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

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, as codified at 50 U.S.C. App. 531, prohibits a landlord from evicting a Service member (or the Service member's family) from a residence during a period of military service except by court order. The law as originally passed by Congress applied to dwellings with monthly rents of $2400 or less. The law requires the Department of Defense to adjust this amount annually to reflect inflation and to publish the new amount in the Federal Register. We have applied the inflation index required by the statute. The maximum monthly rental amount for 50 U.S.C. App. 531(a)(1)(A)(ii) is $2,975.54.

The Missile Defense Agency proposes to delete a system of records notice in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

Under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, (5 U.S.C. Appendix), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(d), the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Defense Policy Board (hereafter referred to as the ``Board''). The Board is a discretionary Federal advisory committee that shall provide the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense, through the Under Secretary of Defense (Policy), independent, informed advice and opinion concerning matters of defense policy. The Board shall focus on: (a) Issues central to strategic DoD planning; (b) policy implications of U.S. force structure and force modernization and on DoD's ability to execute U.S. defense strategy; (c) U.S. regional defense policies; and (d) any other research and analysis of topics raised by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary or the Under Secretary of Defense (Policy). The Under Secretary of Defense (Policy) may act upon the Board's advice and recommendations. The Board shall be comprised of no more than twenty-eight members who have distinguished backgrounds in defense and national security affairs. Board members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are not full-time or permanent part-time Federal employees, shall be appointed as experts and consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109 and shall serve as special government employee members. Board members shall serve a term of two years on the Board and, with the Secretary of Defense's approval, may serve additional terms; however, the Secretary of Defense shall renew their appointments on an annual basis. All Board members are appointed to provide advice on behalf of the government on the basis of their best judgment without representing any particular point of view and in a manner that is free from conflict of interest. The Secretary of Defense shall select the Board's Chairperson from the membership at large. In addition, the Secretary of Defense appoints the chairpersons of the Defense Business Board and the Defense Science Board as non-voting ex-officio members of the Defense Policy Board and their appointments shall not count toward the Board's total membership. With the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, Board members shall serve without compensation. The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, according to DoD policies and procedures, may appoint experts and consultants as subject matter experts under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109 to advise the Board or its subcommittees; these individuals do not count toward the Board's total membership nor do they have voting privileges. In addition, these subject matter experts, when appointed, shall not participate in any discussions dealing with the substantive matters before the Board or its subcommittees unless the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense specifically invites them to participate in the deliberations according to DoD policies and procedures. With DoD approval, the Board is authorized to establish subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission. These subcommittees shall operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b), and other governing Federal regulations. Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered Board, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Board for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Board; nor can they report directly to the Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees who are not Board members. Subcommittee members, who are not Board members, shall be appointed in the same manner as the Board members. Such individuals, if not full- time or part-time government employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, and serve as special government employees, whose appointments must be renewed by the Secretary of Defense on an annual basis. With the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, subcommittee members shall serve without compensation.

The Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee is publishing Civilian Personnel Per Diem Bulletin Number 277. This bulletin lists revisions in the per diem rates prescribed for U.S. Government employees for official travel in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Possessions of the United States. AEA changes announced in Bulletin Number 194 remain in effect. Bulletin Number 277 is being published in the Federal Register to assure that travelers are paid per diem at the most current rates.

The Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture is providing notice of an increase in the fiscal year (FY) 2011 specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) of 9,072 metric tons raw value (MTRV). The Secretary also announces the establishment of the FY 2012 in-quota aggregate quantity of the raw, as well as, refined and specialty sugar TRQ as required under the U.S. World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments. The FY 2012 raw cane sugar TRQ is established at 1,117,195 MTRV that may be entered under subheading 1701.11.10 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) during FY 2012 (October 1, 2011- September 30, 2012). In addition, the in-quota aggregate quantity of the refined and specialty sugar TRQ is established at 112,718 MTRV for certain sugars, syrups, and molasses (collectively referred to as refined sugar) that may be entered under subheadings 1701.12.10, 1701.91.10, 1701.99.10, 1702.90.10, and 2106.90.44 of the HTS during FY 2012. The Secretary also today announced that sugar entering the United States under the FY 2012 raw sugar import TRQ will be permitted to enter U.S. Customs territory beginning September 1, 2011, a month earlier than the usual first entry date of October 1. This latter action is in response to increased tightness in the U.S. raw sugar market. Additional U.S. Note 5(a) (iv) of Chapter 17 of the HTS authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to permit sugar allocated under a given quota period to be entered in a previous or subsequent quota year period.

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture are hosting a Vendor Outreach Workshop for small businesses in the State of New Mexico of the United States that are interested in doing business with each agency. This outreach workshop will review market contracting opportunities for the attendees. Business owners will be able to share their individual perspectives with Contracting Officers, Program Managers and Small Business Specialists from the Department.