[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 235 (Monday, December 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72655-72656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28639]


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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: The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to 
announce that it is renewing the charter for the Independent Review 
Panel on Military Medical Construction Standards (``the Panel'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee 
Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This committee's charter is being renewed 
pursuant to Section 2852(b) of Public Law 111-383, and in accordance 
with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U.S.C., 
Appendix, as amended) and 41 CFR 102-3.50(a), established the Panel.
    The Panel is a statutory Federal advisory committee that provides 
independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Defense 
regarding a unified construction standard for military medical centers 
that provides a single standard of care. The Panel shall perform the 
following tasks, as outlined in Section 2852(b)(1) of Public Law 111-
383:
    a. Review the unified military medical construction standards, 
established by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to Section 2852(a) of 
Public Law 111-382, to determine the standards consistency with 
industry practices and benchmarks for world class medical construction.
    b. Review ongoing construction programs within the Department of 
Defense (DoD) to ensure medical construction standards are uniformly 
applied across applicable military medical centers.
    c. Assess the approach of the DoD to planning and programming 
facility improvements with specific emphasis on (i) facility selection 
criteria and the proportional assessment system and (ii) facility 
programming responsibilities between the Assistant Secretary of Defense 
for Health Affairs and the Secretaries of the Military Departments.
    d. Assess whether the Comprehensive Master Plan for the National 
Capital Region Medical (``the Master Plan''), dated April 2010, 
adequately fulfills statutory requirements, as required by Section 2714 
of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 
(division B of Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2656), to ensure that the 
facilities and organizational structure described in the Master Plan 
result in world class military medical centers in the National Capital 
Region.
    e. Make recommendations regarding any adjustments of the Master 
Plan that are needed to ensure the provision of world class military 
medical centers and delivery system in the National Capital Region.
    The Panel, not later than 120 days after its first meeting, shall 
submit, to the Secretary of Defense, a written report containing an 
assessment of the adequacy of the Master Plan to address the above 
items relating to the purpose of the Panel and the recommendations of 
the Panel to improve the Master Plan.
    Additional Reports--Each year, until the Panel terminates, it shall 
submit, no later than February 1, an annual report to the Secretary of 
Defense on the Panel's findings and recommendations to address any 
identified deficiencies.
    The Panel or its members, with the Department's approval, may visit 
military health treatment centers and military headquarters in 
connection with the official duties of the Panel. Such visits shall be 
undertaken through the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness (USD(P&R)) and in coordination with the Secretaries of the 
Military Departments and the Chiefs of the Military Services, as 
appropriate. Visits to any U.S. military installations or headquarters 
under the operational control of a U.S. Combatant Commander will be 
done in consultation with the Director of the Joint Staff and the 
appropriate Combatant Commander.
    The Panel is not established to provide advice on individual DoD 
procurements. No matter shall be assigned to the Panel for its 
consideration that would require any member of the Panel to participate 
personally and substantially in the conduct of any specific procurement 
or place him or her in the positions of acting as a contracting or 
procurement official.
    The Panel reports to the Secretary of Defense. The USD(P&R), 
pursuant to DoD policy, may act upon the Panel's advice and 
recommendations.

[[Page 72656]]

    The Panel shall be comprised of no more than 14 members, 10 of 
which shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense. Those members shall include medical facility 
design experts; military healthcare professionals; representatives of 
premier health care centers in the United States; and former retired 
senior military officers with joint operational and budgetary 
experience.
    The Chairmen and ranking members of the Committees on the Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives may each 
designate one member of the Panel, for a total of four members. 
Individuals designated by the Chairman and ranking members of the 
Committees on the Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense.
    Panel members may be appointed by the Secretary of Defense for the 
duration of the Panel, with annual renewals of appointments. Members of 
the Panel, who are not full-time or permanent part-time Federal 
officers or employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts or 
consultants pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3109 to serve as special government 
employee (SGE) members. Those individuals who are full-time or 
permanent part-time Federal officers or employees shall be appointed 
pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.130(a) to serve as regular government employee 
(RGE) members. Each member of the Panel 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. With the exception of reimbursement 
of official Panel-related travel and per diem, members of the Panel 
shall serve without compensation.
    The Secretary of Defense may appoint additional experts and 
consultants, with relevant expertise, to assist the Panel on an ad-hoc 
basis as advisers. These non-member experts and consultants, who do not 
count toward the Panel's total membership, shall be appointed to serve 
as SGE members under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109; however, these 
experts and consultants have no voting rights on the Panel and are 
prohibited from engaging in any deliberations by members of the Panel. 
These advisers shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expenses. The 
Department, when necessary and consistent with the Panel's mission and 
DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees, task forces, 
or working groups to support the Panel. 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 USD(P&R), as the Panel's sponsor.
    Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the Panel and 
shall report all of their recommendations and advice solely to the 
Panel for full and open deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees, 
task forces, or working groups have no authority to make decisions and 
recommendations, verbally or in writing, on behalf of the Panel, 
directly to the DoD or any Federal officers or employees.
    The Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense will 
appoint subcommittee members to a term of service of one-to-four years, 
with annual renewals, even if the member in question is already a 
member of the Panel.
    Subcommittee members, if not full-time or permanent part-time 
Federal employees, will be appointed as experts or consultants pursuant 
to 5 U.S.C. 3109, to serve as SGE members. Those individuals who are 
full-time or permanent part-time Federal officers or employees shall be 
appointed, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.130(a), to serve as RGE members. 
With the exception of reimbursement of official Panel-related travel 
and per diem, subcommittee members shall serve without compensation.
    All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the 
Sunshine Act, governing Federal statutes and regulations, and governing 
DoD policies and procedures.
    The Panel's Designated Federal Officer (DFO) shall be a full-time 
or permanent part-time DoD employee appointed in accordance with 
governing DoD policies and procedures.
    The Panel's DFO is required to attendance at all meetings of the 
Panel and its subcommittees for the entire duration of each and every 
meeting. However, in the absence of the Panel's DFO, a properly 
approved Alternate DFO, duly appointed to the Panel according to 
established DoD policies and procedures, shall attend the entire 
duration of all meetings of the Panel and its subcommittees.
    The DFO, or the Alternate DFO, shall call all meetings of the Panel 
and its subcommittees; prepare and approve all meeting agendas; and 
adjourn any meeting when the DFO, or the Alternate DFO, determines 
adjournment to be in the public interest or required by governing 
regulations or DoD policies and procedures.
    Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or 
interested organizations may submit written statements to Independent 
Review Panel on Military Medical Construction Standards membership 
about the Panel's mission and functions. Written statements may be 
submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned 
meeting of the Independent Review Panel on Military Medical 
Construction Standards.
    All written statements shall be submitted to the DFO for the 
Independent Review Panel on Military Medical Construction Standards, 
and this individual will ensure that the written statements are 
provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information 
for the Independent Review Panel on Military Medical Construction 
Standards DFO can be obtained from the GSA's FACA Database--http://www.facadatabase.gov/.
    The DFO, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will announce planned 
meetings of the Independent Review Panel on Military Medical 
Construction Standards. The DFO, 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: December 2, 2014.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2014-28639 Filed 12-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P