[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16581-16583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06579]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 210325-0067]
RIN 0694-XC075


Virtual Forum for Risks in the Semiconductor Manufacturing and 
Advanced Packaging Supply Chain

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Technology 
Evaluation, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of virtual forum.

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[[Page 16582]]

SUMMARY: On February 24, 2021, President Biden issued the Executive 
Order on ``America's Supply Chains,'' which directs several Federal 
agency actions to secure and strengthen America's supply chains. One of 
these directions is for the Secretary of Commerce to submit, within 100 
days, a report to the President identifying risks in the semiconductor 
manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains, and proposing 
policy recommendations to address these risks. Additionally, the 
National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 includes a title for 
``Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America'' 
that mandates several Federal actions in securing the semiconductor-
related supply chain. On March 15, 2021, the Bureau of Industry and 
Security (BIS) published a notice of request for public comments, Risks 
in the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Packaging Supply Chain 
(March 15 notice). The March 15 notice requests written comments and 
information from the public to assist the Department of Commerce in 
preparing the report required by the Executive Order with written 
comments due by April 5, 2021. BIS is publishing today's notice to 
announce a virtual forum that will occur on April 8, 2021, that will 
allow participants to orally address the policy objectives listed in 
the Executive Order as they affect the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing 
and advanced packaging supply chains, including but not limited to the 
elements included in the March 15 notice. Today's notice sets forth the 
procedures for public participation in the virtual forum.

DATES: 
    Virtual forum: The virtual forum will be held on April 8, 2021. The 
virtual forum will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and 
conclude at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
    Registration for the virtual forum: Requests to register for the 
virtual forum, including requests to make a presentation, must be 
submitted by 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2021. See the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice. Registration for the virtual forum will open on March 
26, 2021.
    Confirmation of registration and/or speaking slot: The Department 
will contact each person that has been confirmed to provide oral 
comments in the virtual forum by email no later than 12:00 p.m. EDT on 
April 5, 2021.

ADDRESSES: BIS has created a web page on the BIS website for the 
virtual forum. This web page will be used by the public to register for 
the virtual forum, including submitting requests to speak at the 
virtual forum. The landing page for the virtual forum will be accessed 
through this web page on https://www.bis.doc.gov/semiconductorforum .
    Click on the link for `Register for the Virtual Forum' on this web 
page to register for the virtual forum. People interested in providing 
oral comments during the virtual forum should make this request when 
registering for the virtual forum, including submitting a brief 
overview of their remarks.
    After registration is completed by the Department, this web page 
will include the agenda and the list of the scheduled speakers for the 
virtual forum. Once a person's registration has been accepted by BIS, 
the person will receive an email notification from BIS with information 
needed to access the virtual forum. Registrants that requested to 
provide oral comments at the virtual forum will be notified by email if 
their request has been accepted and will be provided the allotted 
amount of time for their speaking at the virtual forum. People not 
selected to make a presentation may provide written comments and submit 
those in response to the March 15 notice by the comment deadline of 
April 5, 2021. See the March 15 notice for instructions on submitting 
written comments. Participants should be prepared to attend the forum 
in its entirety as allotted speaker time slots are subject to change 
and the program will continue if a speaker is not available when called 
to speak. Within 7 business days after the virtual forum is completed, 
BIS will add a link to a recording of the virtual forum and a written 
transcript to make the recording physically accessible to people with 
disabilities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erika Maynard, Defense Industrial Base 
Division, Office of Technology Evaluation, Bureau of Industry and 
Security, at 202-482-5572 or [email protected] .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On February 24, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14017, 
``America's Supply Chains'' (86 FR 11849) (E.O. 14017). E.O. 14017 
focuses on the need for resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains to 
ensure U.S. economic prosperity and national security. Such supply 
chains are needed to address conditions that can reduce U.S.' critical 
manufacturing capacity, as well as the availability and integrity of 
critical goods, products, and services. In relevant part, E.O. 14017 
directs that within 100 days, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) 
shall submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the 
President for National Security Affairs (APNSA) and the Assistant to 
the President for Economic Policy (APEP), identifying the risks in the 
semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains, and 
proposing policy recommendations to address these risks.
    Additionally, Title XCIX of the National Defense Authorization Act 
of 2021 (FY21 NDAA), ``Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce 
Semiconductors for America,'' mandates several Federal actions to 
secure the security of the semiconductor-related supply chain. Section 
9904 of the FY21 NDAA (``Department of Commerce Study on Status of 
Microelectronics Technologies in the United States'') requires the 
Secretary to assess the capabilities of the U.S. microelectronics 
industrial base to support the national defense, in light of the global 
nature and interdependence of the supply chain with respect to 
manufacture, design, and end use. The Secretary must submit a report to 
Congress that includes a list of critical technology areas impacted by 
potential disruptions in the production of microelectronics and an 
assessment of gaps and vulnerabilities in the microelectronics supply 
chain.
    On March 15, 2021, BIS published a notice of request for public 
comments, Risks in the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced 
Packaging Supply Chain (86 FR 14308) (the March 15 notice). The March 
15 notice requests comments and information from the public to assist 
the Department of Commerce (Department) in preparing the report 
required by E.O. 14017. In developing this report, the Secretary will 
consult with the heads of appropriate agencies and will be advised by 
all relevant bureaus and components of the Department including, but 
not limited to, BIS and the International Trade Administration. After 
that report is completed, the Department will assess whether additional 
information will be needed to conduct the assessment required by 
Section 9904 of the FY21 NDAA.
    BIS is publishing today's notice to announce a virtual forum that 
will occur on April 8, 2021 that will allow commenters to address the 
policy objectives listed in E.O. 14017 as they affect the U.S. 
semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains 
including, but not limited to, the elements included in the March 15 
notice. This notice sets forth the procedures for public participation 
in the virtual forum.

[[Page 16583]]

Virtual Forum

    Consistent with the interest of the Department in soliciting public 
comments on issues affecting risks in the semiconductor manufacturing 
and advanced packaging supply chain as described in the March 15 
notice, the Department is holding a virtual forum. The virtual forum 
will assist the Department in preparing the report required by E.O. 
14017. Public comments at the virtual forum should address the policy 
objectives listed in E.O. 14017 as they affect the U.S. semiconductor 
manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains, including but not 
limited to the elements identified in the March 15 notice. See the 
March 15 notice for the elements and E.O. 14017. The virtual forum will 
be held on April 8, 2021. The forum will begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT and 
conclude at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Procedure for Requesting Participation

    See the ADDRESSES section of this notice for how to register and 
access the virtual forum. The Department encourages interested public 
participants to present their views orally at the virtual forum. Any 
person wishing to make an oral presentation at the virtual forum must 
register with the Department at the Web address indicated in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice. The request to speak in the virtual 
forum must be accompanied by an overview of the oral presentation. 
Speakers' registration, including overviews of written remarks, must be 
received by the Department no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 1, 
2021. BIS will not accept any registrations after that time for the 
virtual forum.
    Please note that the submission of overviews of presentations at 
the virtual forum is separate from the request for written comments 
described in March 15 notice. Since it may be necessary to limit the 
number of persons making presentations, the overview should describe 
the individual's interest in the virtual forum and, where appropriate, 
explain why the individual is a proper representative of a group or 
class of persons that has such an interest. If all interested parties 
cannot be accommodated at the virtual forum, the overviews of the oral 
presentations will be used to allocate speaking time and to ensure that 
a full range of comments is heard.
    Each person selected to make a presentation will be notified by the 
Department no later than 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 5, 2021. The 
Department will arrange the presentation times for the speakers. 
Representatives from the Department and other U.S. Government agencies, 
as appropriate, will make up the virtual forum panel. Written overview 
submissions by persons not selected to make presentations will be made 
part of the public record of the proceeding, as well as the overview 
submission of those persons selected to make presentations. 
Confidential business information may not be submitted at a virtual 
forum. The virtual forum will be recorded.
    Copies of the requests to speak at the virtual forum and the 
transcript of the forum will be maintained on BIS's web page, which can 
be found at http://www.bis.doc.gov (see Freedom of Information Act link 
at the bottom of the page) and at https://www.bis.doc.gov/semiconductorforum . These documents will also be posted through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov under docket 
number BIS-2021-0011, which is the docket number for the May 15 notice. 
If the requesters cannot access the website, they may call (202) 482-
0795 for assistance. The records related to this assessment are made 
accessible in accordance with the regulations published in part 4 of 
title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (15 CFR 4.1 et seq.).

Conduct of the Virtual Forum

    The Department reserves the right to select the persons to be heard 
at the virtual forum, to schedule their respective presentations, and 
to establish the procedures governing the conduct of the virtual forum. 
Each speaker will be limited to a time set by the Department and 
comments must be directly related to the policy objectives listed in 
E.O. 14017 as they affect the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and 
advanced packaging supply chains, including but not limited to the 
elements included in the March 15 notice.
    A Department official will be designated to preside at the virtual 
forum. The presiding officer shall determine all procedural matters 
during the virtual forum. Representatives from the Department, and 
other U.S. Government agencies, as appropriate, will make up the 
virtual forum panel. This will be a fact-finding proceeding. It will 
not be a judicial or evidentiary-type virtual forum. Only members of 
the virtual forum panel may ask questions and there will be no cross-
examination of persons presenting statements. No formal rules of 
evidence will apply to the virtual forum. Any further procedural rules 
for the proper conduct of the virtual forum will be announced by the 
presiding officer.

Special Accommodations

    This virtual forum is physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. See the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

Matthew S. Borman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-06579 Filed 3-26-21; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P