[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23468-23469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9424]


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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 20 U.S.C. 929, 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(a), the 
Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for 
the Advisory Council on Dependents' Education (hereafter referred to as 
``the Council''). The Council shall provide independent advice and 
recommendations on the Department of Defense (DoD) dependents' 
education system.
    The Council is a non-discretionary federal advisory committee that 
shall provide independent advice and recommendations to the Director, 
Department of Defense Education Activity on the following:
    a. General policies for operation of the DoD dependents' education 
system with respect to curriculum selection, administration, and 
operation of the system;
    b. Information from other federal agencies concerned with Primary 
and secondary education with respect to education programs and 
practices which such agencies have found to be effective and which 
should be considered for inclusion in the DoD dependents' education 
system;
    c. The design of the study and the selection of the contractor 
referred to in 20 U.S.C. Sec.  930(a)(2); and
    d. Other tasks as may be required by the Secretary of Defense.
    The Council shall report to the Director, Department of Defense 
Education Activity. Matters outside the legal purview of the Director, 
Department of Defense Education Activity shall be referred to Secretary 
of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness as appropriate. The Director, Department of Defense Education 
Activity may act upon the Council's advice and recommendations.
    The Council, pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 929(a), shall be comprised of no 
more than 16 members who have demonstrated an interest in the field of 
primary or secondary education and the following individuals:
    a. The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education or their 
respective designees;
    b. Twelve appointed individuals who demonstrated an interest in the 
field of primary or secondary education, and who shall include 
representatives of professional employee organization, school 
administrators, parents of students enrolled in the DoD dependents' 
education system, and one student enrolled in such system; and
    c. A representative of the Secretary of Defense and of the 
Secretary of Education.
    The twelve Council members appointed under the authority of 20 
U.S.C. 929(a)(1)(B), shall be appointed jointly by the Secretary of 
Defense and the Secretary of Education.
    The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education may approve 
the appointment of individuals appointed pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 
929(a)(1)(B) for one to four year terms of service; however, no member 
appointed pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 929(a)(1)(B), unless authorized by the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education, may serve more 
than two consecutive terms of service. This same term of service 
limitation also applies to any DoD authorized subcommittees.
    Members appointed to the Council from professional employee 
organizations, pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 929(a)(2), shall be individuals 
designated by those organizations and shall serve three year terms of 
service, not to exceed two full terms on the Council.
    Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the 
expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be 
appointed for the remainder of such term.
    Council 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. Council members serving as special 
government employees shall have their appointments renewed on an annual 
basis.
    Pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 929(d), members of the Council who are not 
full-time or permanent part-time employees of the federal government,

[[Page 23469]]

shall while attending meetings or conferences of the Council or 
otherwise engaged in the business of the Council, be entitled to 
compensation at the daily equivalent of the rate specified at the time 
of such service for level IV of the Executive Services under 5 U.S.C. 
5315. All Council members, while on official travel, shall be entitled 
to compensation for travel and per diem.
    The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education, or their 
designated representatives, shall serve as the Council's Co-Chairs.
    The Director, Department of Defense Education Activity shall be the 
Executive Secretary of the Council, but shall not vote on matters 
before the Council.
    Each Council 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 Council's 
mission and DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees 
deemed necessary to support the Council. 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 council's sponsor.
    Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered 
Council, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the 
Council for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees have no 
authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Council; 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 Council members; that is, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint 
subcommittee members even if the member in question is already a 
Council 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.
    Subcommittee members who are not full-time or permanent part-time 
employees of the federal government, shall while attending meetings or 
conferences of the Council or otherwise engaged in the business of the 
Council, be entitled to compensation at the daily equivalent of the 
rate specified at the time of such service for level IV of the 
Executive Services under 5 U.S.C. 5315. All subcommittee members, while 
on official travel, shall be entitled to compensation for travel and 
per diem.
    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, Advisory Committee 
Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council shall meet at the call of the 
Council's Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the 
Council's Co-Chairs. Pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 929(c), the Council shall 
meet at least two times each year.
    In addition, the Designated Federal Officer is required to be in 
attendance at all Council and subcommittee meetings for the entire 
duration of each and every meeting; however, in the absence of the 
Designated Federal Officer, a properly approved Alternate Designated 
Federal Officer shall attend the entire duration of the Council or 
subcommittee meeting.
    The Designated Federal Officer, or the Alternate Designated Federal 
Officer, shall call all of the Council's and subcommittees' meetings; 
prepare and approve all meeting agendas; adjourn any meeting when the 
Designated Federal Officer, or the Alternate Designated Federal 
Officer, determines adjournment to be in the public interest or 
required by governing regulations or DoD policies/procedures; and chair 
meetings when directed to do so by the official to whom the Council 
reports.
    Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or 
interested organizations may submit written statements to Advisory 
Council on Dependents' Education membership about the Council's mission 
and functions. Written statements may be submitted at any time or in 
response to the stated agenda of planned meeting of Advisory Council on 
Dependents' Education.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal 
Officer for the Advisory Council on Dependents' Education, and this 
individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the 
membership for their consideration. Contact information for the 
Advisory Council on Dependents' Education 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 Advisory Council on Dependents' 
Education. 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 16, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012-9424 Filed 4-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P