Office of the Secretary August 11, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), Federal Voting Assistance Program, revised the SF 76, Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), SF 76A, Federal Post Card Application (Electronic), SF 186, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), and SF 186A, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (Electronic), to meet Federal laws and technology, including but not limited to, the use of electronic transmission for transmitting the form. The form will be stocked by GSA, Federal Acquisition Service, Inventory Management Branch (QSDLBAB), 819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102-0000 and available November 1, 2011.

In accordance with OMB Memoranda M10-06, ``Open Government Directive,'' the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department or DOT) is evaluating the feasibility and value of a new cloud-based platform to connect citizens, businesses, state and local governments, industry, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors like never beforecreating a thriving marketplace for digital transportation solutions. The Digital Transportation Exchange (DTE) will be a public exchange where citizens, businesses, state and local governments, industry, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors will converge to find the best way to develop, fund and market the best digital products and services for the transportation industryfrom very simple to very complex. Recognizing that transportation solutions are often adopted locally, this site will provide a single location for all of these local solutions to be showcased nationally, encouraging reuse, investment and improvement. DOT is seeking partners to develop, build and maintain this portal. As part of this evaluation, the Department invites the public to participate in a comment process designed to help the Department develop a feasible and high value concept for this portal and the partnership model designed to sustain it. The Department also will hold a stakeholder meeting to discuss and consider comments. Comments and suggestions from these two forums may be incorporated into a follow on procurement that will be released in 2011 to solicit partners.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense proposes to alter a system of records in its inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is adding a new exemption rule for LDIA 0900, entitled ``Accounts Receivable, Indebtedness and Claims'' to exempt those records that have been previously claimed for the records in another Privacy Act system of records. To the extent that copies of exempt records from those other systems of records are entered into these case records, DIA hereby claims the same exemptions for the records as claimed in the original primary system of records of which they are a part. This direct final rule makes nonsubstantive changes to the Defense Intelligence Agency Program rules. These changes will allow the Department to exempt records from certain portions of the Privacy Act. This will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of DoD's program by preserving the exempt status of the records when the purposes underlying the exemption for the original records are still valid and necessary to protect the contents of the records. This rule is being published as a direct final rule as the Department of Defense does not expect to receive any adverse comments, and so a proposed rule is unnecessary.

This Rule establishes policy, assigns responsibilities and provides procedures for the regulation of the selection, accountability, training, equipping, and conduct of personnel performing private security functions under a covered contract during contingency operations, combat operations or other significant military operations. It also assigns responsibilities and establishes procedures for incident reporting, use of and accountability for equipment, rules for the use of force, and a process for administrative action or the removal, as appropriate, of PSCs and PSC personnel. For the Department of Defense, this Rule supplements DoD Instruction 3020.41, ``Contractor Personnel Authorized to Accompany the U.S. Armed Forces,'' which provides guidance for all DoD contractors operating in contingency operations. This Rule was published as an Interim Final Rule on July 17, 2009 because there was insufficient policy and guidance regulating the actions of DoD and other governmental PSCs and their movements in operational areas. This Rule ensures compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to Inherently Governmental functions, and ensures proper performance by armed contractors.