[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77778-77779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32096]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Amendment to Notice of Establishment of the Advisory Committee on
Supply Chain Competitiveness and Solicitation of Nominations for
Membership
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Amendment to notice of establishment of the Advisory Committee
on Supply Chain Competitiveness and solicitation of nominations for
membership.
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SUMMARY: The Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
announced in the November 3, 2011, Federal Register the establishment
of the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness (the
Committee) by the Secretary of Commerce and the solicitation of
nominations for membership on the Committee (see 76 FR 68159). This
amendment clarifies the scope of the Committee's work and the
nominations being sought for the Committee, and extends the deadline
for nominations.
The Committee shall advise the Secretary on the necessary elements
of a comprehensive, holistic national freight infrastructure and a
national freight policy designed to support U.S. export growth and
competitiveness, foster national economic competitiveness, and improve
U.S. supply chain competitiveness in the domestic and global economy.
DATES: Nominations for members must be received on or before January 6,
2012.
ADDRESSES: Richard Boll, Office of Service Industries, Room CC307, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC
20230; phone 202-482-1135; email: [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Boll, Office of Service
Industries, Room CC307, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; phone 202-482-1135; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background and Authority
The Committee was established on November 21, 2011, for a two-year
term under the discretionary authority of the Secretary, in response to
an identified need for consensus advice from U.S. firms, associations,
community organizations, and others directly affected by the supply
chain, as well as experts from academia to the U.S. government on the
necessary elements of a comprehensive, holistic national freight
infrastructure and a national freight policy designed to support U.S.
export growth and competitiveness, foster national economic
competitiveness, and improve U.S. supply chain competitiveness in the
domestic and global economy. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C. App.) governs the Committee and sets forth standards for the
formation and use of advisory committees.
The Committee shall provide detailed policy and technical advice,
information, and recommendations to the Secretary regarding:
National, state, or local factors that inhibit the
efficient domestic and international movement of goods from point of
origin to destination, and the competitiveness of domestic and
international supply chains;
Infrastructure capacity, inter- and cross-modal
connectivity, investment, regulatory, and intra- or inter-governmental
coordination factors that affect supply chain competitiveness, goods
movement, and sustainability;
Emerging trends in goods movement that affect supply chain
competitiveness; and
Metrics that can be used to quantify supply chain
performance.
II. Structure, Membership, and Operation
The Committee shall consist of a maximum of 40 private sector
members appointed by the Secretary in accordance with applicable
Department of Commerce guidance and based on their ability to carry out
the objectives of the Committee. These members shall represent a
balanced and broad range of interests, including representatives from
supply chain firms or their associations (including shippers and all
modes of freight transportation (trucking, rail, maritime, and air)),
stakeholders, community organizations, and others directly affected by
the supply chain, as well as experts from academia. Membership shall
reflect the diversity of goods and services movement activities,
including a variety of users that ship through the global supply chain,
entities that operate various parts of the supply chain, and individual
academic experts in the field. Membership will also be diverse in terms
of organization size, and geographic location. Appointments will be
made without regard to political affiliation. In addition to the
private sector members, the Secretary of Transportation and the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (or their
respective designees) will serve on the Committee as ex officio, non-
voting members. The Secretary will consult with the Department of
Transportation, EPA, and other agencies as appropriate in making
appointments of private sector members.
The Committee chair and vice chair or vice chairs shall be selected
from the members of the Committee by the Assistant Secretary for
Manufacturing and Services after consulting with the members. The
International Trade Administration may authorize subcommittees as
needed, subject to the provisions of FACA, the FACA implementing
regulations, and applicable Department of Commerce guidance.
Subcommittees must report to the Committee and must not provide advice
or work products directly to the Secretary. The Assistant Secretary for
Manufacturing and Services shall appoint a Designated Federal Officer
(DFO), as well as a Secondary DFO, from among the employees of the
Department of Commerce. The DFO or Secondary DFO will be present at all
meetings and will approve or call all of the advisory committee
meetings and the meetings of any subcommittees; prepare and approve all
meeting agendas; adjourn any meeting when the DFO or Secondary DFO; and
chair meetings when directed to do so by the Assistant Secretary for
Manufacturing and Services.
Nominations
The Secretary of Commerce invites nominations to the Committee for
the charter term beginning November 21, 2011, for appointments for a
two-year term concurrent with the charter term. Members will be
selected, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce
guidelines, based upon their
[[Page 77779]]
ability to advise the Secretary of Commerce on the necessary elements
of a comprehensive, holistic national freight infrastructure and a
national freight policy designed to support U.S. export growth and
competitiveness, foster national economic competitiveness, and improve
U.S. supply chain competitiveness in the domestic and global economy.
Members shall represent a balanced and broad range of interests,
including representatives from supply chain firms or their associations
(including shippers and all modes of freight transportation (trucking,
rail, maritime, and air)), stakeholders, community organizations, and
others directly affected by the supply chain as well as experts from
academia. The membership should reflect the general composition of the
U.S. supply chain industry. Other than the experts from academia, all
members shall serve in a representative capacity, expressing their
views and interests of a U.S. entity or organization, as well as its
particular sector. Members serving in such a representative capacity
are not Special Government Employees. The members from academia serve
as experts and therefore are Special Government Employees (SGEs) and
shall be subject to the ethical standards applicable to SGEs.
Each private sector member of the Committee must be a U.S. citizen,
not a federally-registered lobbyist, and not registered as a foreign
agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. All appointments are
made without regard to political affiliation. Self-nominations will be
accepted. Members of the Committee will not be compensated for their
services or reimbursed for their travel expenses. The Committee shall
meet as often as necessary as determined by the DFO, but not less than
once per year.
Members shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary from the date
of appointment to the Committee to the date on which the Committee's
charter terminates.
All nominations to become a member of the Committee should provide
the following information:
(1) Name, title, and relevant contact information (including phone,
fax, and email address) of the individual requesting consideration;
(2) An affirmative statement that the applicant is not required to
register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act
of 1938;
(3) An affirmative statement that the applicant is not a federally-
registered lobbyist, and that the applicant understands that if
appointed, the applicant will not be allowed to continue to serve as a
Committee member if the applicant becomes a federally-registered
lobbyist; and
In addition to the above requirements for all nominations,
nominations for representatives from supply chain firms or their
associations, stakeholders, community organizations, and others
directly affected by the supply chain, should also provide the
following information:
(1) A sponsor letter on the firm's, association's, community
organization's or other entity's letterhead containing a brief
description why the nominee should be considered for membership;
(2) Short biography of nominee including credentials; and
(3) Brief description of the firm, association, community
organization, or other entity to be represented and its activities and
size (number of employees or members and annual sales, if applicable);
(4) An affirmative statement that the applicant meets all Committee
eligibility requirements for representative members, including that the
applicant represents a U.S. company or U.S. organization.
a. For purposes of Committee eligibility, a U.S. company is at
least 51 percent owned by U.S. persons.
b. For purposes of Committee eligibility, a U.S. organization is
controlled by U.S. persons, as determined based on its board of
directors (or comparable governing body), membership, and funding
sources, as applicable.
In addition to the above requirements for all nominations,
nominations for experts from academia should also provide the following
information:
(1) A description of the nominee's area(s) of expertise;
(2) A concise Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume that covers
education, experience, and relevant publications and summarizes how
this expertise addresses supply chain competitiveness; and
(3) An affirmative statement that the applicant meets all Committee
eligibility requirements.
Please do not send firm, association, or community organization
brochures.
Nominations may be emailed to: [email protected] or faxed to
the attention of Richard Boll at 202-482-2669, or mailed to Richard
Boll, Office of Service Industries, Room CC307, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, and must
be received before January 6, 2012. Nominees selected for appointment
to the Committee will be notified.
Dated: December 8, 2011.
David Long,
Director, Office of Service Industries.
[FR Doc. 2011-32096 Filed 12-13-11; 8:45 am]
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