Federal Register, Volume 75 Issue 187 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59698-59699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24216]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Federal Advisory Committee; Department of Defense Task Force on
the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and
Injured Member of the Armed Forces

AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Establishment of Federal advisory committee.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of section 724 of Public Law 111-84, 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, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is establishing
the charter for the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care,
Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured
Member of the Armed Forces (hereafter referred to as ``the Task
Force'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Freeman, Deputy Committee
Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-601-6128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Task Force is a non-discretionary
Federal advisory committee established to (a) access the effectiveness
of the policies and programs developed and implemented by the
Department of Defense, and by each of the Military Departments to
assist and support the care, management, and transition of recovering
wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces; and (b) make
recommendations for the continuous improvements of such policies and
programs.
The Task Force, pursuant to section 724(c) of public Law 111-84,
shall no later than 12 months after the date on which all Task Force
members have been appointed, and each year thereafter for the life of
the Task Force, shall submit a report to the Secretary of Defense.
The Task Force shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report on
the activities of the Task Force, and on the activities of the
Department of Defense, to include the Military Departments, to assist
and support the care, management, and transition of recovering wounded,
ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces. At a minimum, the Task
Force's report shall include the following:
a. The Task Force's findings and conclusions as a result of its
assessment of the effectiveness of developed and implemented DoD
policies and programs, to include those by each of the Military
Departments, to assist and support the care, Management, and transition
of recovering wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces.
b. A description of best practices and various ways in which the
Department of Defense, to include the Military Departments, could more
effectively address matters relating to the care, management, and
transition of recovering wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed
Forces, including members of the Regular and Reserve Components, and
support for their families.
c. A plan listing and describing the Task Force's activities for
the upcoming year covered by the report.
d. Such recommendations for other legislative or administrative
action that the Task Force considers appropriate for measures to
improve DoD-wide policies and programs in (a) above, which assist and
support the care, management and transition of recovering wounded, ill,
and injured members of the Armed Forces.
The Task Force, for the purposes of its reports, shall fully comply
with sections 724(c)(2) and (3) of Public Law 111-84 in all matters
dealing with the reports; (a) methodology; and (b) matters to be
reviewed and assessed.
No later than 90 days after receiving the Task Force's annual
report, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives the
report and the Secretary's evaluation of the report.
No later than six months after receiving the Task Force's annual
report, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretaries
of the Military Departments, shall submit to the Committees on Armed
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a plan to
implement the recommendations of the Task Force's annual report.
The Task Force, pursuant to section 724(b) of Public Law 111-84,
shall be comprised of not more than 14 members appointed by the
Secretary of Defense.
Pursuant to 724(b)(2) of Public Law 111-84, the Secretary of
Defense shall appoint:
a. At least one member of each of the Regular Components of the
Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps;
b. One member of the National Guard;
c. One member of a Reserve Component of the Armed Forces other than
the National Guard;
d. At least one family member of a wounded, ill, or injured member
of the Armed Forces or veteran who has experience working with wounded,
ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces or their families; and
e. A number of person from outside the Department of Defense equal
to the total number of personnel from within the Department of Defense
(whether members of the Armed Forces or civilian personnel) who are
appointed to the Task Force.
Sections 724(b)(2) through (4) of Public Law 111-84, further
stipulate the following Task Force appointment requirements:
a. At least one individual appointed to the Task Force from within
the Department of Defense shall be the Surgeon General of an Armed
Force.
b. The individuals appointed to the Task Force from outside the
Department of Defense--
i. With the concurrence of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall
include an officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs;
and
ii. May include individuals from other departments or agencies of
the Federal Government, from State and local agencies, or from the
private sector.
c. Persons appointed to the Task Force shall have experience in--
i. Medical care and coordination for wounded, ill, and injured
members of the Armed Forces;
ii. Medical case management;
iii. Non-medical case management;
iv. The disability evaluation process for members of the Armed
Forces;
v. Veterans benefits;
vi. Treatment of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress
disorder;
vii. Family support;
viii. Medical research;
ix. Vocational rehabilitation; or
x. Disability benefits.
There shall be two co-chairs of the Task Force. One of the co-
chairs shall be designated by the Secretary of Defense at the time of
appointment from among the individuals appointed to the Task Force from
within the Department of Defense. The other co-chair shall be selected
from among the individuals appointed from outside the Department of
Defense by those individuals.

[[Page 59699]]

Pursuant to sections 724(e)(1) of Public Law 111-84, Task Force
members who are members of the Armed Forces or a civilian officer or
employee of the United States shall serve on the Task Force without
compensation (other than compensation to which entitled as a member of
the Armed Forces or an officer or employee of the United States, as the
case may be).
Other Task Force members shall be appointed under the provisions of
5 U.S.C. 316, and shall serve as special government employees. In
addition, these special government employees shall serve with
compensation under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 3161.
All Task Force members shall receive travel and per diem when
traveling on official Task Force business.
With DoD approval, the Task Force is authorized to establish
subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission. These
subcommittees or working groups shall operate under the provisions of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the
Sunshine Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 552b), and other governing Federal
regulations.
Such subcommittees or workgroups shall not work independently of
the chartered Task Force, and shall report all their recommendation and
advice to the Task Force for full deliberation and discussion.
Subcommittees or workgroups have no authority to make decisions on
behalf of the chartered Task Force; nor can they report directly to the
Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees who are no
Task Force members.
Subcommittee members, who are not Task Force members, shall be
appointed in the same manner as Task Force members.
The Task Force shall meet at the call of the Designated Federal
Officer, in consultation with the co-chairs. The estimated number of
Task Force meetings is five per year.
The Designated Federal Officer, pursuant to DoD policy, shall be a
full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be appointed
in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures.
In addition, the Designated Federal Officer is required to be in
attendance at all Task Force and subcommittee meetings; however, in the
absence of the Designated Federal Officer, the Alternate Designated
Federal Officer shall attend the meeting.
Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or
interested organizations may submit written statements to the
Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and
Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and injured Member of the Armed
Forces membership about the Task Force's mission and functions. Written
statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated
agenda of planned meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on
the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and
injured Member of the Armed Forces.
All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal
Officer for the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care,
Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and injured
Member of the Armed Forces, and this individual will ensure that the
written statements are provided to the membership for their
consideration. Contact information for the Department of Defense Task
Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded,
Ill, and injured Member of the Armed Forces 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 Department of Defense Task Force on
the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and
injured Member of the Armed Forces. 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: September 22, 2010.
Mitchell S. Bryman,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2010-24216 Filed 9-27-10; 8:45 am]
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