[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 98 (Monday, May 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29985-29986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12145]
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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: Under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 1074g(c), 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(a), the
Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for
the Uniform Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel (hereafter referred to
as ``the Panel'').
The Panel is a non-discretionary federal advisory committee that
shall provide the Secretary of Defense through the Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Health Affairs, and the Director, TRICARE Management Activity,
independent advice and recommendations on development of the uniform
formulary. The Secretary of Defense shall consider the comments of the
Panel before implementing the uniform formulary or implementing changes
to the uniform formulary.
The Panel shall report to the Secretary of Defense through the
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and the Director, TRICARE
Management Activity. The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness or designated representative, may act upon the Panel's advice
and recommendations. The Panel, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1074g(c)(2),
shall be comprised of no more than 15 members. The Panel shall include
members that represent:
a. Non-governmental organizations and associations that represent
the views and interests of a large number of eligible covered
beneficiaries;
b. Contractors responsible for the TRICARE retail pharmacy program;
c. Contractors responsible for the national mail-order pharmacy
program; and
d. TRICARE network providers.
Panel members, who are not full-time or permanent part-time Federal
officers or employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and
consultants under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109 and shall serve as
special government employees. All Panel members shall be appointed by
the Secretary of Defense and their appointments shall be renewed on an
annual basis.
The Panel membership shall select the Panel's Chairperson from the
total membership. With the exception of travel and per diem for
official Panel related travel, Panel members shall serve without
compensation.
The Secretary of Defense may approve the appointment of Panel
members for one to four year terms of service; however, no member,
unless authorized by the Secretary of Defense, may serve more than two
consecutive terms of service. This same term of service limitation also
applies to any DoD authorized subcommittees.
Each Panel member 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.
The Department, when necessary, and consistent with the Panel's
mission and DoD policies and procedures, may establish subcommittees 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 the Panel's sponsor.
Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered
Panel, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the
Panel for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees have no
authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Panel; nor can
any subcommittee or its members update or report directly to the DoD or
any Federal officers or employees.
All subcommittee members shall be appointed in the same manner as
the Panel members; that is, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint
subcommittee members even if the member in question is already a Panel
member. Subcommittee members, with the approval of the Secretary of
Defense, may serve a term of service on the subcommittee of one to four
years.
Subcommittee members, if not full-time or part-time government
employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and consultants under
the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109, and shall serve as special government
employees, whose appointments must be renewed by the Secretary of
Defense on an annual basis. With the exception of travel and per diem
for official Panel related travel, subcommittee members shall serve
without compensation.
All subcommittees operate under the provisions of FACA, the
Government in the Sunshine Act, governing Federal statutes and
regulations, and governing DoD policies/procedures.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee
Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Panel shall meet at the call of the
Panel's Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the Panel's
Chairperson. The estimated number of Panel meetings is four per year.
In addition, the Designated Federal Officer is required to be in
attendance at all Panel and subcommittee meetings for the entire
duration of each and every meeting; however, in the absence of the
Designated Federal Officer, a properly approved Alternate Designated
Federal Officer shall attend the entire duration of the Panel or
subcommittee meeting.
[[Page 29986]]
The Designated Federal Officer, or the Alternate Designated Federal
Officer, shall call all of the Panel's and subcommittees' meetings;
prepare and approve all meeting agendas; adjourn any meeting when the
Designated Federal Officer, or the Alternate Designated Federal
Officer, determines adjournment to be in the public interest or
required by governing regulations or DoD policies/procedures; and chair
meetings when directed to do so by the official to whom the Panel
reports.
Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or
interested organizations may submit written statements to Uniform
Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel 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 Uniform
Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel.
All written statements shall be submitted to the Designated Federal
Officer for the Uniform Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel, and this
individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the
membership for their consideration. Contact information for the Uniform
Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel's 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 Uniform Formulary Beneficiary Advisory
Panel. 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: May 15, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012-12145 Filed 5-18-12; 8:45 am]
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