[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1752-1753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00955]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part A, Office of the Secretary, Statement of Organization, 
Function, and Delegation of Authority for the U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services is being amended at Chapter AC, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), as amended at 72 FR 58095-96, 
dated October 1 2, 2007; 69 FR 660-661, dated January 6, 2004; 68 FR 
70507-10, dated December 18, 2003; 67 FR 71568, dated December 2, 2002; 
75 FR 53304-05, dated August 31, 2010; and most recently at 77 FR 
30005-07 dated May 21, 2012 and 77 FR 60996, dated October 5, 2012. 
This amendment reflects the realignment of personnel oversight, 
administration and management functions for the Office of the Surgeon 
General and the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps in 
the OASH. Specifically, this notice establishes the Office of 
Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ) within the Office of the Surgeon 
General (OSG) and deletes the Division of Systems Integration and the 
Division of Science and Communications.
    The changes are as follows:
    I. Under Part A, Chapter AC, under the Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Health, make the following changes:
    A. Under Section ACM.00 Mission, delete ``(7) Maintaining and 
overseeing activities of the Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps program 
(42 U.S.C. 300hh).''
    B. Under Section ACM.10, Organization, delete the following 
components ``Division of Science and Communications, Division of 
Commissioned Corps Personnel and Readiness, and Division of Systems 
Integration''.
    C. Under Section ACM.10, Organization, add ``Commissioned Corps 
Headquarters''.
    D. Under Section ACM.20 Functions replace the entire section with:
    Section ACM .20 Functions: (a) Office of the Surgeon General (ACM): 
(1) Advises the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) on matters 
relating to protecting and advancing the public health of the Nation; 
(2) Manages special deployments that address Presidential and 
Secretarial initiatives directed toward resolving critical public 
health problems; (3) Serves, as requested, as the spokesperson on 
behalf of the Secretary and the ASH, addressing the quality of public 
health practice on the Nation; (4) Provides administrative and 
management support to Public Health Reports; (5) Provides supervision 
of activities relating to the day-to-day management of operations, 
training, force readiness, and deployment of officers of the PHS 
Commissioned Corps; (6) Provides advice to the ASH on the policies and 
implementation related to the appointment, promotion, recognition, 
professional development, retirement, and other matters required for 
the efficient management of the Commissioned Corps; (7) Provides 
liaison with governmental and non-governmental organizations on matters 
pertaining to military and veterans affairs; (8) Supports the Surgeon 
General's mandate to bring focused attention and up-to-date scientific 
and evidence-based data and information concerning matters of health 
and science to federal and non-federal stakeholders in the general 
public; (9) Directs and oversees internal office management (including 
programmatic assessments and evaluations) and administrative operations 
(including proposing office budgets); and (10) Convenes periodic 
meetings of the Assistant Surgeon Generals (flag officers) to obtain 
senior level advice concerning the management of Corps' operations.
    (b) Commissioned Corps Headquarters (ACM 2), under the leadership 
of the Office Director, who reports to the Office of the Surgeon 
General, provides

[[Page 1753]]

staff support for executing the mission of the U.S. Public Health 
Service Commissioned Corps: protect, promote, and advance the health 
and safety of our Nation. As America's uniformed service of public 
health professionals, the Commissioned Corps achieves its mission 
through: (1) Rapid and effective response to public health needs, (2) 
Leadership and excellence in public health practices, and (3) 
Advancement of public health science. The Office of Commissioned Corps 
Headquarters: (1) Provides overall management of Commissioned Corps 
personnel including active duty Regular Corps, Ready Reservists and of 
those issues and PHS processes pertinent to retired Corps officers; (2) 
Develops, issues, implements and maintains all personnel policy 
issuances and directives related to Corps operations, personnel, 
training, readiness, assignment, deployment, promotion, and retirement 
(including publication of such policy in the electronic Commissioned 
Corps Issuance System (eCCIS)); (3) Manages the process for 
disciplinary actions and decisions involving Corps officers; (4) 
Ensures the appropriate exercise of delegated Commissioned Corps 
authorities and responsibilities; (5) Establishes precepts for 
appointment, promotion, assimilation, retirement, fitness for duty, 
awards and commendations, discipline, grievance, and other such 
matters; (6) With respect to Board of Inquiry (BOI) disciplinary 
proceedings, ensures documentation of board proceedings, preparation of 
correspondence to applicants and officers, and timely and accurate 
advice and assistance to Board members and other support as required; 
(7) Conducts force planning, including working with agencies, and 
advises OSG and ASH on Commissioned Corps strategic long-term readiness 
planning; (8) Maintains liaison with all other relevant Federal 
Services as appropriate, including with components of the Departments 
of Defense and Veterans Affairs; (9) Coordinates as appropriate to seek 
Departmental legal advice, assistance, and legislative support; (10) 
Advises the OSG on mission nature, size, duration and usage of Regular 
Corps and Ready Reserve officers; (11) Serves as a central point of 
contact and prepares necessary communications for all Corps Agency 
Liaison Offices; (12) Oversees the determination of fitness-for-duty 
and disability evaluations; and oversees Line of Duty determinations of 
the evaluation and issuance of medical waivers; (13) Manages and 
processes compensation and healthcare claims for members of the Corps; 
and administers the Service members' Group Life Insurance and Traumatic 
Serviceman's Group Life Insurance Programs; (2 (13)) Serves as the 
principal advisor to the SG on activities and policy related to 
preparedness, Corps activation, training, deployment operations and 
total force fitness of the Corps; (14) Leads and manages the Corps 
readiness and response activities to include establishing, maintaining 
and ensuring compliance with force readiness standards; ensuring that 
members of the Corps are trained, equipped and otherwise prepared to 
fulfill their public health and emergency response roles; and managing 
the timely, effective and appropriate response to urgent or emergency 
public health care needs; (15) Conducts after-action assessments and 
evaluations for the SG and ASH pertaining to the use of the Corps for 
deployment and other non-routine use of officers; and (16) Manages and 
maintains Commissioned Corps officer records; and provides oversight 
and management of information systems development, integration, and 
data analytics activities in support of the management of the 
Commissioned Corps.
    Delegations of Authority. Directives and orders of the Secretary, 
Assistant Secretary for Health, or Surgeon General and all delegations 
and re-delegations of authority previously made to officials and 
employees of the affected organizational components will continue in 
them or their successors pending further re-delegation, provided they 
are consistent with this reorganization. All delegated authorities 
associated with or necessary to administer, operate, and manage 
transferred entities affected by this reorganization are transferred to 
the Assistant Secretary for Health and may be re-delegated.

Alex M. Azar II,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-00955 Filed 2-4-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-49-P