Charter Amendment of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY:

Department of Defense.

ACTION:

Amendment of Federal Advisory Committee.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to announce that it is amending the charter for the Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Board of Actuaries (“the Board”).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee Management Officer for the Department of Defense, 703-692-5952.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This committee's charter is being amended pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1114(a)(1) and in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended) and 41 CFR 102-3.50(a), established the Board. The Board is a statutory Federal advisory committee that provides independent advice and recommendations related to the actuarial matters associated with the Department of Defense (DoD) Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Fund (“the Fund”) and other related matters. The Board, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1114(b) and (c), shall report to the Secretary of Defense annually on the actuarial status of the Fund and shall furnish its advice and opinion on matters referred to it by the Secretary of Defense.

The Board shall review valuations of the Fund under 10 U.S.C. 1115(c) and shall report periodically, not less than once every four years, to the President and the Congress on the status of the Fund. The Board shall include in such reports recommendations for such changes as in the Board's judgment are necessary to protect the public interest and maintain the Fund on a sound actuarial basis.

The Secretary of Defense, through the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)), may act upon the Board's advice and recommendations.

The Board consists of three members appointed by the Secretary of Defense from among qualified professional actuaries who are members of the Society of Actuaries. Board members will serve for a term of 15 years, except that a Board member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the end of the term for which the predecessor was appointed shall serve only until the end of such term. A Board member may serve after the end of the term until a successor has taken the oath of office. The Board membership appointments are staggered so that a new member is appointed every five years. A Board member may be removed by the Secretary of Defense for misconduct or failure to perform functions vested in the Board and for no other reason. The Board's Chair will be designated by the USD(P&R) from among those Board members previously approved by the Secretary of Defense.

Board members, who are not full-time or permanent part-time Federal officers or employees, will be appointed as experts or consultants pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3109 to serve as special government employee members and is entitled, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1114(a)(3), to receive pay at the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay of the highest rate of basic pay under the General Schedule of subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, for each day the member is engaged in the performance of duties vested in the Board. Board members who are full-time or permanent part-time Federal officers or employees shall be appointed pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.130(a) to serve as regular government employee members. All members are entitled to reimbursement for official Board-related travel and per diem.

The DoD has determined that subcommittees will not be authorized for this Board. The Board's Designated Federal Officer (DFO) must be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, designated in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures.

The Board's DFO is required to attend at all meetings of the Board for the entire duration of each and every meeting. However, in the absence of the Board's DFO, a properly approved Alternate DFO, duly appointed to the Board according to established DoD policies and procedures, must attend the entire duration of all meetings of the Board.

The DFO, or the Alternate DFO, calls all meetings of the Board; prepare and approve all meeting agendas; and adjourn any meeting when the DFO, or the Alternate DFO, determines adjournment to be in the public interest or required by governing regulations or DoD policies and procedures. Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140, the public or interested organizations may submit written statements to Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Board of Actuaries membership about the Board'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 Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Board of Actuaries.

All written statements shall be submitted to the DFO for the Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Board of Actuaries, and this individual will ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. Contact information for the Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Board of Actuaries DFO can be obtained from the GSA's FACA Database— http://www.facadatabase.gov/.

The DFO, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.150, will announce planned meetings of the Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Board of Actuaries. The DFO, 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.