Plan of Action To Establish a National Strategy for the Coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains To Respond to COVID-19; Implemented Under the Voluntary Agreement for the Manufacture and Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources Necessary To Respond to a Pandemic Under Section 708 of the Defense Production Act, 6880-6889 [2022-02549]
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6880
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2022 / Notices
created an immense public health,
social, and economic burden. Variants
of concern continue to emerge that have
increased transmissibility,
pathogenicity, or both and that reduce
the effectiveness of current therapeutics
and vaccines. Thus, there is a great need
for broadly protective therapeutics.
This technology relates to two
monoclonal antibodies targeting the
spike protein of SARS–CoV–2 that
between the two have picomolar activity
against wild-type SARS–CoV–2 and the
Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron
variants of concern. Additionally, one of
the antibodies recognizes a highlyconserved epitope of the spike protein.
Treatment with either monoclonal
antibody before or after challenge with
SARS–CoV–2 reduced symptoms and
viral load in nasal turbinate and lung
tissue in the golden Syrian hamster
model. This monoclonal antibody
technology has great potential to treat
SARS–CoV–2 infections and may
provide protection against future
variants of concern.
This technology is available for
licensing for commercial development
in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37
CFR part 404.
Potential Commercial Applications
• Treatment for SARS–CoV–2 infection
• Prophylaxis treatment to prevent or
reduce SARS–CoV–2 infection
• Diagnostic for SARS–CoV–2 infection
Competitive Advantages
• Broad and potent neutralization of
several variants of concern, including
Omicron
jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
Development Stage
• In vivo data assessment (animal)
Inventors: Zhaochun Chen (NIAID);
Patrizia Farci (NIAID); Kamille West
(CC); Peng Zhang (NIAID); Paolo Lusso
(NIAID); Ulla Buchholz (NIAID);
Yumiko Matsuoka (NIAID).
Intellectual Property: HHS Reference
No. E–132–2021– U.S. Provisional
Application No. 63/296,380, filed
January 4, 2022.
Licensing Contact: To license this
technology, please contact Elizabeth
Pitts, Ph.D., 240–669–5299;
elizabeth.pitts@nih.gov, and reference
E–132–2021.
Collaborative Research Opportunity:
The National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases is seeking statements
of capability or interest from parties
interested in collaborative research to
further develop, evaluate or
commercialize this technology. For
collaboration opportunities, please
contact Elizabeth Pitts, Ph.D., 240–669–
5299; elizabeth.pitts@nih.gov.
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17:36 Feb 04, 2022
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Dated: February 1, 2022.
Surekha Vathyam,
Deputy Director, Technology Transfer and
Intellectual Property Office, National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
[FR Doc. 2022–02466 Filed 2–4–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke; Notice of Closed
Meetings
Pursuant to section 10(d) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, notice is hereby given of the
following meetings.
The meetings will be closed to the
public in accordance with the
provisions set forth in sections
552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C.,
as amended. The grant applications and
the discussions could disclose
confidential trade secrets or commercial
property such as patentable material,
and personal information concerning
individuals associated with the grant
applications, the disclosure of which
would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy.
Name of Committee: National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke Special
Emphasis Panel; NST 1 Member SEP.
Date: March 1, 2022.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive
Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852 (Virtual
Meeting).
Contact Person: William C. Benzing, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Scientific Review
Branch, Division of Extramural Activities,
NINDS, NIH, NSC, 6001 Executive
Boulevard, Suite 3204, MSC 9529, Rockville,
MD 20852, 301–496–0660, benzingw@
mail.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke Special
Emphasis Panel; BRAIN Initiative: TeamResearch BRAIN Circuit Programs U19
Review.
Date: March 8–11, 2022.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive
Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852 (Virtual
Meeting).
Contact Person: Tatiana Pasternak, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Scientific Review
Branch, Division of Extramural Activities,
NINDS/NIH, NSC, 6001 Executive Boulevard,
Suite 3208, MSC 9529, Rockville, MD 20852,
301–496–9223, tatiana.pasternak@nih.gov.
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Name of Committee: National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke Special
Emphasis Panel; Biomarkers for the Lewy
Body Dementias.
Date: March 11, 2022.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive
Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852 (Virtual
Meeting).
Contact Person: Joel A. Saydoff, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Scientific Review
Branch, Division of Extramural Activities,
NINDS/NIH, NSC, 6001 Executive Boulevard,
Room 3205, MSC 9529, Rockville, MD 20852,
301–496–9223, joel.saydoff@nih.gov.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Nos. 93.853, Clinical Research
Related to Neurological Disorders; 93.854,
Biological Basis Research in the
Neurosciences, National Institutes of Health,
HHS)
Dated: February 1, 2022.
Tyeshia M. Roberson-Curtis,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022–02468 Filed 2–4–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
[Docket ID FEMA–2020–0016]
Plan of Action To Establish a National
Strategy for the Coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains To Respond to COVID–19;
Implemented Under the Voluntary
Agreement for the Manufacture and
Distribution of Critical Healthcare
Resources Necessary To Respond to a
Pandemic Under Section 708 of the
Defense Production Act
Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of
Homeland Security.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) is
publishing the text of one additional
Plan of Action under the Voluntary
Agreement for the Manufacture and
Distribution of Critical Healthcare
Resources Necessary to Respond to a
Pandemic: Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Coordination
of National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains to Respond to COVID–
19.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Glenn, Office of Business,
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Industry, Infrastructure Integration,
OB3I@fema.dhs.gov, or (202) 212–1666.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Legal Authority
The Defense Production Act (DPA), 50
U.S.C. 4501 et seq., authorizes the
making of ‘‘voluntary agreements and
plans of action’’ with, among others,
representatives of industry and business
to help provide for the national
defense.1 The President’s authority to
facilitate voluntary agreements was
delegated to the Secretary of Homeland
Security with respect to responding to
the spread of COVID–19 within the
United States in Executive Order
13911.2 The Secretary of Homeland
Security has further delegated this
authority to the FEMA Administrator.3
On August 17, 2020, after the
appropriate consultations with the
Attorney General and the Chairman of
the Federal Trade Commission, FEMA
completed and published in the Federal
Register a ‘‘Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of Critical
Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic’’ (Voluntary
Agreement).4 Unless terminated prior to
that date, the Voluntary Agreement is
effective until August 17, 2025, and may
be extended subject to additional
approval by the Attorney General after
consultation with the Chairman of the
Federal Trade Commission. The
Voluntary Agreement may be used to
prepare for or respond to any pandemic,
including COVID–19, during that time.
Previously, FEMA has announced the
activation of five Plans of Action under
the Voluntary Agreement:
(1) Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Manufacture,
Allocation, and Distribution of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) to Respond
to COVID–19.
(2) Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Manufacture,
Allocation, and Distribution of
Diagnostic Test Kits and other Testing
Components to Respond to COVID–19.
(3) Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Manufacture,
Allocation, and Distribution of Drug
Products, Drug Substances, and
1 50
U.S.C. 4558(c)(1).
FR 18403 (Apr. 1, 2020).
3 DHS Delegation 09052, Rev. 00.1 (Apr. 1, 2020);
DHS Delegation Number 09052 Rev. 00 (Jan. 3,
2017).
4 85 FR 50035 (Aug. 17, 2020). The Attorney
General, in consultation with the Chairman of the
Federal Trade Commission, made the required
finding that the purpose of the voluntary agreement
may not reasonably be achieved through an
agreement having less anticompetitive effects or
without any voluntary agreement and published the
finding in the Federal Register on the same day. 85
FR 50049 (Aug. 17, 2020).
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2 85
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Associated Medical Devices to Respond
to COVID–19.
(4) Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Manufacture,
Allocation, and Distribution of Medical
Devices to Respond to COVID–19.
(5) Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Manufacture,
Allocation, and Distribution of Medical
Gases to Respond to COVID–19.
FEMA has now activated a sixth Plan
of Action under the Voluntary
Agreement:
(6) Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Coordination
of National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains to Respond to COVID–
19.
This Plan is necessitated by continued
transportation-related concerns and
shortfalls that interfere with the
movement of critical resources for our
nation’s COVID–19 response.
Appropriate members of the private
sector have been invited to join the Plan
of Action as Sub-Committee
Participants. Provided that a SubCommittee Participant acts in
accordance with the terms of the Plan,
the DPA affords the Participant an
affirmative defense to certain civil and
criminal actions brought under the
antitrust laws (or any similar law of any
state) for appropriate actions taken to
carry out the Plan. The Plan is designed
to foster a close working relationship
among FEMA, Department of Health
and Human Services, and SubCommittee Participants to address
national defense needs through
cooperative action under the direction
and active supervision of FEMA.
The Attorney General, in consultation
with the Chairman of the Federal Trade
Commission, has made the required
finding for the Plan of Action that the
purposes of section 708(c)(1) of the DPA
cannot reasonably be achieved without
the Plan of Action, or by a Plan of
Action having less anticompetitive
effects than the proposed Plan of
Action. Pursuant to section 708(f)(1)(B)
of the DPA, the Department of Justice
separately published the finding for this
Plan of Action in the Federal Register.5
The FEMA Administrator has certified
in writing that the Plan of Action is
necessary to help provide for the
national defense.
5 86
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Text of the Plan of Action To Establish
a National Strategy for the
Coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains To Respond
to COVID–19 Implemented Under the
Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of
Critical Healthcare Resources
Necessary To Respond to a Pandemic
Plan of Action To Establish a National
Strategy for the Coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains To Respond to COVID–
19 Implemented Under the Voluntary
Agreement for the Manufacture and
Distribution of Critical Healthcare
Resources Necessary To Respond to a
Pandemic
Preface
Pursuant to section 708 of the Defense
Production Act of 1950 (DPA), as
amended (50 U.S.C. 4558), the Federal
Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) Administrator (Administrator),
after consultation with the Secretary of
the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), the Attorney General of
the United States (Attorney General),
and the Chair of the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), developed a
Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of Critical
Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic (Voluntary
Agreement), 85 FR 50035 (August 17,
2020). The Voluntary Agreement, which
operates through a series of Plans of
Action, maximizes the manufacture and
efficient distribution of Critical
Healthcare Resources nationwide to
respond to a pandemic by establishing
unity of effort between Participants and
the Federal Government for integrated
coordination, planning, information
sharing with FEMA, as authorized by
FEMA, and distribution of Critical
Healthcare Resources.
This document establishes a Plan of
Action (Plan) to Establish a National
Strategy for the Coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains to Respond to COVID–19. This
Plan will be implemented under the
Voluntary Agreement by one or more
Sub-Committees, beginning with a SubCommittee to Define Requirements for
COVID–19 National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains and may also
include:
(1) Sub-Committee to Define
Requirements for COVID–19 National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains,
(2) Sub-Committee for Aviation,
(3) Sub-Committee for Surface
Transportation (including Highway,
Motor Carriers, and Freight Rail), and
(4) Sub-Committee for Maritime
Transportation.
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FEMA may combine these SubCommittees or establish additional SubCommittees under this Plan, so long as:
(1) The Sub-Committee addresses one
specific and well-defined component of
the National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains System; and
(2) The Sub-Committee is
recommended by the Sub-Committee to
Define Requirements for COVID–19
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains.
The purpose of the Plan and SubCommittees is to evaluate and optimize
coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains System
resources related to the COVID–19
response. The primary goal of the Plan
is to create a mechanism to immediately
address exigent needs within the
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains System and to ensure actions to
address such needs do not come with
unacceptable risks or interfere with
other efforts to meet critical End-User
requirements. When the requirements of
the Plan are met, it affords SubCommittee Participants defenses to civil
and criminal actions brought under the
antitrust laws (or any similar law of any
state) for actions taken within the scope
of the Plan. The Plan is designed to
foster a close working relationship
among FEMA, HHS, and Sub-Committee
Participants to address national defense
needs through cooperative action under
the direction and active supervision of
FEMA.
Table of Contents
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Jkt 256001
Section 708, Defense Production Act
(50 U.S.C. 4558); sections 402(2) &
501(b), Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 5121–5207); sections 503(b)(2)(B)
& 504(a)(10) & (16) of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
313(b)(2)(B), 314(a)(10) & (16)); sections
201, 301, National Emergencies Act (50
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.); section 319, Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d);
Executive Order (E.O.) 13911, 85 FR
18403 (March 27, 2020). Pursuant to
DPA section 708(f)(1)(A), the
Administrator certifies that this Plan is
necessary for the national defense.
A. Definitions
Administrator
I. Purpose
A pandemic may present conditions
that pose a direct threat to the national
defense of the United States or its
preparedness programs such that,
pursuant to DPA section 708(c)(1), it
becomes necessary to establish an
17:36 Feb 04, 2022
II. Authorities
III. General Provisions
I. Purpose
II. Authorities
III. General Provisions
A. Definitions
B. Plan of Action Participation
C. Effective Date and Duration of
Participation
D. Withdrawal
E. Plan of Action Activation and
Deactivation
F. Rules and Regulations
G. Modification and Amendment
H. Expenses
I. Record Keeping
IV. Antitrust Defense
V. Terms and Conditions
A. Plan of Action Execution
B. Information Management and
Responsibilities
C. Oversight
VI. Establishment of the Sub-Committees
VII. Application and Agreement
VIII. Assignment
VerDate Sep<11>2014
agreement and plan to collaboratively
evaluate and coordinate resources
within the National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains System. This
Plan of Action to Establish a National
Strategy for the Coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains to Respond to COVID–19 is
established under the Voluntary
Agreement and initially establishes up
to four Sub-Committees responsible for
the Plan’s oversight and
implementation. The Plan and SubCommittees will optimize the
coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains and create a
prioritization protocol based upon EndUsers’ demonstrated or projected
requirements.
The FEMA Administrator is the
Sponsor of the Voluntary Agreement.
Pursuant to a delegation or redelegation
of the functions given to the President
by DPA section 708, the Administrator
proposes and provides for the
development and carrying out of the
Voluntary Agreement, including
through the development and
implementation of Plans of Action. The
Administrator is responsible for
carrying out all duties and
responsibilities required by 50 U.S.C.
4558 and 44 CFR part 332 and for
appointing one or more Chairpersons to
manage and administer the Committee
and all Sub-Committees formed to carry
out the Voluntary Agreement.
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Agreement
The Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of Critical
Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic (Voluntary
Agreement).
Allotment
The process of analyzing and
determining the relative distribution
among one or more competing requests
from End-Users utilizing the same
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains. Through the allotment process,
FEMA—with participation from SubCommittee Participants—will assess the
actual needs of End-Users and
determine how to divide the available
and projected capabilities of National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
to minimize impacts to life, safety, and
economic disruption associated with
shortages. Allotment will take place
only under Exigent Circumstances. With
the exception of all forms of civil
transportation resources under the
jurisdiction of the Department of
Transportation, which are excluded
from this Plan, FEMA retains decisionmaking authority for allotment under
this Plan.
Attendees
Subject matter experts, invited by the
Chairperson or a Sub-Committee
Chairperson to attend meetings
authorized under the Voluntary
Agreement or this Plan, to provide
technical advice or to represent other
government agencies or interested
parties. Invitations to attendees will be
extended as required for Committee or
Sub-Committee meetings and
deliberations.
Chairperson
FEMA senior executive(s), appointed
by the Administrator, to chair the
Committee for the Distribution of
Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic (Committee).
The Chairperson shall be responsible for
the overall management and
administration of the Committee, the
Voluntary Agreement, and Plans of
Action developed under the Voluntary
Agreement while remaining under the
supervision of the Administrator; shall
initiate, or approve in advance, each
meeting held to discuss problems,
determine policies, recommend actions,
and make decisions necessary to carry
out the Voluntary Agreement; appoint
one or more co-Chairpersons to chair
the Committee, and otherwise shall
carry out all duties and responsibilities
assigned to him. With the approval of
the Administrator, the Chairperson may
create one or more Sub-Committees, and
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may appoint one or more SubCommittee Chairpersons to chair the
Sub-Committees, as appropriate.
Committee
Committee for the Distribution of
Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic established
under the Voluntary Agreement.
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Competitively Sensitive Information
Competitively Sensitive Information
that is shared pursuant to this Plan may
include any Document or other tangible
thing or oral transmission that contains
financial, business, commercial,
scientific, technical, economic, or
engineering information or data,
including, but not limited to
• financial statements and data,
• customer and supplier lists,
• price and other terms of sale to
customers,
• sales records, projections and
forecasts,
• inventory levels,
• capacity and capacity utilization,
• cost information,
• sourcing and procurement
information,
• manufacturing and production
information,
• delivery and shipping information,
• systems and data designs, and
• methods, techniques, processes,
procedures, programs, codes, or
similar information,
whether tangible or intangible, and
regardless of the method of storage,
compilation, or recordation, if the
owner thereof has taken reasonable
measures to protect the information
from disclosure to the public or
competitors. These measures may be
evidenced by marking or labeling the
items as ‘‘competitively sensitive
information’’ during submission to
FEMA or in the Participant’s customary
and existing treatment of such
information (regardless of labeling).
All Competitively Sensitive
Information provided by a SubCommittee Participant as described
herein is deemed Competitively
Sensitive Information, except for
Information that:
a. Is published or has been made
publicly available at the time of
disclosure by the Sub-Committee
Participant;
b. was in the possession of, or was
lawfully and readily available to, FEMA
from another source at the time of
disclosure without breaching any
obligation of confidentiality applicable
to the other source; or
c. was independently developed or
acquired without reference to or
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reliance upon the Sub-Committee
Participant’s Competitively Sensitive
Information;
Where information deemed
Competitively Sensitive Information is
required to be disclosed by law,
regulation, or court order, the
‘‘Competitively Sensitive’’ (or
substantially similar) label will continue
to attach to all information and
portion(s) of documents that are not
made public through the required
disclosure.
across a large geographic area that is
subject to one or more declarations
under the National Emergencies Act, the
Public Health Service Act, or the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act, or if the
Administrator determines that one or
more declarations is likely to occur and
the epidemic poses a direct threat to the
national defense or its preparedness
programs. For example, Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID–19) meets the
definition of a Pandemic.
Document
Any information, on paper or in
electronic/audio/visual format,
including written, recorded, and graphic
materials of every kind, in the
possession, custody, or control of the
Participant and used or shared in the
course of participation in the Voluntary
Agreement or a subsequent Plan of
Action.
Participant
An individual, partnership,
corporation, association, or private
organization, other than a federal
agency, that has substantive capabilities,
resources or expertise to carry out the
purpose of the Voluntary Agreement,
that has been specifically invited to
participate in the Voluntary Agreement
by the Chairperson, and that has applied
and agreed to the terms of the Voluntary
Agreement. ‘‘Participant’’ includes a
corporate or non-corporate entity
entering into the Voluntary Agreement
and all subsidiaries and affiliates of that
entity in which that entity has 50
percent or more control either by stock
ownership, board majority, or
otherwise. The Administrator may
invite Participants to join the Voluntary
Agreement at any time during its
effective period.
End-User
This includes all direct and ancillary
medical support including, but not
limited to, hospitals, independent
healthcare providers, nursing homes,
medical laboratories, dental care
providers, independent physician
offices, first responders, alternate care
facilities, distributors, wholesalers, and
the general public that reasonably
represents the totality of the nation’s
response to COVID–19.
Exigent Circumstances
As determined by the Chairperson,
the actual or forecasted shortage of
resources and their impact on the
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains which likely cannot be fulfilled
via usual market mechanisms for an
acute, critical time period, and where
immediate and substantial harm is
projected to occur from lack of
intervention.
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains System
Any or all of the necessary resources
and processes contributing to the
supply, production, and distribution of
critical healthcare resources necessary
to respond to COVID–19.
This Plan focuses on resources,
entities, and processes within the
Transportation Systems Sector,
identified under Presidential Policy
Directive (PPD)–21, Critical
Infrastructure Security and Resilience,
that support National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains.
Pandemic
A Pandemic is defined as an epidemic
that has spread to human populations
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Plan of Action (Plan)
This document. A documented
method, pursuant to 50 U.S.C.
4558(b)(2), proposed by FEMA to
implement a particular set of activities
under the Voluntary Agreement,
through a Sub-Committee focused on a
particular Critical Healthcare Resource,
or pandemic response workstream or
functional area necessary for the
national defense.
Plan of Action Agreement
A separate commitment made by
Participants upon invitation and
agreement to participate in a Plan of
Action as part of one or more SubCommittees. Completing the Plan of
Action Agreement confers
responsibilities on the Participant
consistent with those articulated in the
Plan of Action and affords Participants
a defense against antitrust claims under
section 708 for actions taken to develop
or carry out the Plan and the
appropriate Sub-Committee(s), as
described in Section IV below.
Representatives
The representatives the Administrator
identifies and invites to the Committee
from FEMA, HHS, and other federal
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agencies with equities in this Plan, and
empowered to speak on behalf of their
agencies’ interests. The Attorney
General and the Chair of the FTC, or
their delegates, may also attend any
meeting as a Representative.
Sub-Committee
A body formed by the Administrator
from select Participants to implement a
Plan of Action.
Sub-Committee Chairperson
FEMA executive, appointed by the
Chairperson, to chair a Sub-Committee
to implement a Plan of Action. The SubCommittee Chairperson shall be
responsible for the overall management
and administration of the SubCommittee in furtherance of this Plan
while remaining under the supervision
of the Administrator and the
Chairperson.
Sub-Committee Members
Collectively the Sub-Committee
Chairperson(s), Representatives, and
Sub-Committee Participants. Jointly
responsible for developing and
executing this Plan.
B. Plan of Action Participation
C. Effective Date and Duration of
Participation
This Plan is effective immediately
upon satisfaction of the requirements of
DPA section 708(f)(1). This Plan shall
remain in effect until terminated in
accordance with 44 CFR 332.4. It shall
be effective for no more than five (5)
years from August 17, 2020, when the
requirements of DPA section 708(f)(1)
were satisfied for the Voluntary
Agreement, unless otherwise terminated
pursuant to DPA section 708(h)(9) and
44 CFR 332.4 or extended as set forth in
DPA section 708(f)(2). No action may
take place under this Plan until it is
activated, as described in Section III(E),
below.
This Plan will be carried out by a
subset of the Participants in the
Voluntary Agreement through several
Sub-Committees, which may include:
(1) Sub-Committee to Define
Requirements for COVID–19 National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains,
(2) Sub-Committee for Aviation,
(3) Sub-Committee for Surface
Transportation (including Highway,
Motor Carriers, and Freight Rail), and
(4) Sub-Committee for Maritime
Transportation.
FEMA may combine these SubCommittees or establish additional SubCommittees under this Plan, so long as:
(1) The Sub-Committee addresses one
specific and well-defined component of
the National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains System; and
(2) The Sub-Committee is
recommended by the Sub-Committee to
Define Requirements for COVID–19
D. Withdrawal
Participation in the Plan is voluntary,
as is the acceptance of most obligations
under the Plan. Sub-Committee
Participants may withdraw from this
Plan or from an individual SubCommittee at any point, subject to the
fulfillment of obligations previously
agreed upon by the Participant prior to
the date of withdrawal. Note that the
obligations outlined in V.B regarding
information management and associated
responsibilities apply once a party has
shared or received information through
a Sub-Committee and remain in place
after the party’s withdrawal from the
Sub-Committee or Plan. If a SubCommittee Participant indicates an
intent to withdraw from the Plan due to
a modification or amendment of the
Plan (described below), the SubCommittee Participant will not be
Sub-Committee Participant
A subset of Participants of the
Committee, that have been specifically
invited to participate in a SubCommittee by the Sub-Committee
Chairperson, and that have applied and
agreed to the terms of this Plan and
signed the Plan of Action Agreement.
The Sub-Committee Chairperson may
invite Participants in the Committee to
join a Sub-Committee as a SubCommittee Participant at any time
during the Plan’s effective period.
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National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains.
Each Sub-Committee will consist of
the (1) Sub-Committee Chairperson(s),
(2) Representatives from FEMA, HHS,
the Department of Justice (DOJ), and
other federal agencies with equities in
this Plan, and (3) Sub-Committee
Participants that have substantive
capabilities, resources or expertise to
carry out the purpose of this Plan and
have signed the Plan of Action
Agreement. The Chairperson shall invite
Sub-Committee Participants who, in his
or her determination, are reasonably
representative of the appropriate
industry or segment of such industry.
Other Attendees—invited by the SubCommittee Chairperson as subject
matter experts to provide technical
advice or to represent the interests of
other government agencies or interested
parties—may also participate in SubCommittee meetings. The naming of
these Sub-Committees does not commit
the Administrator to creating them
unless and until circumstances dictate.
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required to perform actions directed by
that modification or amendment.
Withdrawal from the Plan will
automatically trigger withdrawal from
all Sub-Committees; however, a
Participant may withdraw from a SubCommittee without also withdrawing
from the Plan or other Sub-Committees.
To withdraw from the Plan or from an
individual Sub-Committee, a Participant
must provide written notice to the
Administrator at least fifteen (15)
calendar days prior to the effective date
of that Sub-Committee Participant’s
withdrawal specifying the scope of
withdrawal. Following receipt of such
notice, the Administrator will inform
the other Sub-Committee Participants of
the date and the scope of the
withdrawal.
Upon the effective date of the
withdrawal from the Plan, the SubCommittee Participant must cease all
activities under the Plan. Upon the
effective date of the withdrawal from
one or more Sub-Committee(s), the SubCommittee Participant must cease all
activities under the Plan that pertain to
the withdrawn Sub-Committee(s).
E. Plan of Action Activation and
Deactivation
The Administrator, in consultation
with the Chairperson and SubCommittee Chairperson, will invite a
select group of Participants in the
Voluntary Agreement to form at least
one of the following Sub-Committees,
beginning with the Sub-Committee to
Define Requirements for COVID–19
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains, which will be responsible for
implementing this Plan.
(1) Sub-Committee to Define
Requirements for COVID–19 National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains,
(2) Sub-Committee for Aviation,
(3) Sub-Committee for Surface
Transportation (including Highway,
Motor Carriers, and Freight Rail), and
(4) Sub-Committee for Maritime
Transportation.
FEMA may combine these SubCommittees or establish additional SubCommittees under this Plan, so long as:
(1) The Sub-Committee addresses one
specific and well-defined component of
the National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains System; and
(2) The Sub-Committee is
recommended by the Sub-Committee to
Define Requirements for COVID–19
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains.
This Plan will be activated for each
invited Participant when the Participant
executes a Plan of Action Agreement,
and a Participant may not participate in
a Sub-Committee until the Plan of
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Action Agreement is executed.
Participants will be invited to join this
Plan at the discretion of the Chairperson
or the Sponsor to the Voluntary
Agreement. Participants will be further
invited to attend specific meetings of
one or more Sub-Committees at the
discretion of the Chairperson.
F. Rules and Regulations
Sub-Committee Participants
acknowledge and agree to comply with
all provisions of DPA section 708, as
amended, and regulations related
thereto which are promulgated by
FEMA, the Department of Homeland
Security, HHS, the Attorney General,
and the FTC. FEMA has promulgated
standards and procedures pertaining to
voluntary agreements in 44 CFR part
332. The Administrator shall inform
Participants of new rules and
regulations as they are issued.
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G. Modification and Amendment
The Administrator, after consultation
with the Attorney General and the Chair
of the FTC, may terminate or modify, in
writing, this Plan at any time. The
Attorney General, after consultation
with the Chair of the FTC and the
Administrator, may terminate or
modify, in writing, this Plan at any time.
Sub-Committee Participants may
propose modifications or amendments
to the Plan or to the Sub-Committees at
any time.
Where possible, material
modifications to the Plan or a SubCommittee will be subject to a 30calendar day delayed implementation
and opportunity for notice and
comment by Sub-Committee
Participants to the Chairperson. This
delayed implementation period may be
shortened or eliminated if the
Administrator deems it necessary. The
Administrator shall inform SubCommittee Participants of modifications
or amendments to the Plan or to the
Sub-Committees as they are proposed
and issued.
The Administrator, after consultation
with the Attorney General and the Chair
of the FTC, may remove Sub-Committee
Participants from the Plan or from a
Sub-Committee at any time. The
Attorney General, after consultation
with the Chair of the FTC and the
Administrator, may remove SubCommittee Participants from this Plan
or from a Sub-Committee at any time. If
a Participant is removed from the Plan
or from a Sub-Committee, the
Participant may request written notice
of the reasons for removal from the
Chairperson, who shall provide such
notice in a reasonable time period.
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H. Expenses
Participation in this Plan or in a SubCommittee does not confer funds to
Sub-Committee Participants, nor does it
limit or prohibit any pre-existing source
of funds. Unless otherwise specified, all
expenses, administrative or otherwise,
incurred by Sub-Committee Participants
associated with participation in this
Plan or a Sub-Committee shall be borne
exclusively by the Sub-Committee
Participants.
I. Record Keeping
Each Sub-Committee Chairperson
shall have primary responsibility for
maintaining records in accordance with
44 CFR part 332 and shall be the official
custodian of records related to carrying
out this Plan. Each Sub-Committee
Participant shall maintain for five years
all minutes of meetings, transcripts,
records, documents, and other data,
including any communications with
other Sub-Committee Participants or
with any other member of the SubCommittee, including drafts, related to
the carrying out of this Plan or
incorporating data or information
received in the course of carrying out
this Plan. Each Sub-Committee
Participant agrees to produce to the
Administrator, the Attorney General,
and the Chair of the FTC upon request
any item that this section requires the
Participant to maintain. Any record
maintained in accordance with 44 CFR
part 332 shall be available for public
inspection and copying, unless
exempted on the grounds specified in 5
U.S.C. 552(b)(1), (3) or (4) or identified
as privileged and confidential
information in accordance with DPA
section 705(d), and 44 CFR 332.5.
IV. Antitrust Defense
Under the provisions of DPA
subsection 708(j), each Sub-Committee
Participant in this Plan shall have
available as a defense to any civil or
criminal action brought for violation of
the antitrust laws (or any similar law of
any State) with respect to any action to
develop or carry out this Plan, that such
action was taken by the Sub-Committee
Participant in the course of developing
or carrying out this Plan, that the SubCommittee Participant complied with
the provisions of DPA section 708 and
the rules promulgated thereunder, and
that the Sub-Committee Participant
acted in accordance with the terms of
the Voluntary Agreement and this Plan.
Except in the case of actions taken to
develop this Plan, this defense shall be
available only to the extent the SubCommittee Participant asserting the
defense demonstrates that the action
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was specified in, or was within the
scope of, this Plan and within the scope
of the appropriate Sub-Committee(s),
including being taken at the direction
and under the active supervision of
FEMA.
This defense shall not apply to any
actions taken after the termination of
this Plan. Immediately upon
modification of this Plan, no defense to
antitrust claims under Section 708 shall
be available to any subsequent action
that is beyond the scope of the modified
Plan. The Sub-Committee Participant
asserting the defense bears the burden of
proof to establish the elements of the
defense. The defense shall not be
available if the person against whom the
defense is asserted shows that the action
was taken for the purpose of violating
the antitrust laws.
V. Terms and Conditions
As the sponsoring agency, FEMA will
maintain oversight over Sub-Committee
activities and direct and supervise
actions taken to carry out this Plan,
including by retaining decision-making
authority over actions taken pursuant to
the Plan to ensure such actions are
necessary to address a direct threat to
the national defense. The Attorney
General and the Chair of the FTC will
monitor activities of the SubCommittees to ensure they execute their
responsibilities in a manner consistent
with this Plan and their actions have the
least anticompetitive effects possible.
A. Plan of Action Execution
This Plan will be used to support
Pandemic response by maximizing the
coordination for selected National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
and creating a prioritization protocol for
End-Users. Each Sub-Committee will
support the following objectives to
mitigate the loss of life and public
health threats associated with COVID–
19.
1. Objectives
(1) Identify capabilities to effectively
support National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains.
(2) Ensure effective coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains System resources that may be
required for the Response to COVID–19.
(3) Ensure ongoing competition
continues within the National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
System to the greatest extent possible
under the DPA.
2. Actions
Sub-Committee Participants may be
asked to support these objectives by
taking the following specific actions:
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(1) Assist the Chairperson in
identifying priorities and challenges
within the National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains System that
should be addressed within the Plan’s
Sub-Committees because of their
importance to the national response to
COVID–19. Using the best evidence
available, Participants should consider
whether current and projected National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
System resources are sufficient to meet
essential needs of End-Users and
geographic areas, and if there are any
critical shortfalls of such resources that
may be of concern for the response to
COVID–19.
(2) Create a collaborative process for
evaluating and addressing competing
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains System claims, as directed and
decided by the Chairperson.
(3) Develop a mechanism to inform
prioritization of the distribution of
healthcare products through National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains,
as directed and decided by the
Chairperson.
(4) Prepare a general strategy to
accomplish the activities listed in
V(A)(2) and V(A)(5) regarding activities
in Exigent Circumstances consistent
with the decisions made by the
Chairperson.
(5) In Exigent Circumstances, with
review and concurrence in all possible
instances by DOJ in consultation with
FTC:
• Facilitate maximum use of the
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains System to meet requirements of
the nation or particular geographic areas
by deconflicting overlapping demands
from the collective Participants’ EndUsers, as directed and decided by the
Chairperson.
• Facilitate maximum availability of
resources provided within the National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
System to meet requirements of the
nation or particular geographic areas, as
directed and decided by the
Chairperson.
• Facilitate the efficient distribution
of resources through the National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
System by deconflicting overlapping
distribution chain activities of SubCommittee Members, as directed and
decided by the Chairperson.
• Establish a process and means of
collaboration to address exigent EndUser requirements in a manner aligned
with the objectives of this Plan, as
directed and decided by the
Chairperson.
(6) Provide data and information
necessary to validate the efforts of the
Sub-Committee including the actual and
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planned COVID–19 response activities
that may foreseeably impact National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
throughout the nation, as determined by
the Chairperson.
(7) Provide feedback to the
Chairperson and Sub-Committee
Members on outcomes,
accomplishments, and impediments of
collective efforts to accomplish
objectives and actions outlined in this
Plan.
(8) Advise the Chairperson whether
additional Participants or Attendees
should be invited to join this Plan and
its Sub-Committees.
(9) Carry out other activities that the
Sub-Committees under this Plan
determine to be necessary for the
coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains System
resources to address the COVID–19
Pandemic’s direct threat to the national
defense, as determined and directed by
the Chairperson, where such activities
have been reviewed and approved by
DOJ and FTC and received concurrence
from Sub-Committee members.
B. Information Management and
Responsibilities
FEMA will request only the data and
information from Sub-Committee
Participants that is necessary to meet
the objectives of the Plan and consistent
with the scope of the relevant SubCommittees. Upon signing a Plan of
Action Agreement for this Plan, FEMA
requests that Participants endeavor to
cooperate with diligence and speed, and
to the extent permissible under this
Plan, and to share with FEMA any data
and information necessary to meet the
objectives of this Plan.
Sub-Committee Participants agree to
share with FEMA the following data
with diligence and speed to the extent
permissible under this Plan, and to
abide by the following guidelines where
feasible and consistent with the data
that is owned by each Sub-Committee
Participant:
(1) In general, Participants will not be
asked to share Competitively Sensitive
Information directly with other
Participants.
(2) FEMA will only request direct
sharing of Competitively Sensitive
Information among Participants during
Exigent Circumstances where there is a
mission critical need or timeline such
that sharing only through FEMA is
impractical or threatens the outcome of
the Plan or Sub-Committee action. Such
requests, if made, will be only among
Participants whose participation is
necessary to meet the objectives of the
Plan, will be limited in scope to the
greatest extent possible, and will be
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shared only pursuant to safeguards
subject to prior review and audit by DOJ
and FTC. Direct sharing of
Competitively Sensitive Information
with other Participants will be limited
in scope and circumstances to the
greatest extent possible. Participants
may not share Competitively Sensitive
Information directly with other
Participants unless specifically
requested by FEMA, in consultation
with DOJ and FTC. All Competitively
Sensitive Information delivered to
FEMA or to another Sub-Committee
Participant shall be delivered by secure
means, for example, password-protected
or encrypted electronic files or drives
with the password/key delivered by
separate communication or method or
via upload to an appropriately secure
web portal as directed by FEMA. All
data delivered to the web portal
designated by FEMA is deemed to be
Competitively Sensitive Information.
(3) To allow FEMA to identify and
appropriately protect documents
containing Competitively Sensitive
Information by the Sub-Committee
Participant providing the documents,
the Sub-Committee Participant will
make good faith efforts to designate any
Competitively Sensitive Information by
placing restrictive markings on
documents and things considered to be
competitively sensitive, the restrictive
markings being sufficiently clear in
wording and visibility to indicate the
restricted nature of the data. The SubCommittee Participant will identify
Competitively Sensitive Information
that is disclosed verbally by oral
warning. Information designated as
competitively sensitive will, to the
extent allowed by law, be presumed to
constitute trade secrets, or commercial
or financial information, and be
provided by the Sub-Committee
Participant to FEMA with the
expectation that it will be kept
confidential by both parties, as such
terms are understood in accordance
with 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) of the Freedom
of Information Act and federal judicial
interpretations of this statute. FEMA
agrees that to the extent any information
designated as competitively sensitive by
a Sub-Committee Participant is
responsive to a request for disclosure
under the Freedom of Information Act,
FEMA will consult with the SubCommittee Participant and afford the
Participant ten (10) working days to
object to any disclosure by FEMA.
(4) FEMA will make good faith efforts
to appropriately recognize unmarked
Documents containing Competitively
Sensitive Information as Competitively
Sensitive Information. However, FEMA
cannot guarantee that all unmarked
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Documents will be recognized as being
Competitively Sensitive Information
and protected from disclosure to third
parties. If the unmarked Documents
have not been disclosed without
restriction outside of FEMA, the SubCommittee Participant may retroactively
request to have appropriate designations
placed on the Documents. If the
unmarked Documents have been
disclosed without restriction outside of
FEMA, FEMA will, to the extent
practicable, remove any requested
information from public forums
controlled by FEMA and will work
promptly to request that a receiving
party return or destroy disclosed
unmarked Documents if requested by
the Sub-Committee Participant.
(5) Competitively Sensitive
Information may be used by FEMA,
alone or in combination with additional
information, including Documents and
Competitively Sensitive Information
received from third parties, to support
FEMA’s implementation of this Plan as
determined by the Chairperson. In all
situations, FEMA will aggregate and
anonymize Competitively Sensitive
Information to the greatest extent
possible to protect the interests retained
by the owners of the data while still
allowing the objectives of the Plan and
Sub-Committee to be achieved. To the
greatest extent possible, such
aggregation will render the
competitively sensitive nature of the
Competitively Sensitive Information of
the Sub-Committee Participant no
longer recognizable in a commercially
sensitive manner, and without sufficient
information to enable, by inference or
otherwise, attribution to Sub-Committee
Participant or its affiliates (as clearly
identified and disclosed to FEMA). Any
disclosure of Competitively Sensitive
Information by FEMA, within or outside
a Sub-Committee, will be subject to
review and approval by DOJ and FTC.
(6) Except as otherwise expressly
permitted by applicable federal law,
FEMA shall not disclose any
Competitively Sensitive Information or
use any Competitively Sensitive
Information for any purpose other than
in connection with the purposes of this
Plan, and FEMA will not sell any
Competitively Sensitive Information of
any Sub-Committee Participant.
(7) Except as described below, FEMA
may disclose Competitively Sensitive
Information only to its employees,
officers, directors, contractors, agents,
and advisors (including attorneys,
accountants, consultants, and financial
advisors). Any individual with access to
Competitively Sensitive Information
will be expected to comply with the
terms of this Plan.
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a. Information Sharing within the
Sub-Committee: FEMA may share
Competitively Sensitive Information
with Sub-Committee Participants and
Federal Representatives of the Plan, and
their respective employees, officers,
directors, contractors, agents, and
advisors (including attorneys,
accountants, consultants, and financial
advisors) where there is a need to know
and where disclosure is reasonably
necessary in furtherance of
implementing the Plan. FEMA will
aggregate and anonymize data prior to
sharing with the Sub-Committee
Participants to the greatest extent
possible while still allowing the
objectives of the Plan to be achieved,
and will not share data—particularly to
competitors of the submitter—prior to
consultation with and approval by the
DOJ and FTC.
i. Sub-Committee Participants, when
providing Competitively Sensitive
Information to FEMA, may request that
this Information not be shared with
other Sub-Committee Participants.
Where these requests are made in good
faith and are reasonable in nature,
FEMA will respect these requests to the
greatest extent possible and will consult
the owner of the data prior to any
release made to Sub-Committee
Participants.
b. Restricted Reports. FEMA may
communicate Competitively Sensitive
Information to appropriate government
officials through Restricted Reports. The
information contained in Restricted
Reports shall be aggregated and
anonymized to the greatest extent
possible, while recognizing that these
officials may need a certain amount of
granularity and specificity of
information to appropriately respond to
COVID–19. FEMA will aim to aggregate
data to the County level, and will not
share Restricted Reports prior to
consultation and approval from the DOJ
and FTC. FEMA may disclose Restricted
Reports to relevant White House and
Administration officials and State
Governors, and their respective
employees, officers, directors,
contractors, agents, and advisors
(including attorneys, accountants,
consultants, and financial advisors) who
have a need to know and to whom such
disclosure is reasonably necessary
solely in furtherance of the
implementation of this Plan. FEMA
shall take appropriate action (by
instructions, agreement, or otherwise) to
ensure that receiving parties comply
with all data-sharing confidentiality and
obligations under this Plan as if such
persons or entities had been parties to
this Plan.
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c. Public Reports. FEMA may share
information with the public through
Public Reports. Data contained in Public
Reports shall be fully aggregated and
anonymized. Public Reports shall be
aggregated to at least a state level and
may be publicly disclosed after
consultation and approval from the DOJ
and FTC.
(8) Where possible and not obviated
by Exigent Circumstances, FEMA will
notify Sub-Committee Participants prior
to the release of any Competitively
Sensitive Information that has not been
fully aggregated and anonymized. In
consultation with DOJ and FTC, FEMA
will consider any good-faith requests
made by Sub-Committee members to
hold the release of data or requests for
further aggregation or anonymization. In
general, FEMA will not provide
notification prior to the release of Public
Reports, under the presumption that the
data in these reports has already been
fully anonymized and de-identified.
(9) Any party receiving Competitively
Sensitive Information through this Plan
shall use such information solely for the
purposes outlined in the Plan and take
steps, such as imposing previously
approved firewalls or tracking usage, to
prevent misuse of the information.
Disclosure and use of Competitively
Sensitive Information will be limited to
the greatest extent possible, and any
party receiving Competitively Sensitive
Information shall follow the procedures
outlined in paragraph 7 above.
(10) At the conclusion of a
Participant’s involvement in a Plan—
due to the deactivation of the Plan or
due to the Participant’s withdrawal or
removal—each Participant will be
requested to sequester any and all
Competitively Sensitive Information
received through participation in the
Plan. This sequestration shall include
the deletion of all Competitively
Sensitive Information unless required to
be kept pursuant to the Record Keeping
requirements as described supra,
Section I, 44 CFR part 332, or any other
provision of law.
C. Oversight
Each Sub-Committee Chairperson is
responsible for ensuring that the
Attorney General, or suitable delegate(s)
from the DOJ, and the FTC Chair, or
suitable delegate(s) from the FTC, have
awareness of activities under this Plan,
including activation, deactivation, and
scheduling of meetings. The Attorney
General, the FTC Chair, or their
delegates may attend Sub-Committee
meetings and request to be apprised of
any activities taken in accordance with
activities under this Plan. DOJ or FTC
Representatives may request and review
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any proposed action by the SubCommittee or Sub-Committee
Participants undertaken pursuant to this
Plan, including the provision of data. If
any DOJ or FTC Representative believes
any actions proposed or taken are not
consistent with relevant antitrust
protections provided by the DPA, he or
she shall provide warning and guidance
to the Sub-Committee as soon as the
potential issue is identified. If questions
arise about the antitrust protections
applicable to any particular action,
FEMA may request DOJ, in consultation
with the FTC, provide an opinion on the
legality of the action under relevant
DPA antitrust protections.
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VI. Establishment of the SubCommittees
This Plan establishes Sub-Committees
to implement the Plan of Action to
Establish a National Strategy for the
Coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains to Respond to
COVID–19 to provide the Federal
Government and the Participants a
forum to maximize the coordination of
selected National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chain resources and
to create a prioritization protocol based
upon existing or projected needs of EndUsers and geographic areas within the
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains System. The outcome should
include a framework to expeditiously
meet critical needs within the National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
System that may arise in Exigent
Circumstances, and to ensure actions to
address such needs do not come with
unacceptable risks to End-Users or
interfere with other efforts to meet
critical End-User requirements. A SubCommittee Chairperson designated by
the Chairperson will convene and
preside over each Sub-Committee. SubCommittees will not be used for contract
negotiations or contract discussions
between the Participants and the
Federal Government; such negotiations
or discussions will be in accordance
with applicable federal contracting
policies and procedures. However, this
shall not limit any discussion within a
Sub-Committee about the operational
utilization of existing and potential
contracts between the Participants and
Representatives when seeking to align
their use with overall manufacturing
and distribution efforts consistent with
this Plan.
Each Sub-Committee will consist of
designated Representatives from FEMA,
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HHS, other federal agencies with
equities in this Plan, and each SubCommittee Participant. The Attorney
General and Chair of the FTC, or their
delegates, may also join each SubCommittee and attend meetings at their
discretion. Attendees may also be
invited at the discretion of a SubCommittee Chairperson as subject
matter experts, to provide technical
advice, or to represent other government
agencies, but will not be considered part
of the Sub-Committee.
Only to the extent necessary to
respond to COVID–19 as explicitly
directed by the Sub-Committee
Chairperson, and subject to the
provisions of Section V(B), SubCommittee Members may be asked to
provide technical advice, share
information, help identify and validate
places and resources of the greatest
need, help project future manufacturing
and distribution demands, assist in
identifying and resolving the allotment
of scarce resources under Exigent
Circumstances, and take other actions
necessary to maximize the timely
coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains System
resources for the COVID–19. A SubCommittee Chairperson or his or her
designee, at the Sub-Committee
Chairperson’s sole discretion, will make
decisions on these issues in order to
ensure the maximum efficiency and
effectiveness in the use of SubCommittee Member’s resources. All
Sub-Committee Participants will be
invited to open Sub-Committee
meetings. For selected Sub-Committee
meetings, attendance may be limited to
designated Sub-Committee Participants
to meet specific operational
requirements, as determined by FEMA.
Each Sub-Committee Chairperson
shall notify the Attorney General, the
Chair of the FTC, Representatives, and
Participants of the time, place, and
nature of each meeting and of the
proposed agenda of each meeting to be
held to carry out this Plan. Additionally,
each Sub-Committee Chairperson shall
provide for publication in the Federal
Register of a notice of the time, place,
and nature of each meeting. If a meeting
is open, a Federal Register notice will
be published reasonably in advance of
the meeting. A Sub-Committee Chair
may restrict attendance at meetings only
on the grounds outlined by 44 CFR
332.5(c)(1)–(3). If a meeting is closed, a
Federal Register notice will be
published within ten (10) days of the
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
meeting and will include the reasons
why the meeting is closed pursuant to
44 CFR 332.3(c)(2).
The Sub-Committee Chairperson shall
establish the agenda for each meeting,
be responsible for adherence to the
agenda, and provide for a written
summary or other record of each
meeting and provide copies of
transcripts or other records to FEMA,
the Attorney General, the Chair of the
FTC, and all Sub-Committee
Participants. The Chairperson shall take
necessary actions to protect from public
disclosure any data discussed with or
obtained from Sub-Committee
Participants which a Sub-Committee
Participant has identified as a trade
secret or as privileged and confidential
in accordance with DPA sections
708(h)(3) and 705(d), or which qualifies
for withholding under 44 CFR 332.5.
VII. Application and Agreement
The Sub-Committee Participant
identified below hereby agrees to join in
the Federal Emergency Management
Agency sponsored Plan of Action to
Establish a National Strategy for the
Coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains to Respond to
COVID–19 under the Voluntary
Agreement for the Manufacture and
Distribution of Healthcare Resources
Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic
and to become a Participant in one or
more Sub-Committees established by
this Plan. This Plan will be published in
the Federal Register. This Plan is
authorized under section 708 of the
Defense Production Act of 1950, as
amended. Regulations governing the
Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of
Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic and all
subsequent Plans of Action at 44 CFR
part 332. The applicant, as a SubCommittee Participant, agrees to comply
with the provisions of section 708 of the
Defense Production Act of 1950, as
amended, the regulations at 44 CFR part
332, and the terms of this Plan.
VIII. Assignment
No Sub-Committee Participant may
assign or transfer this Plan, in whole or
in part, or any protections, rights or
obligations hereunder without the prior
written consent of the Sub-Committee
Chairperson. When requested, the SubCommittee Chairperson will respond to
written requests for consent within 10
(ten) business days of receipt.
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2022 / Notices
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(Company name)
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(Name of authorized representative)
lllllllllllllllllllll
(Signature of authorized representative)
lllllllllllllllllllll
(Date)
lllllllllllllllllllll
Administrator (Sponsor)
lllllllllllllllllllll
(Date)
Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2022–02549 Filed 2–3–22; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–19–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
Extension of Agency Information
Collection Activity Under OMB Review:
TSA Claims Application
Transportation Security
Administration, DHS.
ACTION: 30-Day notice.
AGENCY:
This notice announces that
the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) has forwarded the
Information Collection Request (ICR),
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control number 1652–0039,
abstracted below to OMB for review and
approval of an extension of the
currently approved collection under the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The
ICR describes the nature of the
information collection and its expected
burden. The collection involves the
submission of information from
claimants in order to thoroughly
examine and resolve tort claims against
the agency.
DATES: Send your comments by March
9, 2022. A comment to OMB is most
effective if OMB receives it within 30
days of publication.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under Review—Open for
Public Comments’’ and by using the
find function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christina A. Walsh, TSA PRA Officer,
Information Technology (IT), TSA–11,
Transportation Security Administration,
6595 Springfield Center Drive,
jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:36 Feb 04, 2022
Jkt 256001
Springfield, VA 20598–6011; telephone
(571) 227–2062; email TSAPRA@
tsa.dhs.gov.
TSA
published a Federal Register notice,
with a 60-day comment period soliciting
comments, of the following collection of
information on November 10, 2021, at
86 FR 62563.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
Information Collection Requirement
Title: TSA Claims Application.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
OMB Control Number: 1652–0039.
Forms(s): Supplemental Information
Form, Payment Form.
Affected Public: Members of the
traveling public who believe they have
experienced property loss or damage, a
personal injury, or other damages due to
the negligent or wrongful act or
omission of a TSA employee within
their scope of employment, and who
decide to seek compensation by filing a
federal tort claim against TSA.
Abstract: TSA adjudicates tort claims
pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act
(28 U.S.C. 1346(b), 1402(b), 2401(b),
2671–2680). OMB Control Number
1652–0039, TSA Claims Application,
allows the agency to collect information
from claimants to examine and resolve
tort claims against the agency.
TSA receives approximately 750 tort
claims per month arising from airport
Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
screening activities, motor vehicle
accidents, and employee loss, among
others.
Number of Respondents: 9,000.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours: An
estimated 4,708 hours.
Dated: February 1, 2022.
Christina A. Walsh,
TSA Paperwork Reduction Act Officer,
Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2022–02442 Filed 2–4–22; 8:45 am]
In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), an agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a valid OMB control
number. The ICR documentation will be
available at https://www.reginfo.gov
upon its submission to OMB. Therefore,
in preparation for OMB review and
approval of the following information
collection, TSA is soliciting comments
to—
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed
information requirement is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including using
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
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BILLING CODE 9110–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–7056–N–01]
60-Day Notice of Proposed Information
Collection: Home Mortgage Disclosure
Act (HMDA) Loan/Application Register
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing
Commissioner, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
HUD is seeking approval from
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for the information collection
described below. In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is
requesting comment from all interested
parties on the proposed collection of
information. The purpose of this notice
is to allow for 60 days of public
comment.
SUMMARY:
DATES:
Comments Due Date: April 8,
2022.
Interested persons are
invited to submit comments regarding
this proposal. Comments should refer to
the proposal by name and/or OMB
Control Number and should be sent to:
Colette Pollard, Reports Management
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing
and Urban Development, 451 7th Street
SW, Room 4176, Washington, DC
20410–5000; telephone 202–402–3400
(this is not a toll-free number) or email
at Colette.Pollard@hud.gov for a copy of
the proposed forms or other available
information. Persons with hearing or
speech impairments may access this
number through TTY by calling the tollfree Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–
8339.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stacey Shindelar, Office of Risk
Management and Regulatory Affairs,
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street SW,
Washington, DC 20410; email Stacey
Shindelar, at Stacey.L.Shindelar@
hud.gov or telephone (202) 402–2569.
This is not a toll-free number. Persons
with hearing or speech impairments
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\07FEN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 25 (Monday, February 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6880-6889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02549]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID FEMA-2020-0016]
Plan of Action To Establish a National Strategy for the
Coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains To Respond
to COVID-19; Implemented Under the Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources Necessary
To Respond to a Pandemic Under Section 708 of the Defense Production
Act
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is publishing
the text of one additional Plan of Action under the Voluntary Agreement
for the Manufacture and Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources
Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic: Plan of Action to Establish a
National Strategy for the Coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains to Respond to COVID-19.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Glenn, Office of Business,
[[Page 6881]]
Industry, Infrastructure Integration, [email protected], or (202) 212-
1666.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background and Legal Authority
The Defense Production Act (DPA), 50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.,
authorizes the making of ``voluntary agreements and plans of action''
with, among others, representatives of industry and business to help
provide for the national defense.\1\ The President's authority to
facilitate voluntary agreements was delegated to the Secretary of
Homeland Security with respect to responding to the spread of COVID-19
within the United States in Executive Order 13911.\2\ The Secretary of
Homeland Security has further delegated this authority to the FEMA
Administrator.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 50 U.S.C. 4558(c)(1).
\2\ 85 FR 18403 (Apr. 1, 2020).
\3\ DHS Delegation 09052, Rev. 00.1 (Apr. 1, 2020); DHS
Delegation Number 09052 Rev. 00 (Jan. 3, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On August 17, 2020, after the appropriate consultations with the
Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, FEMA
completed and published in the Federal Register a ``Voluntary Agreement
for the Manufacture and Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources
Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic'' (Voluntary Agreement).\4\ Unless
terminated prior to that date, the Voluntary Agreement is effective
until August 17, 2025, and may be extended subject to additional
approval by the Attorney General after consultation with the Chairman
of the Federal Trade Commission. The Voluntary Agreement may be used to
prepare for or respond to any pandemic, including COVID-19, during that
time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ 85 FR 50035 (Aug. 17, 2020). The Attorney General, in
consultation with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, made
the required finding that the purpose of the voluntary agreement may
not reasonably be achieved through an agreement having less
anticompetitive effects or without any voluntary agreement and
published the finding in the Federal Register on the same day. 85 FR
50049 (Aug. 17, 2020).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previously, FEMA has announced the activation of five Plans of
Action under the Voluntary Agreement:
(1) Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the
Manufacture, Allocation, and Distribution of Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) to Respond to COVID-19.
(2) Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the
Manufacture, Allocation, and Distribution of Diagnostic Test Kits and
other Testing Components to Respond to COVID-19.
(3) Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the
Manufacture, Allocation, and Distribution of Drug Products, Drug
Substances, and Associated Medical Devices to Respond to COVID-19.
(4) Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the
Manufacture, Allocation, and Distribution of Medical Devices to Respond
to COVID-19.
(5) Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the
Manufacture, Allocation, and Distribution of Medical Gases to Respond
to COVID-19.
FEMA has now activated a sixth Plan of Action under the Voluntary
Agreement:
(6) Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the
Coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains to Respond
to COVID-19.
This Plan is necessitated by continued transportation-related
concerns and shortfalls that interfere with the movement of critical
resources for our nation's COVID-19 response. Appropriate members of
the private sector have been invited to join the Plan of Action as Sub-
Committee Participants. Provided that a Sub-Committee Participant acts
in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the DPA affords the
Participant an affirmative defense to certain civil and criminal
actions brought under the antitrust laws (or any similar law of any
state) for appropriate actions taken to carry out the Plan. The Plan is
designed to foster a close working relationship among FEMA, Department
of Health and Human Services, and Sub-Committee Participants to address
national defense needs through cooperative action under the direction
and active supervision of FEMA.
The Attorney General, in consultation with the Chairman of the
Federal Trade Commission, has made the required finding for the Plan of
Action that the purposes of section 708(c)(1) of the DPA cannot
reasonably be achieved without the Plan of Action, or by a Plan of
Action having less anticompetitive effects than the proposed Plan of
Action. Pursuant to section 708(f)(1)(B) of the DPA, the Department of
Justice separately published the finding for this Plan of Action in the
Federal Register.\5\ The FEMA Administrator has certified in writing
that the Plan of Action is necessary to help provide for the national
defense.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ 86 FR 57444 (Oct. 15, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Text of the Plan of Action To Establish a National Strategy for the
Coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains To Respond
to COVID-19 Implemented Under the Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources Necessary
To Respond to a Pandemic
Plan of Action To Establish a National Strategy for the Coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains To Respond to COVID-19
Implemented Under the Voluntary Agreement for the Manufacture and
Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources Necessary To Respond to a
Pandemic
Preface
Pursuant to section 708 of the Defense Production Act of 1950
(DPA), as amended (50 U.S.C. 4558), the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) Administrator (Administrator), after consultation with
the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the
Attorney General of the United States (Attorney General), and the Chair
of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), developed a Voluntary Agreement
for the Manufacture and Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources
Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic (Voluntary Agreement), 85 FR 50035
(August 17, 2020). The Voluntary Agreement, which operates through a
series of Plans of Action, maximizes the manufacture and efficient
distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources nationwide to respond to
a pandemic by establishing unity of effort between Participants and the
Federal Government for integrated coordination, planning, information
sharing with FEMA, as authorized by FEMA, and distribution of Critical
Healthcare Resources.
This document establishes a Plan of Action (Plan) to Establish a
National Strategy for the Coordination of National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains to Respond to COVID-19. This Plan will be
implemented under the Voluntary Agreement by one or more Sub-
Committees, beginning with a Sub-Committee to Define Requirements for
COVID-19 National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains and may also
include:
(1) Sub-Committee to Define Requirements for COVID-19 National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains,
(2) Sub-Committee for Aviation,
(3) Sub-Committee for Surface Transportation (including Highway,
Motor Carriers, and Freight Rail), and
(4) Sub-Committee for Maritime Transportation.
[[Page 6882]]
FEMA may combine these Sub-Committees or establish additional Sub-
Committees under this Plan, so long as:
(1) The Sub-Committee addresses one specific and well-defined
component of the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System;
and
(2) The Sub-Committee is recommended by the Sub-Committee to Define
Requirements for COVID-19 National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains.
The purpose of the Plan and Sub-Committees is to evaluate and
optimize coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains
System resources related to the COVID-19 response. The primary goal of
the Plan is to create a mechanism to immediately address exigent needs
within the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System and to
ensure actions to address such needs do not come with unacceptable
risks or interfere with other efforts to meet critical End-User
requirements. When the requirements of the Plan are met, it affords
Sub-Committee Participants defenses to civil and criminal actions
brought under the antitrust laws (or any similar law of any state) for
actions taken within the scope of the Plan. The Plan is designed to
foster a close working relationship among FEMA, HHS, and Sub-Committee
Participants to address national defense needs through cooperative
action under the direction and active supervision of FEMA.
Table of Contents
I. Purpose
II. Authorities
III. General Provisions
A. Definitions
B. Plan of Action Participation
C. Effective Date and Duration of Participation
D. Withdrawal
E. Plan of Action Activation and Deactivation
F. Rules and Regulations
G. Modification and Amendment
H. Expenses
I. Record Keeping
IV. Antitrust Defense
V. Terms and Conditions
A. Plan of Action Execution
B. Information Management and Responsibilities
C. Oversight
VI. Establishment of the Sub-Committees
VII. Application and Agreement
VIII. Assignment
I. Purpose
A pandemic may present conditions that pose a direct threat to the
national defense of the United States or its preparedness programs such
that, pursuant to DPA section 708(c)(1), it becomes necessary to
establish an agreement and plan to collaboratively evaluate and
coordinate resources within the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains System. This Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for
the Coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains to
Respond to COVID-19 is established under the Voluntary Agreement and
initially establishes up to four Sub-Committees responsible for the
Plan's oversight and implementation. The Plan and Sub-Committees will
optimize the coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains and create a prioritization protocol based upon End-Users'
demonstrated or projected requirements.
II. Authorities
Section 708, Defense Production Act (50 U.S.C. 4558); sections
402(2) & 501(b), Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121-5207); sections 503(b)(2)(B) &
504(a)(10) & (16) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
313(b)(2)(B), 314(a)(10) & (16)); sections 201, 301, National
Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.); section 319, Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d); Executive Order (E.O.) 13911, 85 FR 18403
(March 27, 2020). Pursuant to DPA section 708(f)(1)(A), the
Administrator certifies that this Plan is necessary for the national
defense.
III. General Provisions
A. Definitions
Administrator
The FEMA Administrator is the Sponsor of the Voluntary Agreement.
Pursuant to a delegation or redelegation of the functions given to the
President by DPA section 708, the Administrator proposes and provides
for the development and carrying out of the Voluntary Agreement,
including through the development and implementation of Plans of
Action. The Administrator is responsible for carrying out all duties
and responsibilities required by 50 U.S.C. 4558 and 44 CFR part 332 and
for appointing one or more Chairpersons to manage and administer the
Committee and all Sub-Committees formed to carry out the Voluntary
Agreement.
Agreement
The Voluntary Agreement for the Manufacture and Distribution of
Critical Healthcare Resources Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic
(Voluntary Agreement).
Allotment
The process of analyzing and determining the relative distribution
among one or more competing requests from End-Users utilizing the same
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains. Through the allotment
process, FEMA--with participation from Sub-Committee Participants--will
assess the actual needs of End-Users and determine how to divide the
available and projected capabilities of National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains to minimize impacts to life, safety, and economic
disruption associated with shortages. Allotment will take place only
under Exigent Circumstances. With the exception of all forms of civil
transportation resources under the jurisdiction of the Department of
Transportation, which are excluded from this Plan, FEMA retains
decision-making authority for allotment under this Plan.
Attendees
Subject matter experts, invited by the Chairperson or a Sub-
Committee Chairperson to attend meetings authorized under the Voluntary
Agreement or this Plan, to provide technical advice or to represent
other government agencies or interested parties. Invitations to
attendees will be extended as required for Committee or Sub-Committee
meetings and deliberations.
Chairperson
FEMA senior executive(s), appointed by the Administrator, to chair
the Committee for the Distribution of Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic (Committee). The Chairperson shall be responsible
for the overall management and administration of the Committee, the
Voluntary Agreement, and Plans of Action developed under the Voluntary
Agreement while remaining under the supervision of the Administrator;
shall initiate, or approve in advance, each meeting held to discuss
problems, determine policies, recommend actions, and make decisions
necessary to carry out the Voluntary Agreement; appoint one or more co-
Chairpersons to chair the Committee, and otherwise shall carry out all
duties and responsibilities assigned to him. With the approval of the
Administrator, the Chairperson may create one or more Sub-Committees,
and
[[Page 6883]]
may appoint one or more Sub-Committee Chairpersons to chair the Sub-
Committees, as appropriate.
Committee
Committee for the Distribution of Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic established under the Voluntary Agreement.
Competitively Sensitive Information
Competitively Sensitive Information that is shared pursuant to this
Plan may include any Document or other tangible thing or oral
transmission that contains financial, business, commercial, scientific,
technical, economic, or engineering information or data, including, but
not limited to
financial statements and data,
customer and supplier lists,
price and other terms of sale to customers,
sales records, projections and forecasts,
inventory levels,
capacity and capacity utilization,
cost information,
sourcing and procurement information,
manufacturing and production information,
delivery and shipping information,
systems and data designs, and
methods, techniques, processes, procedures, programs, codes,
or similar information,
whether tangible or intangible, and regardless of the method of
storage, compilation, or recordation, if the owner thereof has taken
reasonable measures to protect the information from disclosure to the
public or competitors. These measures may be evidenced by marking or
labeling the items as ``competitively sensitive information'' during
submission to FEMA or in the Participant's customary and existing
treatment of such information (regardless of labeling).
All Competitively Sensitive Information provided by a Sub-Committee
Participant as described herein is deemed Competitively Sensitive
Information, except for Information that:
a. Is published or has been made publicly available at the time of
disclosure by the Sub-Committee Participant;
b. was in the possession of, or was lawfully and readily available
to, FEMA from another source at the time of disclosure without
breaching any obligation of confidentiality applicable to the other
source; or
c. was independently developed or acquired without reference to or
reliance upon the Sub-Committee Participant's Competitively Sensitive
Information;
Where information deemed Competitively Sensitive Information is
required to be disclosed by law, regulation, or court order, the
``Competitively Sensitive'' (or substantially similar) label will
continue to attach to all information and portion(s) of documents that
are not made public through the required disclosure.
Document
Any information, on paper or in electronic/audio/visual format,
including written, recorded, and graphic materials of every kind, in
the possession, custody, or control of the Participant and used or
shared in the course of participation in the Voluntary Agreement or a
subsequent Plan of Action.
End-User
This includes all direct and ancillary medical support including,
but not limited to, hospitals, independent healthcare providers,
nursing homes, medical laboratories, dental care providers, independent
physician offices, first responders, alternate care facilities,
distributors, wholesalers, and the general public that reasonably
represents the totality of the nation's response to COVID-19.
Exigent Circumstances
As determined by the Chairperson, the actual or forecasted shortage
of resources and their impact on the National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains which likely cannot be fulfilled via usual market
mechanisms for an acute, critical time period, and where immediate and
substantial harm is projected to occur from lack of intervention.
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System
Any or all of the necessary resources and processes contributing to
the supply, production, and distribution of critical healthcare
resources necessary to respond to COVID-19.
This Plan focuses on resources, entities, and processes within the
Transportation Systems Sector, identified under Presidential Policy
Directive (PPD)-21, Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience,
that support National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains.
Pandemic
A Pandemic is defined as an epidemic that has spread to human
populations across a large geographic area that is subject to one or
more declarations under the National Emergencies Act, the Public Health
Service Act, or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act, or if the Administrator determines that one or more
declarations is likely to occur and the epidemic poses a direct threat
to the national defense or its preparedness programs. For example,
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) meets the definition of a Pandemic.
Participant
An individual, partnership, corporation, association, or private
organization, other than a federal agency, that has substantive
capabilities, resources or expertise to carry out the purpose of the
Voluntary Agreement, that has been specifically invited to participate
in the Voluntary Agreement by the Chairperson, and that has applied and
agreed to the terms of the Voluntary Agreement. ``Participant''
includes a corporate or non-corporate entity entering into the
Voluntary Agreement and all subsidiaries and affiliates of that entity
in which that entity has 50 percent or more control either by stock
ownership, board majority, or otherwise. The Administrator may invite
Participants to join the Voluntary Agreement at any time during its
effective period.
Plan of Action (Plan)
This document. A documented method, pursuant to 50 U.S.C.
4558(b)(2), proposed by FEMA to implement a particular set of
activities under the Voluntary Agreement, through a Sub-Committee
focused on a particular Critical Healthcare Resource, or pandemic
response workstream or functional area necessary for the national
defense.
Plan of Action Agreement
A separate commitment made by Participants upon invitation and
agreement to participate in a Plan of Action as part of one or more
Sub-Committees. Completing the Plan of Action Agreement confers
responsibilities on the Participant consistent with those articulated
in the Plan of Action and affords Participants a defense against
antitrust claims under section 708 for actions taken to develop or
carry out the Plan and the appropriate Sub-Committee(s), as described
in Section IV below.
Representatives
The representatives the Administrator identifies and invites to the
Committee from FEMA, HHS, and other federal
[[Page 6884]]
agencies with equities in this Plan, and empowered to speak on behalf
of their agencies' interests. The Attorney General and the Chair of the
FTC, or their delegates, may also attend any meeting as a
Representative.
Sub-Committee
A body formed by the Administrator from select Participants to
implement a Plan of Action.
Sub-Committee Chairperson
FEMA executive, appointed by the Chairperson, to chair a Sub-
Committee to implement a Plan of Action. The Sub-Committee Chairperson
shall be responsible for the overall management and administration of
the Sub-Committee in furtherance of this Plan while remaining under the
supervision of the Administrator and the Chairperson.
Sub-Committee Members
Collectively the Sub-Committee Chairperson(s), Representatives, and
Sub-Committee Participants. Jointly responsible for developing and
executing this Plan.
Sub-Committee Participant
A subset of Participants of the Committee, that have been
specifically invited to participate in a Sub-Committee by the Sub-
Committee Chairperson, and that have applied and agreed to the terms of
this Plan and signed the Plan of Action Agreement. The Sub-Committee
Chairperson may invite Participants in the Committee to join a Sub-
Committee as a Sub-Committee Participant at any time during the Plan's
effective period.
B. Plan of Action Participation
This Plan will be carried out by a subset of the Participants in
the Voluntary Agreement through several Sub-Committees, which may
include:
(1) Sub-Committee to Define Requirements for COVID-19 National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains,
(2) Sub-Committee for Aviation,
(3) Sub-Committee for Surface Transportation (including Highway,
Motor Carriers, and Freight Rail), and
(4) Sub-Committee for Maritime Transportation.
FEMA may combine these Sub-Committees or establish additional Sub-
Committees under this Plan, so long as:
(1) The Sub-Committee addresses one specific and well-defined
component of the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System;
and
(2) The Sub-Committee is recommended by the Sub-Committee to Define
Requirements for COVID-19 National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains.
Each Sub-Committee will consist of the (1) Sub-Committee
Chairperson(s), (2) Representatives from FEMA, HHS, the Department of
Justice (DOJ), and other federal agencies with equities in this Plan,
and (3) Sub-Committee Participants that have substantive capabilities,
resources or expertise to carry out the purpose of this Plan and have
signed the Plan of Action Agreement. The Chairperson shall invite Sub-
Committee Participants who, in his or her determination, are reasonably
representative of the appropriate industry or segment of such industry.
Other Attendees--invited by the Sub-Committee Chairperson as subject
matter experts to provide technical advice or to represent the
interests of other government agencies or interested parties--may also
participate in Sub-Committee meetings. The naming of these Sub-
Committees does not commit the Administrator to creating them unless
and until circumstances dictate.
C. Effective Date and Duration of Participation
This Plan is effective immediately upon satisfaction of the
requirements of DPA section 708(f)(1). This Plan shall remain in effect
until terminated in accordance with 44 CFR 332.4. It shall be effective
for no more than five (5) years from August 17, 2020, when the
requirements of DPA section 708(f)(1) were satisfied for the Voluntary
Agreement, unless otherwise terminated pursuant to DPA section
708(h)(9) and 44 CFR 332.4 or extended as set forth in DPA section
708(f)(2). No action may take place under this Plan until it is
activated, as described in Section III(E), below.
D. Withdrawal
Participation in the Plan is voluntary, as is the acceptance of
most obligations under the Plan. Sub-Committee Participants may
withdraw from this Plan or from an individual Sub-Committee at any
point, subject to the fulfillment of obligations previously agreed upon
by the Participant prior to the date of withdrawal. Note that the
obligations outlined in V.B regarding information management and
associated responsibilities apply once a party has shared or received
information through a Sub-Committee and remain in place after the
party's withdrawal from the Sub-Committee or Plan. If a Sub-Committee
Participant indicates an intent to withdraw from the Plan due to a
modification or amendment of the Plan (described below), the Sub-
Committee Participant will not be required to perform actions directed
by that modification or amendment. Withdrawal from the Plan will
automatically trigger withdrawal from all Sub-Committees; however, a
Participant may withdraw from a Sub-Committee without also withdrawing
from the Plan or other Sub-Committees. To withdraw from the Plan or
from an individual Sub-Committee, a Participant must provide written
notice to the Administrator at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior
to the effective date of that Sub-Committee Participant's withdrawal
specifying the scope of withdrawal. Following receipt of such notice,
the Administrator will inform the other Sub-Committee Participants of
the date and the scope of the withdrawal.
Upon the effective date of the withdrawal from the Plan, the Sub-
Committee Participant must cease all activities under the Plan. Upon
the effective date of the withdrawal from one or more Sub-Committee(s),
the Sub-Committee Participant must cease all activities under the Plan
that pertain to the withdrawn Sub-Committee(s).
E. Plan of Action Activation and Deactivation
The Administrator, in consultation with the Chairperson and Sub-
Committee Chairperson, will invite a select group of Participants in
the Voluntary Agreement to form at least one of the following Sub-
Committees, beginning with the Sub-Committee to Define Requirements for
COVID-19 National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains, which will be
responsible for implementing this Plan.
(1) Sub-Committee to Define Requirements for COVID-19 National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains,
(2) Sub-Committee for Aviation,
(3) Sub-Committee for Surface Transportation (including Highway,
Motor Carriers, and Freight Rail), and
(4) Sub-Committee for Maritime Transportation.
FEMA may combine these Sub-Committees or establish additional Sub-
Committees under this Plan, so long as:
(1) The Sub-Committee addresses one specific and well-defined
component of the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System;
and
(2) The Sub-Committee is recommended by the Sub-Committee to Define
Requirements for COVID-19 National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains.
This Plan will be activated for each invited Participant when the
Participant executes a Plan of Action Agreement, and a Participant may
not participate in a Sub-Committee until the Plan of
[[Page 6885]]
Action Agreement is executed. Participants will be invited to join this
Plan at the discretion of the Chairperson or the Sponsor to the
Voluntary Agreement. Participants will be further invited to attend
specific meetings of one or more Sub-Committees at the discretion of
the Chairperson.
F. Rules and Regulations
Sub-Committee Participants acknowledge and agree to comply with all
provisions of DPA section 708, as amended, and regulations related
thereto which are promulgated by FEMA, the Department of Homeland
Security, HHS, the Attorney General, and the FTC. FEMA has promulgated
standards and procedures pertaining to voluntary agreements in 44 CFR
part 332. The Administrator shall inform Participants of new rules and
regulations as they are issued.
G. Modification and Amendment
The Administrator, after consultation with the Attorney General and
the Chair of the FTC, may terminate or modify, in writing, this Plan at
any time. The Attorney General, after consultation with the Chair of
the FTC and the Administrator, may terminate or modify, in writing,
this Plan at any time. Sub-Committee Participants may propose
modifications or amendments to the Plan or to the Sub-Committees at any
time.
Where possible, material modifications to the Plan or a Sub-
Committee will be subject to a 30-calendar day delayed implementation
and opportunity for notice and comment by Sub-Committee Participants to
the Chairperson. This delayed implementation period may be shortened or
eliminated if the Administrator deems it necessary. The Administrator
shall inform Sub-Committee Participants of modifications or amendments
to the Plan or to the Sub-Committees as they are proposed and issued.
The Administrator, after consultation with the Attorney General and
the Chair of the FTC, may remove Sub-Committee Participants from the
Plan or from a Sub-Committee at any time. The Attorney General, after
consultation with the Chair of the FTC and the Administrator, may
remove Sub-Committee Participants from this Plan or from a Sub-
Committee at any time. If a Participant is removed from the Plan or
from a Sub-Committee, the Participant may request written notice of the
reasons for removal from the Chairperson, who shall provide such notice
in a reasonable time period.
H. Expenses
Participation in this Plan or in a Sub-Committee does not confer
funds to Sub-Committee Participants, nor does it limit or prohibit any
pre-existing source of funds. Unless otherwise specified, all expenses,
administrative or otherwise, incurred by Sub-Committee Participants
associated with participation in this Plan or a Sub-Committee shall be
borne exclusively by the Sub-Committee Participants.
I. Record Keeping
Each Sub-Committee Chairperson shall have primary responsibility
for maintaining records in accordance with 44 CFR part 332 and shall be
the official custodian of records related to carrying out this Plan.
Each Sub-Committee Participant shall maintain for five years all
minutes of meetings, transcripts, records, documents, and other data,
including any communications with other Sub-Committee Participants or
with any other member of the Sub-Committee, including drafts, related
to the carrying out of this Plan or incorporating data or information
received in the course of carrying out this Plan. Each Sub-Committee
Participant agrees to produce to the Administrator, the Attorney
General, and the Chair of the FTC upon request any item that this
section requires the Participant to maintain. Any record maintained in
accordance with 44 CFR part 332 shall be available for public
inspection and copying, unless exempted on the grounds specified in 5
U.S.C. 552(b)(1), (3) or (4) or identified as privileged and
confidential information in accordance with DPA section 705(d), and 44
CFR 332.5.
IV. Antitrust Defense
Under the provisions of DPA subsection 708(j), each Sub-Committee
Participant in this Plan shall have available as a defense to any civil
or criminal action brought for violation of the antitrust laws (or any
similar law of any State) with respect to any action to develop or
carry out this Plan, that such action was taken by the Sub-Committee
Participant in the course of developing or carrying out this Plan, that
the Sub-Committee Participant complied with the provisions of DPA
section 708 and the rules promulgated thereunder, and that the Sub-
Committee Participant acted in accordance with the terms of the
Voluntary Agreement and this Plan. Except in the case of actions taken
to develop this Plan, this defense shall be available only to the
extent the Sub-Committee Participant asserting the defense demonstrates
that the action was specified in, or was within the scope of, this Plan
and within the scope of the appropriate Sub-Committee(s), including
being taken at the direction and under the active supervision of FEMA.
This defense shall not apply to any actions taken after the
termination of this Plan. Immediately upon modification of this Plan,
no defense to antitrust claims under Section 708 shall be available to
any subsequent action that is beyond the scope of the modified Plan.
The Sub-Committee Participant asserting the defense bears the burden of
proof to establish the elements of the defense. The defense shall not
be available if the person against whom the defense is asserted shows
that the action was taken for the purpose of violating the antitrust
laws.
V. Terms and Conditions
As the sponsoring agency, FEMA will maintain oversight over Sub-
Committee activities and direct and supervise actions taken to carry
out this Plan, including by retaining decision-making authority over
actions taken pursuant to the Plan to ensure such actions are necessary
to address a direct threat to the national defense. The Attorney
General and the Chair of the FTC will monitor activities of the Sub-
Committees to ensure they execute their responsibilities in a manner
consistent with this Plan and their actions have the least
anticompetitive effects possible.
A. Plan of Action Execution
This Plan will be used to support Pandemic response by maximizing
the coordination for selected National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chains and creating a prioritization protocol for End-Users. Each Sub-
Committee will support the following objectives to mitigate the loss of
life and public health threats associated with COVID-19.
1. Objectives
(1) Identify capabilities to effectively support National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains.
(2) Ensure effective coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains System resources that may be required for the Response to
COVID-19.
(3) Ensure ongoing competition continues within the National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System to the greatest extent
possible under the DPA.
2. Actions
Sub-Committee Participants may be asked to support these objectives
by taking the following specific actions:
[[Page 6886]]
(1) Assist the Chairperson in identifying priorities and challenges
within the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System that
should be addressed within the Plan's Sub-Committees because of their
importance to the national response to COVID-19. Using the best
evidence available, Participants should consider whether current and
projected National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System resources
are sufficient to meet essential needs of End-Users and geographic
areas, and if there are any critical shortfalls of such resources that
may be of concern for the response to COVID-19.
(2) Create a collaborative process for evaluating and addressing
competing National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System claims,
as directed and decided by the Chairperson.
(3) Develop a mechanism to inform prioritization of the
distribution of healthcare products through National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains, as directed and decided by the Chairperson.
(4) Prepare a general strategy to accomplish the activities listed
in V(A)(2) and V(A)(5) regarding activities in Exigent Circumstances
consistent with the decisions made by the Chairperson.
(5) In Exigent Circumstances, with review and concurrence in all
possible instances by DOJ in consultation with FTC:
Facilitate maximum use of the National Multimodal
Healthcare Supply Chains System to meet requirements of the nation or
particular geographic areas by deconflicting overlapping demands from
the collective Participants' End-Users, as directed and decided by the
Chairperson.
Facilitate maximum availability of resources provided
within the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System to meet
requirements of the nation or particular geographic areas, as directed
and decided by the Chairperson.
Facilitate the efficient distribution of resources through
the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System by
deconflicting overlapping distribution chain activities of Sub-
Committee Members, as directed and decided by the Chairperson.
Establish a process and means of collaboration to address
exigent End-User requirements in a manner aligned with the objectives
of this Plan, as directed and decided by the Chairperson.
(6) Provide data and information necessary to validate the efforts
of the Sub-Committee including the actual and planned COVID-19 response
activities that may foreseeably impact National Multimodal Healthcare
Supply Chains throughout the nation, as determined by the Chairperson.
(7) Provide feedback to the Chairperson and Sub-Committee Members
on outcomes, accomplishments, and impediments of collective efforts to
accomplish objectives and actions outlined in this Plan.
(8) Advise the Chairperson whether additional Participants or
Attendees should be invited to join this Plan and its Sub-Committees.
(9) Carry out other activities that the Sub-Committees under this
Plan determine to be necessary for the coordination of National
Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System resources to address the
COVID-19 Pandemic's direct threat to the national defense, as
determined and directed by the Chairperson, where such activities have
been reviewed and approved by DOJ and FTC and received concurrence from
Sub-Committee members.
B. Information Management and Responsibilities
FEMA will request only the data and information from Sub-Committee
Participants that is necessary to meet the objectives of the Plan and
consistent with the scope of the relevant Sub-Committees. Upon signing
a Plan of Action Agreement for this Plan, FEMA requests that
Participants endeavor to cooperate with diligence and speed, and to the
extent permissible under this Plan, and to share with FEMA any data and
information necessary to meet the objectives of this Plan.
Sub-Committee Participants agree to share with FEMA the following
data with diligence and speed to the extent permissible under this
Plan, and to abide by the following guidelines where feasible and
consistent with the data that is owned by each Sub-Committee
Participant:
(1) In general, Participants will not be asked to share
Competitively Sensitive Information directly with other Participants.
(2) FEMA will only request direct sharing of Competitively
Sensitive Information among Participants during Exigent Circumstances
where there is a mission critical need or timeline such that sharing
only through FEMA is impractical or threatens the outcome of the Plan
or Sub-Committee action. Such requests, if made, will be only among
Participants whose participation is necessary to meet the objectives of
the Plan, will be limited in scope to the greatest extent possible, and
will be shared only pursuant to safeguards subject to prior review and
audit by DOJ and FTC. Direct sharing of Competitively Sensitive
Information with other Participants will be limited in scope and
circumstances to the greatest extent possible. Participants may not
share Competitively Sensitive Information directly with other
Participants unless specifically requested by FEMA, in consultation
with DOJ and FTC. All Competitively Sensitive Information delivered to
FEMA or to another Sub-Committee Participant shall be delivered by
secure means, for example, password-protected or encrypted electronic
files or drives with the password/key delivered by separate
communication or method or via upload to an appropriately secure web
portal as directed by FEMA. All data delivered to the web portal
designated by FEMA is deemed to be Competitively Sensitive Information.
(3) To allow FEMA to identify and appropriately protect documents
containing Competitively Sensitive Information by the Sub-Committee
Participant providing the documents, the Sub-Committee Participant will
make good faith efforts to designate any Competitively Sensitive
Information by placing restrictive markings on documents and things
considered to be competitively sensitive, the restrictive markings
being sufficiently clear in wording and visibility to indicate the
restricted nature of the data. The Sub-Committee Participant will
identify Competitively Sensitive Information that is disclosed verbally
by oral warning. Information designated as competitively sensitive
will, to the extent allowed by law, be presumed to constitute trade
secrets, or commercial or financial information, and be provided by the
Sub-Committee Participant to FEMA with the expectation that it will be
kept confidential by both parties, as such terms are understood in
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) of the Freedom of Information Act
and federal judicial interpretations of this statute. FEMA agrees that
to the extent any information designated as competitively sensitive by
a Sub-Committee Participant is responsive to a request for disclosure
under the Freedom of Information Act, FEMA will consult with the Sub-
Committee Participant and afford the Participant ten (10) working days
to object to any disclosure by FEMA.
(4) FEMA will make good faith efforts to appropriately recognize
unmarked Documents containing Competitively Sensitive Information as
Competitively Sensitive Information. However, FEMA cannot guarantee
that all unmarked
[[Page 6887]]
Documents will be recognized as being Competitively Sensitive
Information and protected from disclosure to third parties. If the
unmarked Documents have not been disclosed without restriction outside
of FEMA, the Sub-Committee Participant may retroactively request to
have appropriate designations placed on the Documents. If the unmarked
Documents have been disclosed without restriction outside of FEMA, FEMA
will, to the extent practicable, remove any requested information from
public forums controlled by FEMA and will work promptly to request that
a receiving party return or destroy disclosed unmarked Documents if
requested by the Sub-Committee Participant.
(5) Competitively Sensitive Information may be used by FEMA, alone
or in combination with additional information, including Documents and
Competitively Sensitive Information received from third parties, to
support FEMA's implementation of this Plan as determined by the
Chairperson. In all situations, FEMA will aggregate and anonymize
Competitively Sensitive Information to the greatest extent possible to
protect the interests retained by the owners of the data while still
allowing the objectives of the Plan and Sub-Committee to be achieved.
To the greatest extent possible, such aggregation will render the
competitively sensitive nature of the Competitively Sensitive
Information of the Sub-Committee Participant no longer recognizable in
a commercially sensitive manner, and without sufficient information to
enable, by inference or otherwise, attribution to Sub-Committee
Participant or its affiliates (as clearly identified and disclosed to
FEMA). Any disclosure of Competitively Sensitive Information by FEMA,
within or outside a Sub-Committee, will be subject to review and
approval by DOJ and FTC.
(6) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by applicable federal
law, FEMA shall not disclose any Competitively Sensitive Information or
use any Competitively Sensitive Information for any purpose other than
in connection with the purposes of this Plan, and FEMA will not sell
any Competitively Sensitive Information of any Sub-Committee
Participant.
(7) Except as described below, FEMA may disclose Competitively
Sensitive Information only to its employees, officers, directors,
contractors, agents, and advisors (including attorneys, accountants,
consultants, and financial advisors). Any individual with access to
Competitively Sensitive Information will be expected to comply with the
terms of this Plan.
a. Information Sharing within the Sub-Committee: FEMA may share
Competitively Sensitive Information with Sub-Committee Participants and
Federal Representatives of the Plan, and their respective employees,
officers, directors, contractors, agents, and advisors (including
attorneys, accountants, consultants, and financial advisors) where
there is a need to know and where disclosure is reasonably necessary in
furtherance of implementing the Plan. FEMA will aggregate and anonymize
data prior to sharing with the Sub-Committee Participants to the
greatest extent possible while still allowing the objectives of the
Plan to be achieved, and will not share data--particularly to
competitors of the submitter--prior to consultation with and approval
by the DOJ and FTC.
i. Sub-Committee Participants, when providing Competitively
Sensitive Information to FEMA, may request that this Information not be
shared with other Sub-Committee Participants. Where these requests are
made in good faith and are reasonable in nature, FEMA will respect
these requests to the greatest extent possible and will consult the
owner of the data prior to any release made to Sub-Committee
Participants.
b. Restricted Reports. FEMA may communicate Competitively Sensitive
Information to appropriate government officials through Restricted
Reports. The information contained in Restricted Reports shall be
aggregated and anonymized to the greatest extent possible, while
recognizing that these officials may need a certain amount of
granularity and specificity of information to appropriately respond to
COVID-19. FEMA will aim to aggregate data to the County level, and will
not share Restricted Reports prior to consultation and approval from
the DOJ and FTC. FEMA may disclose Restricted Reports to relevant White
House and Administration officials and State Governors, and their
respective employees, officers, directors, contractors, agents, and
advisors (including attorneys, accountants, consultants, and financial
advisors) who have a need to know and to whom such disclosure is
reasonably necessary solely in furtherance of the implementation of
this Plan. FEMA shall take appropriate action (by instructions,
agreement, or otherwise) to ensure that receiving parties comply with
all data-sharing confidentiality and obligations under this Plan as if
such persons or entities had been parties to this Plan.
c. Public Reports. FEMA may share information with the public
through Public Reports. Data contained in Public Reports shall be fully
aggregated and anonymized. Public Reports shall be aggregated to at
least a state level and may be publicly disclosed after consultation
and approval from the DOJ and FTC.
(8) Where possible and not obviated by Exigent Circumstances, FEMA
will notify Sub-Committee Participants prior to the release of any
Competitively Sensitive Information that has not been fully aggregated
and anonymized. In consultation with DOJ and FTC, FEMA will consider
any good-faith requests made by Sub-Committee members to hold the
release of data or requests for further aggregation or anonymization.
In general, FEMA will not provide notification prior to the release of
Public Reports, under the presumption that the data in these reports
has already been fully anonymized and de-identified.
(9) Any party receiving Competitively Sensitive Information through
this Plan shall use such information solely for the purposes outlined
in the Plan and take steps, such as imposing previously approved
firewalls or tracking usage, to prevent misuse of the information.
Disclosure and use of Competitively Sensitive Information will be
limited to the greatest extent possible, and any party receiving
Competitively Sensitive Information shall follow the procedures
outlined in paragraph 7 above.
(10) At the conclusion of a Participant's involvement in a Plan--
due to the deactivation of the Plan or due to the Participant's
withdrawal or removal--each Participant will be requested to sequester
any and all Competitively Sensitive Information received through
participation in the Plan. This sequestration shall include the
deletion of all Competitively Sensitive Information unless required to
be kept pursuant to the Record Keeping requirements as described supra,
Section I, 44 CFR part 332, or any other provision of law.
C. Oversight
Each Sub-Committee Chairperson is responsible for ensuring that the
Attorney General, or suitable delegate(s) from the DOJ, and the FTC
Chair, or suitable delegate(s) from the FTC, have awareness of
activities under this Plan, including activation, deactivation, and
scheduling of meetings. The Attorney General, the FTC Chair, or their
delegates may attend Sub-Committee meetings and request to be apprised
of any activities taken in accordance with activities under this Plan.
DOJ or FTC Representatives may request and review
[[Page 6888]]
any proposed action by the Sub-Committee or Sub-Committee Participants
undertaken pursuant to this Plan, including the provision of data. If
any DOJ or FTC Representative believes any actions proposed or taken
are not consistent with relevant antitrust protections provided by the
DPA, he or she shall provide warning and guidance to the Sub-Committee
as soon as the potential issue is identified. If questions arise about
the antitrust protections applicable to any particular action, FEMA may
request DOJ, in consultation with the FTC, provide an opinion on the
legality of the action under relevant DPA antitrust protections.
VI. Establishment of the Sub-Committees
This Plan establishes Sub-Committees to implement the Plan of
Action to Establish a National Strategy for the Coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains to Respond to COVID-19 to
provide the Federal Government and the Participants a forum to maximize
the coordination of selected National Multimodal Healthcare Supply
Chain resources and to create a prioritization protocol based upon
existing or projected needs of End-Users and geographic areas within
the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System. The outcome
should include a framework to expeditiously meet critical needs within
the National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System that may arise
in Exigent Circumstances, and to ensure actions to address such needs
do not come with unacceptable risks to End-Users or interfere with
other efforts to meet critical End-User requirements. A Sub-Committee
Chairperson designated by the Chairperson will convene and preside over
each Sub-Committee. Sub-Committees will not be used for contract
negotiations or contract discussions between the Participants and the
Federal Government; such negotiations or discussions will be in
accordance with applicable federal contracting policies and procedures.
However, this shall not limit any discussion within a Sub-Committee
about the operational utilization of existing and potential contracts
between the Participants and Representatives when seeking to align
their use with overall manufacturing and distribution efforts
consistent with this Plan.
Each Sub-Committee will consist of designated Representatives from
FEMA, HHS, other federal agencies with equities in this Plan, and each
Sub-Committee Participant. The Attorney General and Chair of the FTC,
or their delegates, may also join each Sub-Committee and attend
meetings at their discretion. Attendees may also be invited at the
discretion of a Sub-Committee Chairperson as subject matter experts, to
provide technical advice, or to represent other government agencies,
but will not be considered part of the Sub-Committee.
Only to the extent necessary to respond to COVID-19 as explicitly
directed by the Sub-Committee Chairperson, and subject to the
provisions of Section V(B), Sub-Committee Members may be asked to
provide technical advice, share information, help identify and validate
places and resources of the greatest need, help project future
manufacturing and distribution demands, assist in identifying and
resolving the allotment of scarce resources under Exigent
Circumstances, and take other actions necessary to maximize the timely
coordination of National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains System
resources for the COVID-19. A Sub-Committee Chairperson or his or her
designee, at the Sub-Committee Chairperson's sole discretion, will make
decisions on these issues in order to ensure the maximum efficiency and
effectiveness in the use of Sub-Committee Member's resources. All Sub-
Committee Participants will be invited to open Sub-Committee meetings.
For selected Sub-Committee meetings, attendance may be limited to
designated Sub-Committee Participants to meet specific operational
requirements, as determined by FEMA.
Each Sub-Committee Chairperson shall notify the Attorney General,
the Chair of the FTC, Representatives, and Participants of the time,
place, and nature of each meeting and of the proposed agenda of each
meeting to be held to carry out this Plan. Additionally, each Sub-
Committee Chairperson shall provide for publication in the Federal
Register of a notice of the time, place, and nature of each meeting. If
a meeting is open, a Federal Register notice will be published
reasonably in advance of the meeting. A Sub-Committee Chair may
restrict attendance at meetings only on the grounds outlined by 44 CFR
332.5(c)(1)-(3). If a meeting is closed, a Federal Register notice will
be published within ten (10) days of the meeting and will include the
reasons why the meeting is closed pursuant to 44 CFR 332.3(c)(2).
The Sub-Committee Chairperson shall establish the agenda for each
meeting, be responsible for adherence to the agenda, and provide for a
written summary or other record of each meeting and provide copies of
transcripts or other records to FEMA, the Attorney General, the Chair
of the FTC, and all Sub-Committee Participants. The Chairperson shall
take necessary actions to protect from public disclosure any data
discussed with or obtained from Sub-Committee Participants which a Sub-
Committee Participant has identified as a trade secret or as privileged
and confidential in accordance with DPA sections 708(h)(3) and 705(d),
or which qualifies for withholding under 44 CFR 332.5.
VII. Application and Agreement
The Sub-Committee Participant identified below hereby agrees to
join in the Federal Emergency Management Agency sponsored Plan of
Action to Establish a National Strategy for the Coordination of
National Multimodal Healthcare Supply Chains to Respond to COVID-19
under the Voluntary Agreement for the Manufacture and Distribution of
Healthcare Resources Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic and to become a
Participant in one or more Sub-Committees established by this Plan.
This Plan will be published in the Federal Register. This Plan is
authorized under section 708 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as
amended. Regulations governing the Voluntary Agreement for the
Manufacture and Distribution of Healthcare Resources Necessary to
Respond to a Pandemic and all subsequent Plans of Action at 44 CFR part
332. The applicant, as a Sub-Committee Participant, agrees to comply
with the provisions of section 708 of the Defense Production Act of
1950, as amended, the regulations at 44 CFR part 332, and the terms of
this Plan.
VIII. Assignment
No Sub-Committee Participant may assign or transfer this Plan, in
whole or in part, or any protections, rights or obligations hereunder
without the prior written consent of the Sub-Committee Chairperson.
When requested, the Sub-Committee Chairperson will respond to written
requests for consent within 10 (ten) business days of receipt.
[[Page 6889]]
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(Company name)
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(Name of authorized representative)
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(Signature of authorized representative)
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(Date)
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Administrator (Sponsor)
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(Date)
Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2022-02549 Filed 2-3-22; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-19-P