2014-11633. Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY:

DoD.

ACTION:

Renewal of Federal Advisory Committee.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Defense (DoD) is publishing this notice to announce that it is renewing the charter for the U.S. Army Science Board (“the Board”).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This committee's charter is being renewed under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C. Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b) (“the Sunshine Act”), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(d).

The Board is a discretionary Federal advisory committee that shall provide independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of the Army; the Under Secretary of the Army and Department of the Army Chief Management Officer; the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology; and other Army organizations as determined by the Secretary of the Army and according to DoD policy, on matters relating to the Army's scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, and business management functions, and other matters as determined by the Secretary of the Army.

The Board is not established to advise on individual DoD or Department of the Army acquisitions, but instead shall be concerned with the pressing and complex technology and business management issues facing the Department of the Army.

The DoD, through the Department of the Army, shall provide support as deemed necessary for the Board's performance, and shall ensure compliance with the requirements of the FACA, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended) (“the Sunshine Act”), governing Federal statutes and regulations, and governing DoD policies and procedures.

The Board shall be comprised of no more than 20 voting members who are eminent authorities in one or more of the following disciplines: Science, technology, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, and business management functions, and other matters of special interest to the Department of the Army. The Secretary of the Army, as authorized by the Secretary of Defense, shall designate the Board's Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from the Board's total membership. All Board member appointments must be renewed by the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Defense on an annual basis.

Board members appointed by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy 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 to serve as special government employee (SGE) members. Board members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal employees, shall serve as regular government employee (RGE) members. Board members shall serve a term of service of three years on the Board. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms of service without the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Defense approval. This same term of service limitation also applies to any DoD authorized subcommittees.

With the exception of reimbursement for official Board-related travel and per diem, Board members shall serve without compensation.

DoD, when necessary and consistent with the Board's mission and DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees, task forces, or working groups 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 Secretary of the Army, as the DoD Sponsor.

Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the Board and shall report all of their recommendations and advice solely to the Board for full and open deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees, task forces, or working groups have no authority to make decisions and recommendations, verbally or in writing, on behalf of the Board. No subcommittee or any of its members can update or report, verbally or in writing, on behalf of the Board, directly to the DoD or any Federal officer or employee.

The Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense will appoint subcommittee members to a term of service of three years, even if the member in question is already a member of the Board. Subcommittee members shall not serve more than two consecutive terms of service unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Subcommittee members, if not full-time or permanent part-time Federal employees, will be appointed as experts and consultants, under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, to serve as SGE members, whose appointments must be renewed on an annual basis. Subcommittee members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal employees, shall serve as RGE members. With the exception of reimbursement of official travel and per diem related to the Board or its subcommittees, subcommittee members shall serve without compensation.

All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the Sunshine Act, governing Federal statutes and regulations, and established DoD policies and procedures.

The Board shall include up to four permanent subcommittees consistent with its mission and established Federal and DoD policies and procedures. The four Board subcommittees (Basic Sciences and Disruptive Technologies subcommittee; Weapon Systems subcommittee; C4ISR subcommittee; and Systems Engineering, Integration, and Sustainment subcommittee) reflect the Army core competency areas recommended by the 2013 Army Science & Technology Core Competency Study briefed to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.

The estimated number of Board meetings is four per year.

The Board's Designated Federal Officer (DFO) shall be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee and shall be appointed in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures.

The Board's DFO, pursuant to DoD policy, shall be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be appointed in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures.

The Board's DFO is required to be in attendance at all meetings of the Board and any subcommittees for the entire duration of each and every meeting; however, in the absence of the DFO, a properly approved Alternate DFO shall attend the entire duration of all of the meetings of the Board and its subcommittees.

The DFO, or the Alternate DFO, shall call all meetings of the Board and its subcommittees; prepare and approve all meeting agendas; and adjourn any meeting when the DFO, or the Alternate DFO, determines adjournment to be in the public interest or required by governing regulations or DoD policies and procedures.

Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or interested organizations may submit written statements to U.S. Army Science Board 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 U.S. Army Science Board.

All written statements shall be submitted to the DFO for the U.S. Army Science Board, and this individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information for the U.S. Army Science Board DFO can be obtained from the GSA's FACA Database—http://www.facadatabase.gov/​.

The DFO, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will announce planned meetings of the U.S. Army Science Board. The DFO, at that time, may provide additional guidance on the submission of written statements that are in response to the stated agenda for the planned meeting in question.

Dated: May 15, 2014.

Aaron Siegel,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.