2012-9419. Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY:

DoD.

ACTION:

Re-establishment of Federal Advisory Committee.

SUMMARY:

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 Board of Visitors, National Defense University (hereafter referred to as “the Board”).

The Board of Visitors, National Defense University, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.50(d), is a discretionary Federal advisory committee that shall provide the Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President of the National Defense University, independent advice and recommendations on organizational management, curricula, methods of instruction, facilities and other matters of interest to the National Defense University.

The Board shall report to the Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President of the National Defense University. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may act upon the Board's advice and recommendations.

The Board shall be comprised of no more than twenty members, who are eminent authorities in the field of national defense, academia, business, national security affairs, and the defense industry. The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer, and the Department of State Director General shall serve as ex-officio members of the Board (these ex-officio members have voting rights). Board members shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense, with annual renewals.

The Board Membership shall select the Board's Chairperson and the Co-Chairperson from the total Board membership, and these individuals shall serve at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense, through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may invite other distinguished Government officers to serve as non-voting observers of the Board, and appoint consultants, with special expertise, to assist the Board on an ad hoc basis. If approved by the Secretary of Defense, these experts and consultants, appointed under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, shall have no voting rights on the Board or its subcommittees, shall not count toward the Board's total membership, and shall not engage in Board deliberations.

Board members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are not full-time or permanent part-time Federal employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, and to serve as special government employees.

The Secretary of Defense may approve the appointment of Board members for one to four year terms of service; however, no member, unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense, may serve more than two consecutive terms of service. This same term of service limitation also applies to any DoD authorized subcommittees.

Regardless of the individual's approved term of service, all appointments to the Board shall be renewed on an annual basis. In addition, they shall serve without compensation, except for travel and per diem for official Board-related travel.

Each Board member is appointed to provide advice on behalf of the government on the basis of his or her best judgment without representing any particular point of view and in a manner that is free from conflict of interest.

The Department, when necessary, and consistent with the Board's mission and DoD policies and procedures may, establish subcommittees, task groups, or working groups deemed necessary to support the Board. Establishment of subcommittees will be based upon a written determination, to include terms of reference, by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, or the advisory committee's sponsor.

These subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered Board, and shall report all of 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 any subcommittees or any of its members update or report directly to the Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees.

Such subcommittee members shall be appointed in the same manner as the Board members; that is, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint subcommittee members even if the member in question is already a Board member. Subcommittee members, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, may serve a term of service on the subcommittee of one to four years; however, no member shall serve more than two consecutive terms of service on the subcommittee. Subcommittee members, if not full-time or permanent part-time government employees, shall be appointed in the same manner as the Board members. Such individuals, 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.

All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b), governing Federal statutes and regulations, and governing DoD policies/procedures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Board shall meet at the call of the Board's Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the President of the National Defense University and the Board's Chairperson. The estimated number of Board meetings is two per year.

The Board's Designated Federal Officer is required to be in attendance at all Board and subcommittee meetings for the entire duration of each and every meeting. However, in the absence of the Board's Designated Federal Officer, an Alternate Designated Federal Officer, duly appointed to the Board according to DoD policies and procedures, shall attend the entire duration of the Board or subcommittee meetings.

The Designated Federal Officer, or the Alternate Designated Federal Officer, shall call all of the Board's and subcommittee's meetings; prepare and approve all meeting agendas; and adjourn any meeting, when the Designated Federal Officer or Alternate Designated Federal Officer, determines adjournment to be in the public's interest or required by governing regulations or DoD policies/procedures; and chair meetings when directed to do so by the official to whom the Board reports.

Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or interested organizations may submit written statements to Board of Visitors, National Defense University's membership about the Board's mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned meeting of the Board of Visitors, National Defense University.

All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal Officer for the Board of Visitors, National Defense University, and this individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information for the Board of Visitors, National Defense University Designated Federal Officer can be obtained from the GSA's FACA Database—https://www.fido.gov/​facadatabase/​public.asp.

The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will announce planned meetings of the Board of Visitors, National Defense University. The Designated Federal Officer, at that time, may provide additional guidance on the submission of written statements that are in response to the stated agenda for the planned meeting in question.

Dated: April 16, 2012.

Aaron Siegel,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.