[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 68 (Monday, April 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21087-21089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8456]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY: DoD.

ACTION: Renewal of Federal Advisory Committee.

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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 
(DoD) gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Defense 
Science Board (hereafter referred to as ``the Board'').
    The Board shall provide the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, 
Technology and Logistics, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 
and as requested, other Office of the Secretary of Defense Principal 
Staff Assistants, the Secretaries of the Military Departments, and the 
Commanders of the Combatant Commands, independent advice and 
recommendations on science, technology, manufacturing, acquisition 
process, and other matters of special interest to the DoD. Tasks 
assigned to the Board or its authorized subcommittees shall be 
determined by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of 
Defense, or the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology 
and Logistics.
    The Board is not established to advise on individual DoD 
procurements, but instead shall be concerned with the pressing and 
complex technology problems facing the Department in such areas as 
research, engineering, and manufacturing, and will ensure the 
identification of new technologies and new applications of technology 
in those areas to strengthen national security. No matter shall be 
assigned to the Board for its consideration that would require any 
Board member to participate personally and substantially in the conduct 
of any specific procurement or place him or her in the position of 
acting as a contracting or procurement official.
    The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and 
Logistics shall be authorized to act upon the

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advice and recommendations of the Board.
    The Board shall report to the Secretary of Defense through the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
    The Board shall be comprised of no more than 45 members and no more 
than 13 Senior Fellow members, who are eminent authorities in the 
fields of science, technology, manufacturing, acquisition process, and 
other matters of special interest to the DoD. Senior Fellows shall be 
voting members and count toward the Board's total membership.
    Board members and Senior Fellows shall be appointed by the 
Secretary of Defense and their appointments shall be renewed on an 
annual basis. Those members or Senior Fellows, 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 shall 
serve as special government employee members.
    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.
    Such appointments will normally be staggered among the Board 
membership to ensure an orderly turnover in the Board's overall 
composition on a periodic basis. With the exception of travel and per 
diem for official Board related travel, Board members and Senior 
Fellows shall serve without compensation, unless the Secretary of 
Defense authorizes compensation for particular member(s).
    The Secretary of Defense, based upon the recommendation of the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, 
shall appoint the Board's Chairperson. The Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics shall appoint the Vice 
Chairperson. The Board Chairperson and Vice Chairperson may serve more 
than one term of service, not to exceed two terms, and not to exceed 
their maximum allowed membership on the Board.
    The Secretary of Defense may invite other distinguished U.S. 
Government officers or chairpersons from other DoD supported federal 
advisory committees to serve as non-voting observers.
    The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and 
Logistics may appoint experts and consultants, with special expertise, 
to assist the Board on an ad hoc basis. These experts and consultants, 
if not full-time or part-time government employees, shall be appointed 
under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, shall serve as special government 
employees, shall be appointed on an intermittent basis to work specific 
Board-related efforts, and shall have no voting rights. Non-voting 
observers and those non-voting experts and consultants appointed by the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics 
shall not count toward the Board's total membership.
    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 
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.
    The Committee has established two permanent subcommittees:
    a. The Permanent Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Surety shall be 
comprised of no more than 15 members. The primary focus of the Task 
Force is to assess all aspects of nuclear weapons surety to include 
military, federal, and contractors. This assessment should include, but 
is not limited to: nuclear weapons physical security, nuclear weapons 
safety, nuclear weapons control, command and control, nuclear 
operations (crew training) and execution, and nuclear surety policy. 
Continue to build on the work of the former Joint Advisory Committee on 
Nuclear Weapons Surety, the Nuclear Command & Control System End-to-End 
Review, and the Drell Panel. Review and recommend methods and 
strategies to maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent. 
Monitor and review the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and weapons 
operations. The estimated number of subcommittee meetings is up to 12 
per year.
    b. The Survivability of DoD Systems and Assets to Electromagnetic 
Pulse (EMP) and Other Nuclear Weapons Effects Task Force shall be 
comprised of no more than 15 members. The focus of the Task Force 
should be to assess implementation of the DoD Instruction 3150.09, The 
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Survivability 
Policy, dated September 17, 2008, covering nuclear survivability, 
including EMP, and to assess the effectiveness of the management 
oversight group established by the DoD Instruction. Conduct an 
independent review and assessment of DoD's EMP survivability program, 
and review other matters associated with nuclear survivability, such as 
the first biennial DoD report to Congress on EMP survivability. The 
estimated number of subcommittee meetings is up to 12 per year.

    These 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 
any subcommittee or its members update or report directly to the DoD or 
any Federal officers or employees.
    All 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 part-time government 
employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and consultants under 
the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, and shall 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 Board related 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, Deputy 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 Board's 
Chairperson. The estimated number of Board meetings is four per year.
    The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to DoD policy, shall be a 
full-time or permanent part-time DoD

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employee, and shall be appointed in accordance with governing DoD 
policies and procedures.
    In addition, the 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 
Designated Federal Officer, the Alternate Designated Federal Officer 
shall attend the entire duration of the Board or subcommittee meeting.
    Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or 
interested organizations may submit written statements to Defense 
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 Defense Science Board.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal 
Officer for the Defense Science Board, and this individual will ensure 
that the written statements are provided to the membership for their 
consideration. Contact information for the Defense Science Board 
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 Defense Science Board. 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 4, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012-8456 Filed 4-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P