[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 72 (Monday, April 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19000-19001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1873]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part A, Office of the Secretary, Statement of Organization, 
Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) is being amended at Chapter AB, Deputy Secretary, 
Chapter ABE, ``Security Clearance and Drug Testing Office (ABE),'' as 
last amended at 67 FR 71568-70, dated December 2, 2002. This 
reorganization is to establish the Office of Security and Strategic 
Information (ABE), as a direct report to the Deputy Secretary. The 
changes are as follows:
    I. Under Part A, Chapter AB, ``Security Clearances and Drug Testing 
Office (ABE),'' delete in its entirety, and replace with the following:

Office of Security and Strategic Information (ABE)

ABE.00 Mission.
ABE.10 Organization.
ABE.20 Function.

    Section ABE.00 Mission. On behalf of the Secretary and the Deputy 
Secretary, the Office of Security and Strategic Information (OSSI) 
provides broad Department-wide policy direction, standards setting, 
coordination, and performance assessment for organizational components 
within HHS in the areas of: physical security; personnel security and 
suitability; security awareness; information security, including the 
safeguarding of classified material and classification management; 
communication security; security and threat assessments; and strategic 
information programs and activities. OSSI functions as a platform to 
further HHS' roles in its various missions for protecting and improving 
the public health of the Nation, by protecting employees and visitors 
and Departmentally owned and occupied critical infrastructure, and by 
assuring the integration of strategic medical, public health, 
biomedical, and national security information. OSSI engages in and 
manages multiple internal Department and external relationships with 
other Federal Government Departments and agencies and external 
constituencies. OSSI directly manages and administers the flow of 
classified information and provides national security information 
services to all components within the Office of the Secretary (OS).
    Section ABE.10 Organization. The Office of Security and Strategic 
Information (ABE) is headed by a Director who reports directly to the 
Deputy Secretary, and includes the following components:
     Immediate Office (ABE).
     Division of Physical Security (ABE1).
     Division of Personnel and Classified Information Security 
(ABE2).
     Division of Strategic Information (ABE3).
    Section ABE.20 Functions.
    1. Immediate Office (ABE). The Immediate Office of the OSSI is 
responsible for the following: (1) Providing overall leadership for the 
development, coordination, application, and evaluation of all policies 
and activities within the Department that relate to physical and 
personnel security, the security of classified information, and the 
exchange and coordination of national security-related strategic 
information with our Federal Government Departments and agencies and 
the national security community, including national security-related 
relationships with law enforcement organizations (LEOs) and public 
safety agencies; (2) serving as the principal advisor to and 
representative of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on national 
security, physical and personnel security, security awareness, 
classified information security, and related medical, public health, 
and biomedical strategic information matters, including with 
organizations outside of the Department; (3) directing activities for 
all committees and work groups pertaining to these matters; (4) serving 
as the manager for any designation of representatives to external 
national security and related work groups; (5) providing policy 
oversight and coordination related to the architectural security 
function in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration 
and Management (ASAM); the Cyber security and critical infrastructure 
functions in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Resources and 
Technology (ASRT); and the Select Agents Program within the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Departmental units 
having select agent responsibilities; (6) serving as the principal 
contact with the Office of the Director of national Intelligence, and 
all of its subsidiary organizations; (7) serving as the principal 
contact point for other Federal Government Departments and agencies 
that have an interest in the sharing of strategic or national security-
related medical, public health, and related scientific information; (8) 
approving the detail or assignment of personnel to or from components 
of national security agencies, LEO, and public safety agency 
communities, and serving as supervisor during their term (9) working 
with the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) on issues of 
mutual interest; and (10) conducting periodic assessments of the 
performance of relevant systems and activities and providing reports 
and recommendations to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary.
    2. Division of Physical Security (ABE1). The Division of Physical 
Security (DPS) is responsible for the following: (1) Providing policy 
guidance, setting standards, and overseeing all matters pertaining to: 
(a) The physical security of facilities, stockpiles, vendor-managed 
inventories, logistical systems, employees, visitors, and contractors; 
(b) security functions during disaster and emergency response, 
including those at principal and alternate emergency operations 
locations, and providing assistance to and coordination with the ASPR 
for deployed HHS personnel, resources, and activities; (c) security and 
force

[[Page 19001]]

protection during emergency activities, including by working with 
military and civilian Federal Government Departments and agencies, 
State, and local LEOs and public safety agencies; (d) physical security 
components of Homeland Security Presidential Directives, as well as 
similar Directives or Executive Orders on national security matters; 
(2) representing the Department at the Interagency Security Committee, 
Information Sharing Council, and other similar committees and work 
groups; (3) coordinating with the ASRT on matters pertaining to 
policies for Cyber protections, the National Cyber Security Response 
Program, and the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Program and with the 
ASAM on policies pertaining to the architectural security program, and 
conducting periodic collaborative reviews of these programs; (4) 
serving as the day-to-day point of contact with local, State, and 
Federal LEOs and public safety agencies on OSSI-related subject matter; 
(5) coordinating activities with the Secretary's Operations Center, 
when appropriate; and for (6) coordinating and overseeing the 
Department's internal critical infrastructure protection program.
    3. Division of Personnel and Classified Information Security 
(ABE2). The Division of Personnel and Classified Information Security 
(DPCIS) is responsible for the following: (1) Providing policy 
guidance, setting standards, and overseeing all matters pertaining to: 
(a) Personnel security, national security clearances, and suitability 
programs as they apply to Departmental employees, consultants, and 
contractors; (b) communications security, including the integrity of 
classified information systems, technology, terminals and databases, 
and telecommunications security, and for direct management of these 
functions for all organizational elements contained within the OS; (2) 
establishing policies for and directing the Department's drug-free 
workplace program; (3) initiating and conducting national security 
clearance processes and background investigations for Departmental 
employees, consultants, or contractors, and maintaining related 
records; (4) establishing Department-wide policies and awareness 
programs for information security to include the control of classified 
and sensitive but unclassified (SBU) materials, secure information 
handling and storage, and related training programs; (5) coordinating 
national security clearance interchange between Federal Government 
Departments and agencies and other organizations; (6) directing a 
Department-wide international traveler training and awareness program 
and foreign visitor awareness program; (7) within the OS, headquarters 
facilities, and continuity sites, directly managing classified 
materials, access to sensitive compartmented information facilities 
9SCIFs) and information storage areas, secure audio and video systems, 
and other classified and secure communications systems; (8) 
establishing and overseeing Department-wide policies for similar 
functions and resources within the Department; (9) establishing and 
overseeing Department-wide policies for document classification 
management; and for (10) establishing standards to ensure awareness of 
appropriate practices to safeguard confidential and classified 
information held by the Department.
    4. Division of Strategic Information (ABE3). The Division of 
Strategic Information (DSI) is responsible for the following: (1) 
Establishing policies and procedures to share and convey sensitive and 
classified information to users in the Department; (2) receiving, 
assessing, and evaluating products, reports, and other strategic 
information for applicability in the context of the various public 
health and science missions of the Department; (3) providing briefings, 
digests, and science-based reviews and assessments related to strategic 
and classified information; (4) controlling the flow of mission-driven 
sensitive, classified, and strategic information within OS, and 
coordinating the flow between other components of the Department; (5) 
coordinating and superintending the flow of strategic national 
security-related public health and science information to and from HHS 
personnel detailed or assigned to national security agencies, LEOs, and 
public safety agencies; (6) managing and providing liaison for open 
source information programs and workgroups and the Information Sharing 
Environment Council; (7) providing policy direction for procedures to 
facilitate the identification of circumstances that are a potential 
vulnerability or threat to security; (8) conducting analyses of 
potential or identified risks to security and safety and working with 
agencies to develop methods to address them, including assisting in 
program implementation, performance evaluation, and oversight; and for 
(9) promoting cross-agency and inter-Departmental information sharing 
and scientific analysis collaborations.
    II. Continuation of Policy: Except as inconsistent with this 
reorganization, all statements of policy and interpretations with 
respect to the functions contained in this reorganization, heretofore 
issued and in effect prior to the date of this reorganization, are 
continued in full force and effect.
    III. Delegations of Authority: All delegations and redelegations of 
authority made to officials and employees of affected organizational 
components will continue in them or their successors pending further 
redelegation, provided they are consistent with this reorganization.
    VI. Funds, Personnel and Equipment: Transfer of organizations and 
functions affected by this reorganization shall be accompanied in each 
instance by direct and support funds, positions, personnel, records, 
equipment, supplies and other resources.

    Dated: April 3, 2007.
Michael O. Leavitt,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 07-1873 Filed 4-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-03-M