[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 106 (Monday, June 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33072-33073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13073]



[[Page 33072]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Recruitment of First Responder Network Authority Board of 
Directors

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) issues this Notice on behalf of the First Responder Network 
Authority (FirstNet) as part of its annual process to seek expressions 
of interest from individuals who would like to serve on the FirstNet 
Board.\1\ When the Acting Secretary of Commerce made the initial 
appointments to the Board last August 20, 2012, by law, four of the 12 
appointments of non-permanent members were for one-year terms.\2\ While 
the Secretary of Commerce has the discretion to reappoint individuals 
to serve on the FirstNet Board provided they have not served two 
consecutive full three-year terms,\3\ NTIA issues this Notice in case 
the Secretary will need to fill any vacancies on the Board at the time 
the one-year terms expire on August 19, 2013. Expressions of interest 
for appointment to the FirstNet Board will be accepted until June 14, 
2013.
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    \1\ The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 
(Act) created FirstNet as an independent authority within NTIA that 
will establish a single nationwide interoperable broadband network. 
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public Law 
112-96, 126 Stat. 156 (``Act''), to be codified at 47 U.S.C. 1401 
et. seq. The Act requires that FirstNet be led by a 15-person Board, 
with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget serving as 
permanent members of the Board. 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(1).
    \2\ Congress charged the Secretary of Commerce with appointing 
12 non-permanent members. 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(1)(D). The Act states 
that the term of all non-permanent FirstNet Board members is three 
years. 47 U.S.C. 1424(c)(2)(A)(ii). However, the terms of the 
inaugural non-permanent FirstNet Board members are staggered, with 
four members serving three years, four serving two years, and four 
serving one year. 47 U.S.C. 1424(c)(2)(D).
    \3\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(c)(2)(A)(ii), providing that no appointed 
member of the FirstNet Board may serve more than two consecutive 
full three-year terms. A Board member whose initial appointment was 
for either one or two years may still serve two three-year terms 
beyond his or her initial appointment.

DATES: Expressions of Interest must be postmarked or electronically 
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transmitted on or before June 14, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to submit expressions of interest as 
described below should send that information to: Uzoma Onyeije, 
FirstNet Board Secretary by email to [email protected]; by 
U.S. mail or commercial delivery service to: Office of Public Safety 
Communications, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 7324, Washington, DC 
20230; or by facsimile transmission to (202) 501-0536. Please note that 
all material sent via the U.S. Postal Service (including ``Overnight'' 
or ``Express Mail'') is subject to delivery delays of up to two weeks 
due to mail security procedures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Uzoma Onyeije, FirstNet Board 
Secretary, c/o National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Room 7324, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0016; email: 
[email protected]. Please direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office 
of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background and Authority

    The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act) 
created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an 
independent authority within NTIA and authorizes it to take all actions 
necessary to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of a 
nationwide public safety broadband network (PSBN) based on a single, 
national network architecture.\4\ FirstNet is responsible for, at a 
minimum, ensuring nationwide standards for use and access of the 
network; issuing open, transparent, and competitive requests for 
proposals (RFPs) to build, operate, and maintain the network; 
encouraging these RFPs to leverage, to the maximum extent economically 
desirable, existing commercial wireless infrastructure to speed 
deployment of the network; and overseeing contracts with non-federal 
entities to build, operate, and maintain the network.\5\ FirstNet holds 
the single public safety license granted for wireless public safety 
broadband deployment. The FirstNet Board is responsible for making 
strategic decisions about FirstNet's operations and ensuring the 
success of the nationwide network.
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    \4\ 47 U.S.C. 1422(b).
    \5\ 47 U.S.C. 1426(b)(1).
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II. Structure

    The FirstNet Board is composed of 15 voting members. The Act names 
the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget, and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security as 
permanent members of the Board. On August 20, 2012, Acting Secretary of 
Commerce Rebecca M. Blank announced her appointment of the 12 non-
permanent members of the FirstNet Board.\6\ Each member of this diverse 
group brings considerable public safety experience, or network, 
technology, and/or financial expertise as the Act requires.\7\ 
Additionally, the composition of the FirstNet Board satisfies the other 
requirements specified in the Act, including that: (i) At least three 
Board members have served as public safety professionals; (ii) at least 
three members represent the collective interests of states, localities, 
tribes, and territories; and (iii) its members reflect geographic and 
regional, as well as rural and urban, representation.\8\ An individual 
Board member may satisfy more than one of these requirements. The 
current non-permanent FirstNet Board members are (noting length of 
term):
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    \6\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b).
    \7\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(2)(B).
    \8\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(2)(A).
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     Tim Bryan, CEO, National Rural Telecommunications 
Cooperative (3 years)
     Charles ``Chuck'' Dowd, Assistant Chief, New York City 
Police Department (2 years)
     F. Craig Farrill, wireless telecommunications executive (3 
years)
     Paul Fitzgerald, Sheriff, Story County, Iowa (2 years)
     Samuel ``Sam'' Ginn, telecommunications executive (2 
years)
     Jeffrey Johnson, Fire Chief (retired); former Chair, State 
Interoperability Council, State of Oregon; CEO, Western Fire Chiefs 
Association (1 year)
     William Keever, telecommunications executive (retired) (1 
year)
     Kevin McGinnis, Chief/CEO, North East Mobile Health 
Services (3 years)
     Ed Reynolds, telecommunications executive (retired) (2 
years)
     Susan Swenson, telecommunications/technology executive (1 
year)
     Teri Takai, government information technology expert; 
former CIO, States of Michigan and California (1 year); and
     Wellington Webb, Founder, Webb Group International; former 
Mayor, Denver, Colorado (3 years).
    Initial, non-permanent Board members serve staggered terms of one, 
two, or three years. Subsequent Board members will be appointed for a 
term of three years, and Board members may not serve more than two 
consecutive full three-year terms.

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III. Compensation and Status as Government Employees

    FirstNet Board members are appointed as federal government 
employees. FirstNet Board members are compensated at the daily rate of 
basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule (approximately 
$155,000 per year).\9\ Each Board member must be a United States 
citizen, cannot be a registered lobbyist, and cannot be a registered 
agent of, employed by, or receive payments from, a foreign government. 
The Board meets at the call of the Chair and not less than once each 
quarter.\10\
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    \9\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(g).
    \10\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(e).
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IV. Financial Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

    FirstNet Board members are required to comply with certain federal 
conflict of interest statutes and ethics regulations, including some 
financial disclosure requirements. FirstNet Board members will 
generally be prohibited from participating on any particular matter 
that will have a direct and predictable effect on his or her personal 
financial interests or on the interests of the appointee's spouse, 
minor children, or non-federal employer. FirstNet Board candidates may 
be subject to an appropriate background check for security clearance.

V. Selection Process

    By this Notice, the Secretary of Commerce, through NTIA, will 
accept expressions of interest until June 14, 2013 from any individual, 
or any organization who wishes to propose a candidate, who satisfies 
the statutory requirements for membership on the FirstNet Board. All 
parties wishing to be considered should submit their full name, 
address, telephone number, email address, a current resume, and a 
statement of qualifications that references the Act's eligibility 
requirements for FirstNet Board membership, as described in this 
Notice, along with a statement describing why they want to serve on the 
FirstNet Board and their ability to take a regular and active role in 
the Board's work.
    NTIA will screen all submissions and forward the most qualified 
candidates to the FirstNet Board for consideration. The FirstNet Board 
will review and evaluate these candidates as it prepares and submits 
its recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce as to whom to appoint 
in August 2013.
    The Secretary of Commerce will select FirstNet Board candidates to 
fill any vacancies arising on the FirstNet Board based on the 
eligibility requirements in the Act and on the input and 
recommendations from the FirstNet Board. Board candidates will be 
evaluated based on their ability to contribute to the goals and 
objectives of FirstNet as set forth in the Act. Board candidates will 
be vetted through the Department of Commerce.

    Dated: May 29, 2013.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2013-13073 Filed 5-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P