[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 94 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31059-31060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-12157]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Treasury Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the U.S. 
Customs Service

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Treasury.

ACTION: Renewal of Treasury Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations 
of the U.S. Customs Service and solicitation of applications for 
committee membership.

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SUMMARY: It is in the public interest to renew the Advisory Committee 
for another two-year term. This notice also establishes criteria and 
procedures for the selection of members.
    Title: The Treasury Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of 
the U.S. Customs Service.
    Purpose: The purpose of the Committee is to present advice and 
recommendations to the Secretary of the Treasury regarding commercial 
operations of the U.S. Customs Service and to submit a report to 
Congress containing a summary of its operations and its views and 
recommendations.
    Statement of Public Interest: It is in the public interest to 
continue the existence of the Committee upon expiration, under the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, of its current two-
year term. The Committee provides a critical forum for distinguished 
representatives of diverse industry sectors to present their views on 
major issues involving commercial operations of the Customs Service. 
These views are offered directly to senior Treasury and Customs 
officials on a regular basis in a candid atmosphere. There exists no 
other single body that serves a comparable function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  

Background

    In the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-203), 
Congress repealed the statutory mandate for a Customs User Fee Advisory 
Committee and directed the Secretary of the Treasury to create a new 
Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the U.S. Customs 
Service. The original Committee consisted of 20 members drawn from 
industry sectors affected by Customs commercial operations. The 
Committee's charter was filed on October 17, 1988 and expired two years 
later. Charters were subsequently filed for second, third, fourth, 
fifth, and sixth two-year terms. The current charter will expire on 
October 15, 2000. The Treasury Department plans to file a new charter 
by that date renewing the Committee for a seventh two-year term.

Objective, Scope and Description of the Committee

    The Committee's objectives are to advise the Secretary of the 
Treasury on issues relating to the commercial operations of the Customs 
Service. It is expected that, during its seventh two-year term, the 
Committee will consider such issues as the Customs Entry Revision 
Project (ERP), the Merchandise Processing Fee, the budget for 
commercial operations, carrier issues, the administration of staff and 
resources for commercial operations, informed compliance and compliance 
assessment, automated systems, commercial enforcement, international 
efforts to harmonize customs practices and procedures, strategic 
planning, and northern border and southern border issues and the 
relationships with Canadian Customs and Mexican Customs.
    The Committee will be chaired by the Assistant Secretary of the 
Treasury for Enforcement. The Committee will function for a two-year 
period before renewal or termination and will meet approximately eight 
times (quarterly) during the period. Additional special meetings of the 
full Committee or a subcommittee thereof may be convened if necessary.
    The meetings will generally be held in the Treasury Department, 
Washington, D.C. However, typically one or two meetings per year may be 
held outside of Washington at a Customs port. In recent years, meetings 
have been held in Memphis, Portland, Boston, New Orleans, Nogales, Los 
Angeles and Seattle, among other locations.
    The meetings are open to public observers, including the press, 
unless special procedures have been followed to close a meeting. During 
the first six terms of the Committee, only a portion of one meeting was 
closed.
    The members shall be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury from 
representatives of the trade or transportation community serviced by 
Customs, the general public, or others who are directly affected by 
Customs commercial operations. In addition, members shall represent 
major regions of the country, and not more than ten members may be 
affiliated with the same political party. No person who is required to 
register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act as an agent or 
representative of a foreign principal may serve on an advisory 
committee. Members shall not be paid compensation nor shall they be 
considered Federal Government employees for any purpose. No per diem, 
transportation, or other expenses are reimbursed for the cost of 
attending Committee meetings at any location.
    Members who are serving on the Committee during its expiring two-
year term are eligible to reapply for membership. A new application 
letter and updated resume are required. It is expected that 
approximately half of the current membership of the Committee will be 
replaced with new appointees.
    Membership on the Committee is personal to the appointee. Under the 
Charter, a member may not send an alternate to represent him or her at 
a Committee meeting. However, since Committee meetings are open to the

[[Page 31060]]

public, another person from a member's organization may attend and 
observe the proceedings in a nonparticipating capacity. Regular 
attendance is essential; the Charter provides that a member who is 
absent for two consecutive meetings or two meetings in a calendar year 
shall lose his or her seat on the Committee.

Application for Advisory Committee Appointment

    Any interested person wishing to serve on the Treasury Advisory 
Committee on Commercial Operations of the U.S. Customs Service must 
provide the following:
     Statement of interest and reasons for application;
     Complete professional biography or resume;
     Political affiliation, in order to ensure balanced 
representation. (Mandatory. If no party registration or allegiance, 
indicate ``independent'' or ``unaffiliated'').
    In addition, applicants must state in their applications that they 
agree to submit to preappointment security and tax checks (Mandatory). 
However, a security clearance is not required for the position.
    There is no prescribed format for the application. Applicants may 
send a cover letter describing their interest and qualifications and 
enclosing a resume.
    The application period for interested candidates will extend to 
July 3, 2000. Applications should be submitted in sufficient time to be 
received by the close of business on the closing date by John P. 
Simpson, Office of Regulatory, Tariff and Trade Enforcement, Office of 
the Under Secretary (Enforcement), Room 4004, Department of the 
Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20220, ATT: COAC 
2000.

    Dated: May 10, 2000.
Dennis M. O'Connell,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary (Regulatory, Tariff and Trade 
Enforcement).
[FR Doc. 00-12157 Filed 5-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-25-M