Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees, 23330-23332 [2014-09512]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 81 (Monday, April 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23330-23332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09512]


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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 Science 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 
under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 
U.S.C. Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 
1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b) (``the Sunshine Act''), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(d).
    The Board is a discretionary Federal advisory committee that shall 
provide the Secretary of Defense; the Deputy Secretary of Defense; the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics 
(USD(AT&L)); the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and, as 
requested, other Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Principal 
Staff Assistants; the Secretaries of the Military Departments; and the 
Commanders of the Combatant Commands independent advice and 
recommendations on science, technology, manufacturing, acquisition 
process, and other matters of special interest to the DoD.
    The Board is not established to advise on individual DoD 
procurements, but instead shall be concerned with the pressing and 
complex technology problems facing the DoD in such areas as research, 
engineering, and manufacturing, and will ensure the identification of 
new technologies and new applications of technology in those areas to 
strengthen national security.
    No matter shall 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 shall report to the Secretary of Defense through the 
USD(AT&L). The USD(AT&L) shall be authorized to act upon the advice and 
recommendations of the Board.
    The DoD, through the Office of the USD(AT&L), shall provide support 
as deemed necessary for the Board's performance, and shall ensure 
compliance with the requirements of the FACA, the Government in the 
Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended) (``the Sunshine 
Act''), governing Federal statutes and regulations, and established DoD 
policies and procedures.
    The Board shall be composed of not more than 50 members, who are 
eminent authorities in the fields of science, technology, 
manufacturing, acquisition process, and other matters of special 
interest to the Department of Defense.
    The Board members shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense or 
Deputy Secretary of Defense for a term of service of one-to-four years 
and their appointments will be renewed on an annual basis in accordance 
to DoD policies and procedures. Those members who are not full-time or 
permanent part-time federal officers or employees shall be appointed as 
experts

[[Page 23331]]

and consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109 to serve as 
special government employee (SGE) members. Board members who are full-
time or permanent part-time Federal employees will serve as regular 
government employee (RGE) members.
    Such appointments will normally be staggered among the Board 
membership to ensure an orderly turnover in the Board's overall 
composition on a periodic basis. With the exception of reimbursement 
for official Board-related travel and per diem, the members shall serve 
without compensation, unless otherwise authorized by the Secretary of 
Defense.
    The Secretary of Defense, based upon the recommendation of the 
USD(AT&L), shall appoint the Board's Chair and Vice Chair from the 
total approved membership. The Board's Chair and Vice Chair shall serve 
two-year terms of service and may, with Secretary of Defense approval, 
serve additional terms.
    The Secretary of Defense may invite other distinguished U.S. 
Government officers or chairpersons from other DoD supported federal 
advisory committees to serve as non-voting observers. Non-voting 
observers will not participate in Board deliberations and do not count 
towards the overall Board membership totals.
    The USD(AT&L) may appoint experts and consultants, with special 
expertise, to assist the Board on an ad hoc basis. These experts and 
consultants, if not full-time or part time government employees, shall 
be appointed under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, shall serve as SGEs, 
shall be appointed on an intermittent basis to work specific Board-
related efforts, shall not participate in deliberations, and shall not 
have voting rights.
    Non-voting observers and those non-voting experts and consultants 
appointed by the USD(AT&L) shall not count toward the Board's total 
membership.
    Each Board member is appointed to provide advice on behalf of the 
government on the basis of his or her best judgment without 
representing any particular point of view and in a manner that is free 
from conflict of interest.
    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 
will be based upon a written determination to include terms of 
reference, by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of 
Defense, or the USD(AT&L), as the DoD sponsor.
    Currently, DoD has approved the following two permanent 
subcommittees to the Board:
    a. The Permanent Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Surety (``the Task 
Force'') shall be comprised of no more than 15 members. The primary 
focus of the Task Force is to assess all aspects of nuclear weapons 
surety to include military, Federal, and contractors. This assessment 
should include, but not be limited to: nuclear weapons physical 
security, nuclear weapons safety, nuclear weapons control, command and 
control, nuclear operations (crew training) and execution, and nuclear 
surety policy. The Task Force shall continue to build on the work of 
the former Joint Advisory Committee on Nuclear Weapons Surety, the 
Nuclear Command & Control System End-to-End Review, and the Drell 
Panel; review and recommend methods and strategies to maintain a safe, 
secure, and effective nuclear deterrent; and monitor and review the 
readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and weapons operations. The estimated 
number of subcommittee meetings is up to 12 per year.
    b. The Survivability of DoD Systems and Assets to Electromagnetic 
Pulse (EMP) and Other Nuclear Weapons Effects Task Force (``the EMP 
Task Force'') shall be comprised of no more than 15 members. The focus 
of the EMP Task Force will be to assess implementation of the DoD 
Instruction 3150.09, The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and 
Nuclear (CBRN) Survivability Policy, dated September 17, 2008, covering 
nuclear survivability, including EMP, and to assess the effectiveness 
of the management oversight group established by the DoD Instruction. 
The EMP Task Force shall conduct an independent review and assessment 
of DoD's EMP survivability program, and review other matters associated 
with nuclear survivability, such as the first biennial DoD report to 
Congress on EMP survivability. The estimated number of subcommittee 
meetings is up to 12 per year.
    These subcommittees shall not work independently of the Board, and 
shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Board for full 
deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees have no authority to make 
decisions on behalf of the Board; nor can any subcommittee or its 
members update or report directly to the DoD or to any Federal officers 
or employees.
    All subcommittee members shall be appointed in the same manner as 
the Board members; that is, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint 
subcommittee members even if the member in question is already a Board 
member. Subcommittee members, with the approval of the Secretary of 
Defense, may serve a term of service on the subcommittee of one-to-four 
years; however, no member shall serve more than two consecutive terms 
of service on the subcommittee, without approval by the Secretary of 
Defense or Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    Subcommittee members, if not full-time or part-time government 
employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and consultants under 
the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, and shall serve as SGE members, whose 
appointments must be renewed by the Secretary of Defense on an annual 
basis. Subcommittee members who are full-time or permanent part-time 
Federal employees will serve as regular government employee (RGE) 
members. With the exception of reimbursement for official Board-related 
travel and per diem, subcommittee members shall serve without 
compensation.
    Each subcommittee member is appointed to provide advice on behalf 
of the Government on the basis of his or her best judgment without 
representing any particular point of view and in a manner that is free 
from conflict of interest.
    All subcommittees operate under the provisions of the FACA, the 
Sunshine Act, governing Federal statutes and regulations, and governing 
DoD policies and procedures.
    The Designated Federal Officer (DFO), pursuant to DoD policy, shall 
be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be 
appointed in accordance with governing DoD policies and procedures.
    In addition, the Board's DFO is required to be in attendance at all 
meetings of the Board and any 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 according to DoD 
policies and procedures, shall attend the entire duration of the 
meetings of the Board and its subcommittee.
    The DFO, or the Alternate DFO, shall call all meetings of the Board 
and its subcommittees; prepare and approve 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 
Science Board membership about the Board's mission and functions. 
Written statements may

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be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned 
meeting of Defense Science Board.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the DFO for the 
Defense Science Board, and this individual will ensure that the written 
statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. 
Contact information for the Defense Science 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 Science 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: April 22, 2014.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2014-09512 Filed 4-25-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P