CHARTER
VETERANS’ ADVISORY BOARD ON DOSE RECONSTRUCTION
1. Committee’s Official Designation:
The Committee shall be known as the Veterans’ Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction (hereafter referred to as "the Board").
2. Authority:
The Secretary of Defense, under the provision of Section 601(c) of Title VI of Public Law 108-183 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix) and 41 CFR § 102-3.50(a), established the Board.
3. Objectives and Scope of Activities:
The Board shall provide review and oversight of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction program and make such recommendations on modifications in the mission, procedures and administration of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program as it considers appropriate as a result of the audits conducted under the authority of Section 601(c)(3)(A) of Title VI of Public Law 108-183, as set out in (4) below.
4. Description of Duties:
The Board shall:
- Conduct periodic, random audits of dose reconstructions under the Radiation Dose Reconstruction program and of decisions by the Department of Veterans Affairs on claims for service connection of radiogenic diseases;
- Assist the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in communicating to veterans information on the mission, procedures, and evidentiary requirements of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program;
- Carry out such other activities with respect to the review and oversight of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program as the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly specify;
- Make recommendations on modifications to the mission and procedures of the Dose Reconstruction Program as the Board considers appropriate as a result of the audits conducted pursuant to (4)(a) above.
- Any additional actions the Secretary of Defense and th eSecretary of Veterans Affairs jointly determine are required to ensure that the quality assurance and quality control mechanisms of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program are adequate and sufficient for purpose of the program; and
- Any additional actions the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs jointly determine are required to ensure that the mechanisms of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program for communication and interaction with veterans are adequate and sufficient for the program.
The Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs may act upon the Board’s advice and recommendations.
5. Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports:
The Board shall report to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs through the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) and the Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The report shall include those items listed in (4) above and shall ensure that the report includes sufficient information to allow the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to, as required by Section 601(a) of Title VI of Public Law 108-183, determine (1) whether any additional actions are required to ensure that the quality assurance and quality control mechanisms of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program are adequate and sufficient for purpose of the program; and (2) the actions that are required to ensure that the mechanisms of the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program for communication and interaction with veterans are adequate and sufficient for purpose of the program, including mechanisms to permit veterans to review the assumptions utilized in their dose reconstructions.
6. Support:
The Department of Defense, through the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, shall provide support as deemed necessary for the performance of the Board’s functions and shall ensure compliance with the requirement of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 and the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. § 552b).
7. Estimated Annual Operating Costs and Staff Years:
It is estimated that the annual operating costs, to include travel costs and contract support is $1,100,000.00. The estimated annual personnel cost to the Department of Defense is 1.5 full-time equivalents (FTE).
8. Designated Federal Officer:
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 governing DoD policies and procedures. In addition, the Designated Federal Officer is required to be in attendance for the full duration of all Board and subcommittee meetings; however, in the absence of the Designated Federal Officer, the Alternate Designated Federal Officer shall attend the entire meeting.
9. Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings:
The Board shall meet at the call of the Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the Board’s chairperson. The estimated number of Board meetings is two per year.
10.Duration:
The need for this advisory function is on a continuing basis; however this charter is subject to renewal every two years.
11.Termination:
The Board shall terminate upon completion of its mission or two years from the date this charter is filed, whichever is sooner, unless the Secretary of Defense extends it.
12.Membership and Designation:
The Board, pursuant to Section 601(c)(2) of Title VI of Public Law 108-183, shall be comprised of:
- At least one expert in historical dose reconstruction of the type conducted under the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program
- At least one expert in radiation health matters;
- At least one expert in risk communications matters;
- A representative of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and a representative of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and
- At least three veterans, including at least one veteran who is a member of an atomic veterans group.
Board members shall be jointly appointed by the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the appointments must be renewed on an annual basis. Board 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 serve as special government employees, whose appointments must be renewed on an annual basis.
With the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, Board members shall serve without compensation.
13.Subcommittees:
With DoD approval, the Board is authorized to establish subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission. These subcommittees shall operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. § 552b), and other governing Federal statutes and regulations.
Such subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered Board and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Board for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Board; nor can they report directly to the Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees who are not Board members.
Subcommittee members, who are not Board members, shall be appointed in the same manner as the Board members. Such individuals, if not full-time or part-time government employees, shall be appointed to serve as experts and consultants under the authority 5 U.S.C. § 3109, and serve as special government employees, whose appointments must be renewed on an annual basis.
14.Recordkeeping:
The records of the Board and its subcommittees shall be handled according to section 2, General Record Schedule 26 and governing Department of Defense policies and procedures. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act of 1966 (5 U.S.C. § 552).
15.Filing Date:
December 15, 2010
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