[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59698-59699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24216]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Federal Advisory Committee; Department of Defense Task Force on 
the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and 
Injured Member of the Armed Forces

AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Establishment of Federal advisory committee.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of section 724 of Public Law 111-84, 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, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is establishing 
the charter for the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, 
Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured 
Member of the Armed Forces (hereafter referred to as ``the Task 
Force'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Freeman, Deputy Committee 
Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-601-6128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Task Force is a non-discretionary 
Federal advisory committee established to (a) access the effectiveness 
of the policies and programs developed and implemented by the 
Department of Defense, and by each of the Military Departments to 
assist and support the care, management, and transition of recovering 
wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces; and (b) make 
recommendations for the continuous improvements of such policies and 
programs.
    The Task Force, pursuant to section 724(c) of public Law 111-84, 
shall no later than 12 months after the date on which all Task Force 
members have been appointed, and each year thereafter for the life of 
the Task Force, shall submit a report to the Secretary of Defense.
    The Task Force shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report on 
the activities of the Task Force, and on the activities of the 
Department of Defense, to include the Military Departments, to assist 
and support the care, management, and transition of recovering wounded, 
ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces. At a minimum, the Task 
Force's report shall include the following:
    a. The Task Force's findings and conclusions as a result of its 
assessment of the effectiveness of developed and implemented DoD 
policies and programs, to include those by each of the Military 
Departments, to assist and support the care, Management, and transition 
of recovering wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces.
    b. A description of best practices and various ways in which the 
Department of Defense, to include the Military Departments, could more 
effectively address matters relating to the care, management, and 
transition of recovering wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed 
Forces, including members of the Regular and Reserve Components, and 
support for their families.
    c. A plan listing and describing the Task Force's activities for 
the upcoming year covered by the report.
    d. Such recommendations for other legislative or administrative 
action that the Task Force considers appropriate for measures to 
improve DoD-wide policies and programs in (a) above, which assist and 
support the care, management and transition of recovering wounded, ill, 
and injured members of the Armed Forces.
    The Task Force, for the purposes of its reports, shall fully comply 
with sections 724(c)(2) and (3) of Public Law 111-84 in all matters 
dealing with the reports; (a) methodology; and (b) matters to be 
reviewed and assessed.
    No later than 90 days after receiving the Task Force's annual 
report, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives the 
report and the Secretary's evaluation of the report.
    No later than six months after receiving the Task Force's annual 
report, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretaries 
of the Military Departments, shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a plan to 
implement the recommendations of the Task Force's annual report.
    The Task Force, pursuant to section 724(b) of Public Law 111-84, 
shall be comprised of not more than 14 members appointed by the 
Secretary of Defense.
    Pursuant to 724(b)(2) of Public Law 111-84, the Secretary of 
Defense shall appoint:
    a. At least one member of each of the Regular Components of the 
Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps;
    b. One member of the National Guard;
    c. One member of a Reserve Component of the Armed Forces other than 
the National Guard;
    d. At least one family member of a wounded, ill, or injured member 
of the Armed Forces or veteran who has experience working with wounded, 
ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces or their families; and
    e. A number of person from outside the Department of Defense equal 
to the total number of personnel from within the Department of Defense 
(whether members of the Armed Forces or civilian personnel) who are 
appointed to the Task Force.
    Sections 724(b)(2) through (4) of Public Law 111-84, further 
stipulate the following Task Force appointment requirements:
    a. At least one individual appointed to the Task Force from within 
the Department of Defense shall be the Surgeon General of an Armed 
Force.
    b. The individuals appointed to the Task Force from outside the 
Department of Defense--
    i. With the concurrence of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall 
include an officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
and
    ii. May include individuals from other departments or agencies of 
the Federal Government, from State and local agencies, or from the 
private sector.
    c. Persons appointed to the Task Force shall have experience in--
    i. Medical care and coordination for wounded, ill, and injured 
members of the Armed Forces;
    ii. Medical case management;
    iii. Non-medical case management;
    iv. The disability evaluation process for members of the Armed 
Forces;
    v. Veterans benefits;
    vi. Treatment of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress 
disorder;
    vii. Family support;
    viii. Medical research;
    ix. Vocational rehabilitation; or
    x. Disability benefits.
    There shall be two co-chairs of the Task Force. One of the co-
chairs shall be designated by the Secretary of Defense at the time of 
appointment from among the individuals appointed to the Task Force from 
within the Department of Defense. The other co-chair shall be selected 
from among the individuals appointed from outside the Department of 
Defense by those individuals.

[[Page 59699]]

    Pursuant to sections 724(e)(1) of Public Law 111-84, Task Force 
members who are members of the Armed Forces or a civilian officer or 
employee of the United States shall serve on the Task Force without 
compensation (other than compensation to which entitled as a member of 
the Armed Forces or an officer or employee of the United States, as the 
case may be).
    Other Task Force members shall be appointed under the provisions of 
5 U.S.C. 316, and shall serve as special government employees. In 
addition, these special government employees shall serve with 
compensation under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 3161.
    All Task Force members shall receive travel and per diem when 
traveling on official Task Force business.
    With DoD approval, the Task Force is authorized to establish 
subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission. These 
subcommittees or working groups shall operate under the provisions of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the 
Sunshine Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 552b), and other governing Federal 
regulations.
    Such subcommittees or workgroups shall not work independently of 
the chartered Task Force, and shall report all their recommendation and 
advice to the Task Force for full deliberation and discussion. 
Subcommittees or workgroups have no authority to make decisions on 
behalf of the chartered Task Force; nor can they report directly to the 
Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees who are no 
Task Force members.
    Subcommittee members, who are not Task Force members, shall be 
appointed in the same manner as Task Force members.
    The Task Force shall meet at the call of the Designated Federal 
Officer, in consultation with the co-chairs. The estimated number of 
Task Force meetings is five per year.
    The Designated Federal Officer, 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.
    In addition, the Designated Federal Officer is required to be in 
attendance at all Task Force and subcommittee meetings; however, in the 
absence of the Designated Federal Officer, the Alternate Designated 
Federal Officer shall attend the meeting.
    Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or 
interested organizations may submit written statements to the 
Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and 
Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and injured Member of the Armed 
Forces membership about the Task Force's mission and functions. Written 
statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated 
agenda of planned meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on 
the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and 
injured Member of the Armed Forces.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal 
Officer for the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, 
Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and injured 
Member of the Armed Forces, and this individual will ensure that the 
written statements are provided to the membership for their 
consideration. Contact information for the Department of Defense Task 
Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, 
Ill, and injured Member of the Armed Forces 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 Department of Defense Task Force on 
the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and 
injured Member of the Armed Forces. 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: September 22, 2010.
Mitchell S. Bryman,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2010-24216 Filed 9-27-10; 8:45 am]
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