Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees, 45787-45789 [2014-18504]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 151 (Wednesday, August 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45787-45789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18504]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY: DoD.

ACTION: Renewal of Federal Advisory Committee.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Defense (DoD) is publishing this notice to 
announce that it is renewing the charter for the Advisory Committee on 
Arlington National Cemetery (``the Committee'').

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 
pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 4723 and 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 Committee is a non-discretionary Federal advisory committee 
that shall make periodic reports and recommendations to the Secretary 
of the Army with respect to the administration of Arlington National 
Cemetery, the erection of memorials at the cemetery, and master 
planning for the cemetery. Any and all advice and recommendations shall 
also be forwarded to the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary 
of Defense.
    The Secretary of the Army may act upon the Committee's advice and 
recommendations. Not later than 90 days after receiving a report or 
recommendations from the Committee, the Secretary of the Army shall 
submit the report or recommendations to the congressional defense 
committees and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives and include such comments and recommendations 
as the Secretary of the Army considers appropriate.
    The Department of Defense (DoD), through the Department of the 
Army, shall provide support deemed necessary for the Committee's 
performance of its functions and shall ensure compliance with the 
requirements of the FACA, the

[[Page 45788]]

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 Committee shall be comprised of no more than nine members, who 
are eminent authorities in their respective fields of interest or 
expertise, specifically bereavement practices and administrative 
oversight, the erection of memorials, and master planning for extending 
the life of the cemetery, including one member nominated by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, one member nominated by the Secretary of 
the American Battle Monuments Commission, and no more than seven 
members nominated by the Secretary of the Army.
    Committee members shall serve a term of service of one-to-four 
years, but no member may serve more than two consecutive terms of 
service without approval from the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense.
    Committee members appointed by the Secretary of Defense or the 
Deputy Secretary of Defense, who are not full-time Federal officers or 
employees, shall be appointed as experts or consultants pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 3109,to serve as special government employee (SGE) members. 
Those individuals serving on the Committee who are full-time or 
permanent part-time Federal employees shall be appointed to serve as 
regular government employee (RGE) members pursuant to 41 CFR 102-
3.130(a).
    The Secretary of the Army will designate, for Secretary of Defense 
or Deputy Secretary of Defense approval, the Committee's chair from the 
total approved membership. With the exception of reimbursement for 
official Committee-related travel and per diem, Committee members shall 
serve without compensation.
    DoD, when necessary and consistent with the Committee's mission and 
DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees, task forces, 
or working groups to support the Committee. 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 Secretary of the Army, as the DoD Sponsor.
    Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the Committee 
and shall report all of their recommendations and advice solely to the 
Committee 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 Committee. No 
subcommittee or any of its members can update or report, verbally or in 
writing, on behalf of the Committee, directly to the DoD or any Federal 
officer or employee.
    The Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense shall 
appoint subcommittee members to a term of service of one-to-four years, 
even if the member in question is a member of the Committee. 
Subcommittee members shall not serve more than two consecutive terms of 
service unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense. Subcommittee members, if not full-time or 
permanent part-time Federal employees, will be appointed as experts or 
consultants, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3109, to serve as SGE members, whose 
appointments must be renewed on an annual basis. Those individuals who 
are full-time or permanent part-time Federal employees shall be 
appointed to serve as RGE members, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.130(a). 
With the exception of reimbursement of official travel and per diem 
related to the Committee or its subcommittees, subcommittee members 
shall 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.
    The Committee has three permanent subcommittees. Each subcommittee 
member should have extensive professional experience in at least one of 
the following areas of operation and management of cemeteries: 
Bereavement practices; erection of memorials and master planning; plans 
and strategies for addressing long-term governance challenges; and 
resource planning and allocation.
    a. The Honor Subcommittee shall be comprised of no more than nine 
members. The primary focus of this subcommittee is to review and 
provide recommendations to the Committee regarding methods to address 
the long-term future of the Arlington National Cemetery, including how 
best to extend the active burials and what Arlington National Cemetery 
should focus on once all available space has been used. The estimated 
number of subcommittee meetings is up to nine per year.
    b. The Remember Subcommittee shall be comprised of no more than 
nine members. The primary focus of this subcommittee is to review and 
provide recommendations to the Committee on an independent assessment 
of methods to maintain the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Monument, 
including the cracks in the large marble sarcophagus, the adjacent 
marble slabs, and the potential replacement marble stone for the 
sarcophagus already gifted to the Army. The estimated number of 
subcommittee meetings is up to nine per year.
    c. The Explore Subcommittee shall be comprised of no more than nine 
members. The primary focus of this subcommittee is to review and 
provide recommendations to the Committee on efforts to preserve the 
historic essence of Arlington National Cemetery and the development of 
an interactive means to share the Cemetery's unique history with the 
nation and the world, including an independent assessment of methods to 
address the issues dealing with capturing and conveying the Army 
national cemeteries' history, including examining Arlington National 
Cemetery Section 60 gravesite mementos and improving the quality of 
visitors' experiences now and for generations to come. The estimated 
number of subcommittee meetings is up to nine per year.
    The estimated number of Committee meetings is four per year.
    The Committee's Designated Federal Officer (DFO) shall be a full-
time or permanent part-time DoD employee and shall be appointed in 
accordance with established DoD policies and procedures.
    The Committee's DFO, pursuant to DoD policy, shall be a full-time 
or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be appointed in 
accordance with established DoD policies and procedures.
    The Committee's DFO is required to be in attendance at all meetings 
of the Committee and any subcommittees for the entire duration of each 
and every meeting; however, in the absence of the DFO, a properly 
approved Alternate DFO shall attend the entire duration of all of the 
meetings of the Committee and its subcommittees.
    The DFO, or the Alternate DFO, shall call all meetings of the 
Committee 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 Advisory 
Committee on Arlington National Cemetery membership about the 
Committee's mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted 
at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned meeting of 
Advisory

[[Page 45789]]

Committee on Arlington National Cemetery.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the DFO for the 
Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery, and this individual 
will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership 
for their consideration. Contact information for the Advisory Committee 
on Arlington National Cemetery 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 Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery. 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: July 31, 2014.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2014-18504 Filed 8-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P