The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing a rule to exempt certain confidential information in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) record system from parts of the Privacy Act. This proposal aims to protect the identities of reviewers who evaluate applicants for NIH's Loan Repayment Programs. By doing so, the rule seeks to ensure that reviewers can provide honest and unbiased feedback without fear of revealing their identities, which is crucial for the integrity of the review process. The public is invited to submit comments on this proposal by March 15, 2021.
Simple Explanation
Imagine if people had to give their honest opinions about something but didn't want others to know it was them talking because they might get in trouble. The government wants to keep the names of those who help pick the best people for a special program secret, so they feel safe to say what they really think.