytical methods 
and standardization procedures to: Assess chronic disease status or 
human exposure to environmental chemicals, toxins, and pathogens; 
standardize disease biomarker measurements; and improve the safety and 
quality of biological preparations; (4) provides laboratory science to 
diagnose diseases caused by selected viral and bacterial organisms, and 
assess the effectiveness of disease treatment and prevention efforts; 
and (5) provides review, expert consultation, technical assistance, 
training, guidance and/or original scientific publications and 
information to federal, state, local and international investigations, 
surveys, studies, and/or government inquiries on topics related to 
human exposure assessment, standards development, analytical 
instrumentation as well as prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of 
chronic diseases, exposure to environmental chemicals, influenza, 
toxins and human pathogens.
    Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch (CUGDE). (1) Develops and 
maintains analytical methods to measure selected synthetic and 
naturally occurring organic chemicals, their metabolites, and reaction 
products (adducts) in human specimens; (2) applies these analytical 
methods to assess human exposures to these chemicals for many purposes, 
including surveillance of levels in the population, epidemiological 
studies, and emergency response investigations; (3) aids in 
transferring these methods within Division laboratories and to state, 
local and other public health laboratories; (4) develops and prepares 
various matrix-based quality control materials for use in such 
analyses; and (5) provides review, expert consultation, and original 
scientific publications/information to Federal, state, local, and 
international governments and health organizations on topics related to 
human exposure assessment, organic analytical methodology, high 
technology analytical instrumentation, preparation and analysis of 
biological specimens, quality control procedures, laboratory safety, 
and medical interpretation of laboratory findings.
    Newborn Screening and Molecular Biology Branch (CUGDG). (1) 
Provides leadership, technical consultation and assistance in 
laboratory testing for newborn screening, genetic and other diseases of 
public health importance to State Public Health laboratories, Federal 
agencies, academic centers, professional organizations, international 
laboratories, and manufacturers of diagnostic products involved in 
performing relevant laboratory measurements; (2) provides leadership, 
oversight and administration of the dried-blood spot (DBS) quality 
assurance program that is necessary for both domestic and international 
laboratories that screen for newborn disorders including metabolic 
conditions as well as inherited genetic and other select treatable 
adverse conditions in newborns; (3) develops, evaluates, standardizes, 
and maintains laboratory methods for biochemical and genetic assays for 
diseases of public health significance, immune disorders, DBS assays 
utilized by newborn screening programs worldwide; and (4) evaluates and 
refines existing and emerging laboratory technologies for measurement 
and study of biomarkers for clinical applications and population-based 
screening for diseases and genetic risk factors of public health 
importance.
    Emergency Response Branch (CUGDH). (1) Develops and maintains 
analytical methods to measure, in human specimens, toxic substances 
that are known or potential agents for use in chemical terrorism; (2) 
applies these measurements in response to chemical terrorism or 
chemical exposure emergencies and, as part of a coordinated Federal 
response, deploys a rapid response laboratory team to assist in 
obtaining human specimens for analysis; (3) transfers technology, 
provides training, and provides technical assistance for measurement of 
chemical agents in human specimens to a network of laboratories that 
provide additional capacity for responding to chemical terrorism; (4) 
provides review and expert consultation to Federal, state, local and 
international governments and health organizations on assessing and 
interpreting biomonitoring measurements of chemical agents likely to be 
used in terrorism; and (5) for toxic substances of public health 
concern but unlikely to be involved in chemical terrorism, transfers 
biomonitoring technology (including analytical methods), provides 
biomonitoring training, and provides technical assistance in 
biomonitoring to state laboratories.
    Nutritional Biomarkers Branch (CUGDJ). (1) Develops and maintains 
analytical methods and expertise in the measuring and interpreting of 
physiologic levels of essential nutrients, nonessential nutrients, and 
relevant metabolites; (2) develops and maintains analytical methods to 
measure bioactive dietary compounds, other than those needed to meet 
basic human nutritional needs, that are responsible for changes in 
health status; (3) applies analytical methods to assess human 
nutritional status or exposure to bioactive dietary compounds for 
purposes including surveillance of levels in the population, 
epidemiological studies, intervention trails, and emergency-response 
investigations; (4) provides technical assistance, training, and 
guidance to national, state, international, and local investigations, 
surveys, food fortification and clinical studies of

[[Page 6182]]

nutritional status, prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of chronic 
diseases; and (5) develops, maintains, and distributes, as appropriate, 
standards, reference materials, protocols, standardization programs, 
and external quality assessment programs to assist state, 
international, and other laboratories in transferring laboratory 
technology and in establishing and maintaining quality control and 
calibration of methods for nutritional biomarkers and markers of 
physiologic changes.
    Tobacco and Volatiles Branch (CUGDK). (1) Develops, maintains, and 
applies analytical methods to measure biomarkers of exposure to toxic 
substances and applies these analytical methods to assess human 
exposures to volatile organic compounds for many purposes; (2) develops 
and maintains analytical methods and measures addictive and toxic 
substances in tobacco products, in tobacco smoke and in the blood, 
urine and saliva of smokers and persons exposed to tobacco smoke; (3) 
determines how different tobacco additives and changes in product 
construction and design affect delivery of addictive and toxic 
substances from tobacco products to people; (4) for the U.S. 
population, regularly measures the percent of persons who are smokers 
and the exposure of Americans to the major toxic constituents of 
tobacco smoke; (5) for the U.S. population, regularly measures the 
exposure of Americans to secondhand smoke; and (6) collaborates in 
human studies of disease risk associated with direct and secondhand 
tobacco smoke exposure and use of other tobacco products.
    Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (CUGE). (1) 
Provides national and international leadership for the coordination, 
delivery, and evaluation of environmental health interventions and 
services; (2) advances environmental public health practice to better 
serve and protect the health of all people in the United States; (3) 
develops methods and conducts activities to assess risk to human 
populations from exposure to environmental hazards; (4) conducts and 
disseminates findings of surveillance, epidemiologic research, 
environmental assessments, and other scientific investigations of human 
exposure to environmental hazards; (5) develops mechanisms to 
disseminate information on environmental health interventions, risks, 
technologies, and best practices to state, tribal, local, and 
territorial health departments and to other agencies with related 
responsibilities; (6) maintains liaison with and serves as a primary 
federal resource for consultation and specialized technical assistance 
to federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial agencies; other 
national, international, and private organizations; and academic 
institutions for environmental health issues; (7) provides consultation 
and technical assistance on the development and implementation of 
environmental health programs addressing the prevention of human health 
problems associated with environmental hazards; (8) serves as CDC lead 
on safe water issues with focus on an all-hazards approach to 
recreational water, drinking water systems, private wells, and other 
private drinking water sources; (9) serves as CDC lead for control and 
prevention of environmental causes of Legionnaires' disease; (10) 
serves as CDC lead for prevention of environmental causes of foodborne 
illnesses and outbreaks; (11) operates a model vessel sanitation 
program that includes the development of standards, inspection of 
vessels, sanitation and disease prevention training of the cruise ship 
industry, conducting gastrointestinal (GI) illness surveillance and 
disease outbreak investigations on vessels sailing internationally; 
(12) provides guidance and technical assistance to the cruise ship 
industry on the control and prevention of GI illnesses on vessels; (13) 
plans, develops, implements, and evaluates training programs, 
workshops, technical manuals and guidance, and model standards to 
strengthen the technical capacity of environmental health practitioners 
in constituent agencies and organizations, including state, tribal, 
local, and territorial governments; (14) provides leadership in the 
development and implementation of asthma control programs and 
strategies to reduce the asthma exacerbations and deaths; (15) serves 
as CDC lead for epidemiologic research and investigations of 
respiratory diseases, other illnesses related to air pollutants, and 
outbreaks of acute respiratory diseases related to environmental 
hazards; (16) serves as CDC lead for climate-related public health 
activities; (17) provides national and international leadership and 
support in the development, implementation and use of environmental 
health surveillance through the National Environmental Public Health 
Tracking Program and related efforts for climate, asthma, lead, 
radiation, and other environmentally related conditions; (18) serves as 
the CDC lead for the elimination and prevention of childhood lead 
poisoning; (19) provides radiation health expertise and leadership in 
areas addressing public exposures to radiation including environmental 
exposures, medical exposures, and nuclear/radiological emergency 
preparedness and response; (20) serves as the HHS and CDC lead for 
public health oversight associated with chemical weapons 
demilitarization processes and related activities conducted by the 
Department of Defense and its contractors; (21) conducts emergency 
response and associated field studies to address natural or man-made 
events, disease outbreaks, and requests for epidemiologic, toxicologic, 
or other environmental health assistance from federal, state, local, 
territorial, tribal or international governments; (22) ensures the 
participation and involvement of the public and other stakeholders in 
the division's programs, as appropriate; and (23) coordinates division 
activities with other CDC components and HHS agencies, as appropriate.
    Office of the Director (CUGE1). (1) Plans, directs and manages the 
activities of the division; (2) directs strategic planning and 
alignment with NCEH & ATSDR mission, goals, and priorities; (3) 
coordinates cross-cutting activities on children's health, healthy 
homes, tribal activities, surveillance harmonization, emergency 
preparedness, and workforce development; (4) serves as a conduit to 
intra and inter-agency entities through active collaborations, 
strategic planning efforts and formal exchange with emergency 
preparedness and response stakeholders including intelligence, 
legislative, & budgetary entities; (5) coordinates NCEH and ATSDR 
emergency management resources to support efforts to protect the 
public's health from environmental threats; and (6) provides incident 
management and coordination for complex emergency management including 
the development, approval, and updating of standardized processes to 
enable appropriate and adequate management of resources.
    Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch (CUGEB). (1) 
Advances environmental public health practice to better serve and 
protect the health of all people in the United States; (2) provides 
leadership on safe water activities from an environmental public health 
perspective, with particular focus on an all-hazards approach to 
recreational water, drinking water systems, household wells, and other 
private drinking water sources; (3) investigates risks for exposure to 
and health effects from contaminants in drinking water to identify 
hazardous exposures and develop recommendations for minimizing

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exposure and reducing public health risks; (4) disseminates, 
communicates, and promotes information to protect communities from 
adverse health impacts from water pollutants; (5) serves as CDC lead 
for prevention of environmental causes of foodborne illnesses and 
outbreaks; (6) develops methods and conducts activities to ensure the 
translation of new technology and prevention research findings into 
prevention and control programs and activities at the state, tribal, 
local, and territorial levels (especially for water and food safety); 
(7) develops technical guidelines and model standards for environmental 
health program areas addressed at the state, tribal, local, and 
territorial levels (especially for water and food safety); (8) promotes 
and assists in the determination and investigation of environmental 
antecedents and solutions to disease problems, especially when 
potentially related to waterborne or foodborne agents; (9) develops, 
implements, and evaluates training programs and workshops, develops 
model performance standards, and provides decision support tools to 
strengthen professional competency among environmental health 
practitioners at the state, tribal, local, and territorial levels; (10) 
supports state and local environmental health programs through 
information exchange, direct technical assistance, and evaluation of 
existing programs; (11) supports the professional development of 
environmental health practitioners through collaboration with schools 
of public and environmental health, state, tribal, local, and 
territorial health agencies, and others; (12) serve as NCEH & ATSDR 
lead for vector-borne disease, in collaboration with and support of 
other CDC components; (13) serves as national and international model 
and CDC lead for comprehensive vessel sanitation operational 
inspections and oversight for vessels that have a foreign itinerary, 
call on U.S. ports, and carry 13 or more passengers, including the 
following responsibilities: (a) Ensures and coordinates epidemiologic 
investigations of GI illness outbreaks occurring aboard vessels within 
CDC's jurisdiction, (b) conducts syndromic surveillance for GI illness 
among passengers and crew for all voyages on vessels under CDC's 
jurisdiction, (c) plans, implements, and evaluates sanitation training 
for cruise ship supervisors, (d) reviews plans for vessel renovations 
and new vessel construction, and conducts construction inspections, (e) 
disseminates information on vessel sanitation inspections and other 
related information to the traveling public, (f) provides direct 
technical assistance to cruise lines, other U.S. government agencies, 
foreign governments, and others on the development and maintenance of 
vessel sanitation standards and policies; and (14) coordinates 
activities through the division and with other components of CDC; other 
federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial government agencies; and 
other public and private organizations, as appropriate.
    Asthma and Community Health Branch (CUGEC). (1) Develops, 
implements, and evaluates the National Asthma Control Program to reduce 
asthma morbidity and mortality and to address asthma disparities; (2) 
conducts epidemiologic research and investigations of asthma morbidity 
and mortality; (3) supports surveillance activities for asthma, and 
other respiratory diseases as appropriate, to quantify burden and guide 
interventions; (4) identifies the evidence for and promotes and tracks 
interventions that reduce the burden of asthma, focusing on populations 
with a disproportionate burden of the disease; (5) develops and 
disseminates training, tools and other resources to strengthen and 
sustain asthma control activities and technical capacity among program 
partners at the national, state, local, territorial, and tribal level; 
(6) provides technical consultation to state, local, private, 
international, and other federal agencies on asthma control, 
surveillance, epidemiology, and evaluation; (7) disseminates, 
communicates, and promotes information from surveillance and health 
studies related to asthma control to diverse audiences; (8) assesses 
the strength of evidence on air pollution exposures and public health; 
(9) conducts epidemiologic research and investigations of non-
occupational human exposure to air pollutants and their potential 
health effects; (10) develops methods for assessing exposure and risk 
to human health from air pollutants and, in selected circumstances, 
conducts exposure and risk assessments; (11) designs and evaluates 
behavioral, policy, technological, and community design interventions 
to reduce exposures to air pollution and improve health; (12) 
facilitates international efforts to reduce indoor air pollution from 
cookstoves; (13) develops and coordinates training and decision support 
tools to strengthen and sustain air pollution activities and technical 
capacity among program partners at the national, state, local, 
territorial, and tribal level; (14) provides consultation to federal, 
state, local, territorial, tribal, private, and international agencies 
on non-occupational environmental issues related to air pollutants; 
(15) disseminates, communicates, and promotes information to protect 
communities from adverse health impacts from air pollution; (16) 
conducts epidemiologic research into the potential health effects of 
climate change and climate variability; (17) develops methods for 
assessing current and projected future risk to human health from 
climate change and climate variability; (18) designs and evaluates 
public health adaptation and intervention strategies for reducing the 
impacts of climate change and climate variability on health; (19) 
develops and coordinates training and decision support tools to 
strengthen and sustain public health adaptation activities related to 
climate change and climate variability; (20) helps build technical 
capacity among program partners at the national, state, local, 
territorial, and tribal level; (21) provides consultation to state, 
local, private, international, and other federal agencies on human 
health issues related to climate change and climate variability; (22) 
disseminates, communicates, and promotes information about public 
health adaptation to climate change and climate variability to diverse 
audiences; (23) enhances healthy community design by helping public 
health, and transportation by providing convenient and safe 
opportunities to walk, bicycle, and use public transit; (24) develops 
and maintains quality partnerships with key program stakeholders; and 
(25) coordinates asthma, air, and climate activities through the 
division and with other components of CDC; other federal, state, 
tribal, local, and territorial government agencies; and other public 
and private organizations, as appropriate.
    Lead Poisoning Prevention and Environmental Health Tracking Branch 
(CUGED). (1) Implements the National Environmental Public Health 
Tracking Program, establishing goals and objectives to ensure the 
provision of information from a nationwide network of integrated health 
and environmental data that drives actions to improve the health of 
communities; (2) establishes standards, processes, and protocols to 
guide scientific activities and content in the National Environmental 
Public Health Tracking Network and component state, local, territorial 
and tribal networks; (3) provides standardized and integrated health,

[[Page 6184]]

environmental, and hazard data from multiple information systems at the 
national, state, and local levels; (4) fills key environmental health 
data and information gaps through application of novel and 
nontraditional data, technologies, tools and methods; (5) coordinates 
development of training, workforce capacity, and infrastructure to 
support and sustain environmental public health tracking among program 
partners at the national, state, local, territorial, and tribal level; 
(6) develops tools and products used to synthesize environmental public 
health surveillance data to support public health decision making at 
the national, state, and local levels; (7) continually modernizes and 
enhances the tracking network's underlying IT and informatics 
technology to address stakeholder information needs; (8) develops and 
maintains quality partnerships with key environmental public health 
tracking stakeholders; (9) facilitates communication and coordination 
of environmental public health tracking activities across and within 
health and environmental agencies; (10) facilitates and conducts 
scientific activities for environmental public health tracking; (11) 
disseminates, communicates, and promotes use of environmental public 
health tracking information to diverse audiences; (12) conducts 
continuous quality improvement for environmental public health tracking 
activities; (13) establishes goals and objectives for a national 
childhood lead poisoning prevention program for CDC, which includes 
reduction of lead exposures from all sources, including lead-based 
paint and lead in water; (14) works with U.S. Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Energy, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology and other agencies to develop and 
implement an integrated national program to eliminate childhood lead 
poisoning; (15) serves as the lead agency for coordinating efforts 
designed to achieve national program objectives and performance 
standards related to the prevention of childhood lead poisoning; (16) 
provides consultation and assistance to federal agencies, state and 
local health agencies, and others in planning, developing, and 
implementing childhood lead poisoning prevention programs; (17) 
develops, conducts, and evaluates epidemiologic research on childhood 
lead poisoning, its causes, geographic distribution, trends and risk 
factors; (18) assists state and local government agencies by providing 
epidemiologic assistance for special studies and investigations related 
to childhood lead poisoning prevention; (19) develops and helps 
implement, in concert with other federal agencies, national 
organizations, and other appropriate groups, a training agenda for 
health professionals and workers related to childhood lead poisoning 
prevention activities; (20) provides support to the CDC/NCEH Federal 
Advisory Committee relevant to lead poisoning prevention; and (21) 
coordinates environmental health surveillance/tracking and childhood 
lead poisoning prevention activities through the division and with 
other components of CDC; other federal, state, tribal, local, and 
territorial government agencies; and other public and private 
organizations, as appropriate.
    Emergency Management, Radiation, and Chemical Branch (CUGEE). (1) 
Provides scientifically based technical assistance and guidance to 
state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments to safeguard 
the American public against radiation exposures; (2) provides 
radiation-related education, training, and information to the public 
health and clinician communities and the general public; (3) 
collaborates with public health partners in state, tribal, local, 
territorial, federal, international, and nongovernment organizations on 
radiation-related health issues; (4) supports the ability of CDC and 
HHS staff to prepare for and respond to nuclear/radiological 
emergencies; (5) explores emerging radiation-related health threats; 
(6) serves as the HHS and CDC lead for activities related to chemical 
weapons demilitarization; (7) conducts reviews of Department of Defense 
(DOD) chemical demilitarization plans, calling on appropriate experts 
within and outside CDC and HHS; (8) reviews air monitoring and 
analytical plans and performance for demilitarization of chemical 
weapons; (9) ensures that adequate provisions are made for public 
health and worker safety during chemical demilitarization activities; 
(10) coordinates activities with DOD agencies and state and local 
health and environmental agencies concerning chemical demilitarization 
plans and operations, including the evaluation of medical readiness; 
(11) performs site visits before and during chemical demilitarization 
operations; (12) reviews and provides relevant public health 
information to health professionals and the public, and ensures the 
participation and involvement of the public and other stakeholders, as 
appropriate; (13) reviews and evaluates closure plans for chemical 
demilitarization including decontamination and waste-handling 
activities; (14) reviews on-site emergency response plans for chemical 
demilitarization activities; (15) conducts epidemiologic research and 
investigations of human exposure and health effects related to 
environmental hazards (excluding foodborne illness outbreaks and lead, 
air and water pollution) of the following types: (a) Physical agents, 
(b) chemical and metal agents, including those causing acute effects 
and other more long-term effects such as carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, 
and teratogenesis, (c) biological agents, including both technologic 
and natural toxins and/or allergens (except infectious disease-causing 
agents), (d) natural and technologic disasters, including natural 
events such as floods, drought, tornadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, and 
volcanic eruptions, and events resulting from human activities, (e) 
diseases and syndromes of uncertain etiology and/or potentially related 
to environmental hazards, (f) multipollutant or multimedia studies, (g) 
emerging environmental topics that may impact public health; (16) 
provides epidemiologic leadership, technical assistance, and guidelines 
related to investigation and communications of disease clusters; (17) 
provides epidemiologic and statistical support to other environmental 
health programs as appropriate; (18) develops methods and activities 
directed toward assessing risk to human populations from exposure to 
environmental hazards; (19) provides surveillance, epidemiologic 
emergency response for, and epidemiologic study of natural and other 
environmental disasters; (20) provides consultation to state, local, 
and other federal agencies, as well as to international and private 
organizations, on environmental health issues; (21) provides public 
health guidance and resources based on scientific evidence to state, 
tribal, local, territorial, and international public health departments 
so that they may prepare and respond to environmental public health 
events (such as unplanned releases and spills); (22) works in 
collaboration across NCEH & ATSDR and other CDC components to respond 
to and, where designated, provide technical assistance on HHS 
activities associated with emergency response to technological and 
environmental disasters; (23) provides technical assistance, as 
appropriate, on health consultations and assistance in the medical care 
and testing of exposed individuals to private or public health care 
providers in cases of public health emergencies; (24) develops, 
implements, and manages programs to enhance the

[[Page 6185]]

emergency response readiness of CDC and other national, regional, 
state, local, and international public health organizations; (25) 
develops capacity within the states to integrate new and existing 
epidemiological and scientific principles into operational and 
programmatic expertise in emergency preparedness, response, and 
recovery; (26) identifies and shares best practices from all academic 
and operational fields to develop appropriate technical assistance for 
state and local departments of health for all-hazards preparedness, 
response, and recovery; (27) provides technical assistance related to 
the development of contingency plans, training, and operational liaison 
activities with other agencies and response teams engaged in emergency 
responses; (28) coordinates activities through the division and with 
other components of CDC; other federal, state, tribal, local, and 
territorial government agencies; and other public and private 
organizations, as appropriate; (29) supports NCEH and ATSDR emergency 
management efforts to protect the public's health from environmental 
threats; (31) facilitates situational awareness, fusion, and outreach 
by developing and disseminating timely assessments of evolving events, 
courses of action, and communication to intra and inter-agency 
partners; (32) supports incident management and coordination for 
complex emergency management including the development, approval, and 
updating of standardized processes to enable appropriate and adequate 
management of resources; (33) serves as the NCEH & ATSDR subject matter 
experts for facilitating emergency management planning, training, and 
exercise; including identification of requirements, key skillsets/
capabilities, capacity, and critical gaps in our preparedness posture; 
(34) works with the National Response Program and CDC guidelines to 
collaborate with stakeholders during emergency response situations; and 
(35) provides technical information and site-specific support in 
addressing the health issues presented by emergency or acute release 
events, and on the nature, extent, status, and implications of ongoing, 
emerging, and evolving threats and subsequent efforts to reduce their 
adverse impacts.

Sherri Berger,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-02821 Filed 2-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-18-P