[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 61 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19007-19008]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7537]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY: Department of Defense, 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 
gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Defense Advisory 
Committee on Women in the Services (hereafter referred to as ``the 
Committee''). The Committee is a discretionary federal advisory 
committee that shall provide the Secretary of Defense through the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, independent, advice 
and recommendations on matters and policies relating to women in the 
Armed Forces of the United States.
    The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness may act 
upon the Committee's advice and recommendations.
    The Committee shall be comprised of no more 20 members appointed by 
the Secretary of Defense who have experience with the military or with 
women's workforce issues. The Secretary of Defense shall select and 
appoint the Committee's chairperson from the total membership. All 
Committee member appointments must be renewed by the Secretary of 
Defense on an annual basis.
    The Secretary of Defense may appoint the Director of the Center for 
Women Veterans for the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve as a 
non-voting, ex-officio member, who participates in the Committee's 
deliberations. If appointed, he or she will not count toward the 
Committee's total membership, or to determine whether a quorum exists.
    The Under Secretary may request the appointment of additional 
experts and consultants to advise the Committee as subject matter 
experts. If approved by the Secretary of Defense, these experts and 
consultants, appointed under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, shall have 
no voting rights on the Committee or its subcommittees, shall not count 
toward the Committee's total membership, and shall not engage in 
Committee deliberations.
    Committee members, who are not full-time or permanent part-time 
Federal officers or 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. With the exception of travel and 
per diem for official Committee related travel, Committee members shall 
serve without compensation.
    The Secretary of Defense may approve the appointment of Committee 
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. To the extent possible, 
approximately one-third of the membership should rotate on an annual 
basis.
    Each Committee 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 Committee's 
mission and DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees 
deemed necessary to support the Committee. 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.
    Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered 
Committee, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the 
Committee for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees have no 
authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Committee; nor 
can any subcommittee or its members update or report directly to the 
DoD or any Federal officers or employees. Subcommittees shall comply 
with FACA.
    All subcommittee members shall be appointed in the same manner as 
the Committee members; that is, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint 
subcommittee members even if the member in question is already a 
Committee 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 Committee related travel, subcommittee members shall serve 
without compensation.
    All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the 
Government in

[[Page 19008]]

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 Committee shall meet at the call of the 
Committee's Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the 
Committee's Chairperson. The estimated number of Committee meetings is 
four per year.
    In addition, the Designated Federal Officer is required to be in 
attendance at all Committee 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 Committee 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 
Advisory Committee on Women in the Services' membership about the 
Committee's mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted 
at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned meeting of 
Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal 
Officer for the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, 
and this individual will ensure that the written statements are 
provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information 
for the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services 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 Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. 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: March 26, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012-7537 Filed 3-28-12; 8:45 am]
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