Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees, 72656-72658 [2014-28599]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 235 (Monday, December 8, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 72656-72658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28599]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY: DoD.

ACTION: Renewal of Federal Advisory Committee.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to 
announce that it is renewing the charter for the Defense Health Board 
(``the Board'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee 
Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This committee's charter is being renewed in 
accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 
U.S.C., Appendix, as amended) and 41 CFR 102-3.50(d), established the 
Board.
    The Board is a discretionary Federal advisory committee that 
provides the Secretary of Defense and/or the Deputy Secretary of 
Defense, through the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and

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Readiness (USD(P&R)), and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health 
Affairs, independent advice and recommendations to maximize the health, 
safety, and effectiveness of Department of Defense (DoD) health care 
beneficiaries and:
    a. DoD healthcare policy and program management;
    b. Health research programs;
    c. Requirements for how the DoD Treatment and preventions of 
disease and injury;
    d. Promotion of health and wellness within DoD, and the delivery of 
efficient, effective high-quality health care services to DoD 
beneficiaries; and
    e. Other health-related matters of special interest to DoD, as 
determined by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of 
Defense, or the USD(P&R).
    The Board is not established to provide advice on individual DoD 
procurements. No matter will be assigned to the Board for its 
consideration that would require any Board member to participate 
personally and substantially in the conduct of any specific procurement 
or place him or her in the position of acting as a contracting or 
procurement official.
    The Board reports to the Secretary of Defense and/or the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense, through the USD(P&R). The USD(P&R), pursuant to 
DoD policy, may act upon the Board's advice and recommendations.
    The Board will be comprised of no more than 19 members who are 
appointed to serve a term of service of one-to-four years, with annual 
renewals, by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of 
Defense. The members are eminent authorities in one or more of the 
following disciplines: Clinical health care, disease and injury 
prevention, health care delivery and administration, or strategic 
decision making in government, industry, or academia. The USD(P&R) 
selects and appoints the Board's President from the total membership.
    Each member, based upon his or her individual professional 
experience, provides his or her best judgment on the matters before the 
Board, and he or she does so in a manner that is free from conflict of 
interest. Board members who are not full-time or permanent part-time 
Federal officers or employees, will be appointed as experts or 
consultants pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3109 to serve as special government 
employee (SGE) members.
    Board members who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal 
officers or employees, will serve as regular government employee (RGE) 
members pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.130(a). No member may serve more than 
two consecutive terms of service without Secretary of Defense or Deputy 
Secretary of Defense approval.
    Board members are not compensated for service on the Board, but 
each member is reimbursed for travel and per diem as it pertains to 
official business of the Board.
    Pursuant to DoD policies and procedures, the USD(P&R) may appoint 
experts or consultants with special expertise to assist, on an ad hoc 
intermittent basis, the Board or its subcommittees on specific issues. 
These experts or consultants have no voting rights whatsoever and will 
not engage or participate in any deliberations by the Board or its 
subcommittees. These experts or consultants, if not full-time or 
permanent part-time Government employees, will be appointed pursuant to 
5 U.S.C. 3109, serve as a SGE.
    The DoD, when necessary and consistent with the Board's mission and 
DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees, task forces, 
or working groups to support the Board. Establishment of subcommittees 
is based upon a written determination, to include terms of reference, 
by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, or 
USD(P&R), as the Board's Sponsor.
    Such subcommittees will not work independently of the Board and 
will report all of their recommendations and advice solely to the Board 
for full and open deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees, task 
forces, or working groups have no authority to make decisions and 
recommendations, verbally or in writing, on behalf of the Board. No 
subcommittee or any of its members can update or report, verbally or in 
writing, on behalf of the Board, directly to the DoD or any Federal 
officers or employees.
    Each member, based upon his or her individual professional 
experience, provides his or her best judgment on the matters before the 
Board, and he or she does so in a manner that is free from conflict of 
interest. All subcommittee members will be appointed by the Secretary 
of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense to a term of service of 
one-to-four years, with annual renewals, even if the individual in 
question is already a member of the Board. Subcommittee members will 
not serve more than two consecutive terms of service, unless authorized 
by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense. 
Subcommittee members who are not full-time or permanent part-time 
Federal officers or employees will be appointed as an expert or 
consultant pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3109, to serve as a SGE member. 
Subcommittee members who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal 
officers or employees will be appointed pursuant to 41 CFR 102-
3.130(a), to serve as a RGE member. With the exception of reimbursement 
of official travel and per diem related to the Board or its 
subcommittees, subcommittee members will serve without compensation.
    All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the 
Sunshine Act, governing Federal statutes and regulations, and 
established DoD policies and procedures.
    Currently, DoD has approved the following permanent subcommittees 
to the Board:
    a. Public Health Subcommittee: This subcommittee will be comprised 
of not more than 10 members, who are eminent authorities in at least 
one of the following disciplines; infectious disease, occupational 
health/medicine, preventive medicine, public health, and toxicology. 
The subcommittee, when tasked according to DoD policy and procedures, 
provides advice on matters pertaining to improving the overall health 
of members of the Armed Forces and their families through the 
evaluation of DoD public health programs and initiatives, including 
education, health promotion, and prevention activities, as well as 
disease and injury prevention research.
    b. Health Care Delivery Subcommittee: This subcommittee will be 
comprised of not more than nine members, who are eminent authorities in 
at least one of the following disciplines: Health care academia; health 
care finance/economics; health care policy/executive leadership; and 
patient care.
    The subcommittee, when tasked according to DoD policies and 
procedures, provides advice on matters pertaining to health care 
delivery, to include DoD health care policy and program management, and 
research.
    c. Neurological/Behavioral Health Subcommittee: This subcommittee 
will be comprised of not more than 10 members, who are eminent 
authorities in at least one of the following disciplines; neurology, 
post-traumatic stress disorder, psychiatry; psychology, and traumatic 
brain injury. The subcommittee, when tasked according to DoD policies 
and procedures, provides advice on matters pertaining to psychological/
mental health issues and neurological symptoms or conditions among 
members of the Armed Forces and their families.
    d. Medical Ethics Subcommittee: This subcommittee will be comprised 
of not

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more than five members, who are eminent authorities in at least one of 
the following disciplines: Clergy, DoD leadership, human research 
protection, attorneys with expertise in medical ethics, and military 
health system beneficiaries. One member must have formal bioethics or 
medical ethics training or expertise.
    The subcommittee, when tasked according to DoD policies and 
procedures, provides advice on matters pertaining to medical ethics.
    e. Trauma and Injury Subcommittee: This subcommittee will be 
comprised of not more than 10 members, who are eminent authorities in 
at least one of the following disciplines: Civilian or military trauma 
medicine systems.
    The subcommittee, when tasked according to DoD policies and 
procedures, provides advice on matters pertaining to trauma and injury, 
to include methods for prevention, recognition, clinical management, 
and treatment.
    The Board's Designated Federal Officer (DFO) must be a full-time or 
permanent part-time DoD officer or employee, appointed in accordance 
with established DoD policies and procedures. The Board's DFO is 
required to attend at all meetings of the Board and its subcommittees 
for the entire duration of each and every meeting. However, in the 
absence of the Board's DFO, a properly approved Alternate DFO, duly 
appointed to the Board according to established DoD policies and 
procedures, must attend the entire duration of all meetings of the 
Board and its subcommittees.
    The DFO or the Alternate DFO, calls all meetings of the Board and 
its subcommittees; prepares and approves all meeting agendas; and 
adjourn any meeting when the DFO, or the Alternate DFO, determines 
adjournment to be in the public interest or required by governing 
regulations or DoD policies and procedures.
    Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or 
interested organizations may submit written statements to Defense 
Health Board membership about the Board's mission and functions. 
Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the 
stated agenda of planned meeting of the Defense Health Board.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the DFO for the 
Defense Health Board, and this individual will ensure that the written 
statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. 
Contact information for the Defense Health Board DFO can be obtained 
from the GSA's FACA Database--https://www.facadatabase.gov/.
    The DFO, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will announce planned 
meetings of the Defense Health Board. The DFO, at that time, may 
provide additional guidance on the submission of written statements 
that are in response to the stated agenda for the planned meeting in 
question.

    Dated: December 2, 2014.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register, Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2014-28599 Filed 12-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P