[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 49 (Thursday, March 13, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14300-14302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05438]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket Number: OSHA-2014-0004]
Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), DOL.
ACTION: Request for nominations to serve on the Whistleblower
Protection Advisory Committee.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and
Health requests nominations for membership on the Whistleblower
Protection Advisory Committee (WPAC).
DATES: Nominations for WPAC must be submitted (postmarked, sent,
transmitted, or received) by May 12, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit nominations for WPAC, identified by the OSHA
Docket No., OSHA-2014-0004, by any of the following methods:
Electronically: Nominations, including attachments, may be
submitted electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for making
electronic submissions.
Facsimile: If your nomination and supporting materials, including
attachments, do not exceed 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA
Docket Office at (202) 693-1648.
Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger or courier service:
Submit your nominations and supporting materials to the OSHA Docket
Office, Docket No. OSHA-2014-0004, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-
2625, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone
(202) 693-2350 (OSHA's TTY number is (877) 889-5627). Deliveries (hand,
express mail, messenger and courier service) are accepted during the
Department of Labor's and Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15
a.m.-4:45 p.m., e.t.
Instructions: All nominations and supporting materials for WPAC
must include the Agency name and docket number for this Federal
Register notice (Docket No. OSHA-2014-0004). Because of security-
related procedures, submitting nominations by regular mail may result
in a significant delay in their receipt. Please contact the OSHA Docket
Office for information about security procedures for submitting
nominations by hand delivery, express delivery, and messenger or
courier service. For additional information on submitting nominations
see the ``Public Participation--Submission of Nominations and Access to
Docket'' heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.
Submissions in response to this Federal Register notice, including
personal information provided, are posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about
submitting personal information such as social security numbers and
dates of birth.
Docket: To read or download submissions or other material in the
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at
the address above. All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index; however, some information (e.g.,
copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download
through that Web site. All submissions, including copyrighted material,
are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meghan Smith, OSHA, Directorate of
Whistleblower Protection Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-
4624, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone
(202) 693-2199; email address [email protected].
[[Page 14301]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health invites interested individuals to submit
nominations for membership on WPAC.
Background. The WPAC advises the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary)
and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health
(the Assistant Secretary) on ways to improve the fairness, efficiency,
and transparency of OSHA's whistleblower investigations. WPAC is a
continuing advisory body and operates in compliance with the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2) and its implementing
regulations (see ``Authority and Signature'' section).
WPAC membership.
WPAC is comprised of 12 members, who the Secretary appoints to
staggered terms not to exceed two years. OSHA is seeking to fill 12
positions on WPAC that will become vacant on January 1, 2015. Because
this is the first time that OSHA is staggering terms for WPAC members,
six members will be appointed to one-year terms and six will be
appointed to two-year terms. Thereafter, all members will be appointed
to two-year terms. The composition of WPAC and categories of new
members to be appointed to one-year terms are as follows:
Two management representatives who are employers or are
from employer associations in industries covered by one or more of the
whistleblower laws;
Two labor representatives who are workers or from worker
advocacy organizations in industries covered by one or more of the
whistleblower laws;
One member represents the State OSH Plan states; and
One public representative from colleges, universities,
non-partisan think tanks, and/or other entities, that have extensive
knowledge and expertise on whistleblower statutes and issues.
The composition of WPAC and categories of new members to be
appointed to two-year terms are as follows:
Two management representatives who are employers or are
from employer associations in industries covered by one or more of the
whistleblower laws;
Two labor representatives who are workers or from worker
advocacy organizations in industries covered by one or more of the
whistleblower laws; and
Two public representatives from colleges, universities,
non-partisan think tanks, and/or other entities, that have extensive
knowledge and expertise on whistleblower statutes and issues.
In addition, the committee will also have three Ad hoc/Ex-officio/
Non-voting members who are regular government employees from other
Federal Government agencies. They will be selected by the Secretary of
Labor from Departments that have jurisdiction over statutes with
whistleblower provisions, for example, the Securities and Exchange
Commission (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), or the Department of Transportation's
Federal Aviation Administration (Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment
and Reform Act for the 21st Century), or the Federal Railroad
Administration (Federal Railroad Safety Act).
If a vacancy occurs before a term expires, the Secretary may
appoint a new member who represents the same interest as the
predecessor to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. The
committee meets at least two times a year.
Nomination requirements. Any individual or organization may
nominate one or more qualified persons for membership. Submissions of
nominations must include the following information:
1. The nominee's name, contact information and current occupation
or position;
2. The nominee's resume or curriculum vitae, including prior
membership on WPAC and other relevant organizations, associations and
committees;
3. Category of membership (management, labor, state plan, or
academic/extensive whistleblower knowledge) the nominee is qualified to
represent;
4. A summary of the nominee's background, experience and
qualifications that address the nominee's suitability to serve on WPAC;
5. Articles or other documents the nominee has authored that
indicate the nominee's knowledge, experience and expertise in
whistleblowing; and
6. A statement that the nominee is aware of the nomination, is
willing to regularly attend and participate in WPAC meetings, and has
no apparent conflicts of interest that would preclude membership on
WPAC.
Membership selection. WPAC members will be selected on the basis of
their experience, knowledge, and competence in the field of
whistleblower protection. The information received through this
nomination process, in addition to other relevant sources of
information, will assist the Secretary in appointing members to serve
on WPAC. In selecting WPAC members, the Secretary will consider
individuals nominated in response to this Federal Register notice, as
well as other qualified individuals.
Before candidates are appointed, the U.S. Department of Labor
(Department) conducts a basic background check using publically
available, Internet-based sources.
The Department is committed to bringing greater diversity of
thought, perspective and experience to its advisory committees. In
addition, the Department encourages nominees of all races, genders,
ages, disabilities and sexual orientations to apply.
Instructions for submitting nominations. Interested individuals may
submit nominations and supplemental materials using one of the methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section. All nominations, attachments and other
materials must identify the docket number for this Federal Register
notice (Docket No. OSHA-2014-0004). You may supplement electronic
nominations by uploading document files electronically. If, instead,
you wish to submit additional materials in reference to an electronic
or FAX submission, you must submit them to the OSHA Docket Office (see
ADDRESSES section). The additional material must clearly identify your
electronic or FAX submission by name and docket number (Docket No.
OSHA-2014-0004) so that the materials can be attached to your
submission.
Because of security-related procedures, the use of regular mail may
cause a significant delay in the receipt of nominations. For
information about security procedures concerning the delivery of
materials by hand, express delivery, messenger or courier service,
please contact the OSHA Docket Office (see ADDRESSES section).
All submissions in response to this Federal Register notice are
posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA
cautions interested parties about submitting personal information, such
as Social Security numbers and birthdates. Guidance on submitting
nominations and materials in response to this Federal Register notice
is available at http://www.regulations.gov and from the OSHA Docket
Office.
Access to docket and other materials. To read or download
nominations and additional materials submitted in response to this
Federal Register notice, go to Docket No. OSHA-2013-0013 at http://www.regulations.gov. All submissions are listed in the index of that
docket. However, some documents (e.g., copyrighted material) are not
publicly available to read or download through that Web page. All
submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for
inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA
Docket Office for information
[[Page 14302]]
about materials not available through http://www.regulations.gov and
for assistance in using the internet to locate submissions.
Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice are available at
http://www.regulations.gov. This document, as well as news releases and
other relevant information, also is available at OSHA's Web page at
http://www.osha.gov.
Authority and Signature
David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this notice
under the authority granted by the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA), as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2), its implementing regulations (41
CFR Part 102-3), chapter 1600 of Department of Labor Management Series
3 (Mar. 17, 2008), Secretary of Labor's Order 1-2012 (Jan. 18, 2012),
77 FR 3912 (Jan. 25, 2012), and the Secretary of Labor's authority to
administer the whistleblower provisions found in Section 11(c) of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. 660(c); the Surface
Transportation Assistance Act, 49 U.S.C. 31105; the Asbestos Hazard
Emergency Response Act, 15 U.S.C. 2651; the International Safe
Container Act, 46 U.S.C. 80507; the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C.
300j-9(i); the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C. 1367; the
Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. 2622; the Solid Waste Disposal
Act, 42 U.S.C. 6971; the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7622; the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act,
42 U.S.C. 9610; the Energy Reorganization Act, 42 U.S.C. 5851; the
Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st
Century, 49 U.S.C. 42121; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 18 U.S.C. 1514A; the
Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, 49 U.S.C. 60129; the Federal Railroad
Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. 20109; the National Transit Systems Security Act,
6 U.S.C. 1142; the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, 15 U.S.C.
2087; Section 1558 of the Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148; the
Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, 12 U.S.C.A. 5567, the
Seaman's Protection Act, 46 U.S.C. 2114, Section 402 of the FDA Food
Safety Modernization Act, P.L. 111-353, and the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act, 49 U.S.C. 30171.
Signed at Washington, DC, on March 7, 2014.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-05438 Filed 3-12-14; 8:45 am]
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