82 FR 18740 - Recruitment of First Responder Network Authority Board Members

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 76 (April 21, 2017)

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issues this Notice on behalf of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to initiate the annual process to seek expressions of interest from individuals who would like to serve on the FirstNet Board. One of the 12 appointments of nonpermanent members to the FirstNet Board, expiring August 2019, is currently vacant. Additionally, four of the 12 appointments of nonpermanent members to the FirstNet Board expire in August 2017, creating a total of five available appointments to the FirstNet Board. NTIA issues this Notice to obtain expressions of interest in being selected by the Secretary to the FirstNet Board.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 76 (Friday, April 21, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18740-18741]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08048]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Recruitment of First Responder Network Authority Board Members

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) issues this Notice on behalf of the First Responder Network 
Authority (FirstNet) to initiate the annual process to seek expressions 
of interest from individuals who would like to serve on the FirstNet 
Board. One of the 12 appointments of nonpermanent members to the 
FirstNet Board, expiring August 2019, is currently vacant. 
Additionally, four of the 12 appointments of nonpermanent members to 
the FirstNet Board expire in August 2017, creating a total of five 
available appointments to the FirstNet Board. NTIA issues this Notice 
to obtain expressions of interest in being selected by the Secretary to 
the FirstNet Board.

DATES: Expressions of interest must be postmarked or electronically 
transmitted on or before May 22, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to submit expressions of interest as 
described below should send that information to: Marsha MacBride, 
Associate Administrator of NTIA's Office of Public Safety 
Communications, by email to [email protected]; or by 
U.S. mail or commercial delivery service to: Office of Public Safety 
Communications, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4078, Washington, DC 
20230; or by facsimile transmission to (202) 501-8009. Please note that 
all material sent via the U.S. Postal Service (including ``Overnight'' 
or ``Express Mail'') is subject to delivery delays of up to two weeks 
due to mail security procedures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marsha MacBride, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Public Safety Communications, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4078, Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-5802; email: [email protected]. Please 
direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-
7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background and Authority

    The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act) 
created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an 
independent authority within NTIA and charged it with ensuring the 
building, deployment, and operation of a nationwide, interoperable 
public safety broadband network, based on a single, national network 
architecture.\1\ FirstNet is responsible for, at a minimum, ensuring 
nationwide standards for use and access of the network; issuing open, 
transparent, and competitive requests for proposals (RFPs) to build, 
operate, and maintain the network; encouraging these RFPs to leverage, 
to the maximum extent economically desirable, existing commercial 
wireless infrastructure to speed deployment of the network; and 
managing and overseeing contracts with non-federal entities to build, 
operate, and maintain the network.\2\ FirstNet holds the single public 
safety license granted for wireless public safety broadband deployment. 
The FirstNet Board is responsible for providing overall policy 
direction and oversight of FirstNet to ensure the success of the 
nationwide network.
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    \1\ 47 U.S.C. 1422(b).
    \2\ 47 U.S.C. 1426(b)(1).

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[[Page 18741]]

II. Structure

    The FirstNet Board is composed of 15 voting members. The Act names 
the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the Attorney 
General of the United States, and the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget as permanent members of the FirstNet Board. The 
Secretary of Commerce appoints the twelve nonpermanent members of the 
FirstNet Board.\3\ The Act requires each Board member to have 
experience or expertise in at least one of the following substantive 
areas: Public safety, network, technical, and/or financial.\4\ 
Additionally, the composition of the FirstNet Board must satisfy the 
other requirements specified in the Act, including that: (i) At least 
three Board members have served as public safety professionals; (ii) at 
least three members represent the collective interests of states, 
localities, tribes, and territories; and (iii) its members reflect 
geographic and regional, as well as rural and urban, representation.\5\ 
An individual Board member may satisfy more than one of these 
requirements. The current nonpermanent FirstNet Board members are 
(noting length of term):
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    \3\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b).
    \4\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(2)(B).
    \5\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(2)(A).
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     Susan Swenson (Chairwoman), Telecommunications/technology 
executive (Term expires: August 2019)
     Jeffrey Johnson (Vice Chairman), Fire Chief, retired; CEO 
Western Fire Chiefs Association; Former Chair, State Interoperability 
Council, State of Oregon (Term expires: August 2019)
     Chris Burbank, Chief of Police, Salt Lake City UT, retired 
(Term expires: August 2017)
     Neil E. Cox, Telecommunications/technology executive (Term 
expires: August 2018)
     James H. Douglas, Former Governor, Vermont (Term expires: 
August 2017)
     Edward Horowitz, Venture capital/technology executive 
(Term expires: August 2018)
     Kevin McGinnis, Chief/CEO, North East Mobile Health 
Services (Term expires: August 2018)
     Annise D. Parker, former Mayor of Houston, Texas (Term 
expires: August 2018)
     Ed Reynolds, Telecommunications executive, retired (Term 
expires: August 2017)
     Richard W. Stanek, Sheriff, Hennepin County, Minnesota 
(Term expires: August 2017)
     Teri Takai, Government information technology expert; 
former CIO, States of Michigan and California (Term expires: August 
2019)
     Vacant (Term expires: August 2019)
More information about the FirstNet Board is available at 
www.firstnet.gov/about/Board. Board members are appointed for a term of 
three years, and Board members may not serve more than two consecutive 
full three-year terms.\6\
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    \6\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(c)(2)(A)(ii).
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III. Compensation and Status as Government Employees

    FirstNet Board members are appointed as special government 
employees. FirstNet Board members are compensated at the daily rate of 
basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule (approximately 
$161,900 per year).\7\ Each Board member must be a United States 
citizen, cannot be a registered lobbyist, and cannot be a registered 
agent of, employed by, or receive payments from a foreign 
government.\8\
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    \7\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(g).
    \8\ See Revised Guidance on Appointment of Lobbyists to Federal 
Advisory Committees, Boards, and Commissions, Office of Management 
and Budget, 79 FR 47482 (Aug. 13, 2014).
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IV. Financial Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

    FirstNet Board members must comply with certain federal conflict of 
interest statutes and ethics regulations, including some financial 
disclosure requirements. A FirstNet Board member will generally be 
prohibited from participating on any particular matter that will have a 
direct and predictable effect on his or her personal financial 
interests or on the interests of the appointee's spouse, minor 
children, or non-federal employer.

V. Selection Process

    At the direction of the Secretary of Commerce, NTIA, in 
consultation with FirstNet, will conduct outreach to the public safety 
community, state and local organizations, and industry to solicit 
nominations for candidates to the Board who satisfy the statutory 
requirements for membership. In addition, by this Notice, the Secretary 
of Commerce, through NTIA, will accept expressions of interest until 
May 22, 2017 from any individual or organization that wishes to propose 
a candidate who satisfies the statutory requirements for membership on 
the FirstNet Board.\9\
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    \9\ Incumbent Board members whose terms expire in August 2017, 
and who wish to be considered for reappointment, do not need to 
submit an expression of interest in response to this Notice.
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    All parties wishing to be considered should submit their full name, 
address, telephone number, email address, a current resume, and a 
statement of qualifications that references how the candidate satisfies 
the Act's expertise, representational, and geographic requirements for 
FirstNet Board membership, as described in this Notice, along with a 
statement describing why they want to serve on the FirstNet Board and 
affirming their ability and availability to take a regular and active 
role in the Board's work. The Secretary of Commerce will select 
FirstNet Board candidates based on the eligibility requirements in the 
Act and recommendations submitted by NTIA, in consultation with the 
FirstNet Board's Governance and Personnel Committee. NTIA will 
recommend candidates based on an assessment of their qualifications as 
well as their demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative way to 
achieve the goals and objectives of FirstNet as set forth in the Act. 
Board candidates will be vetted through the Department of Commerce and 
are subject to an appropriate background check for security clearance.

    Dated: April 17, 2017.
Kathy Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-08048 Filed 4-20-17; 8:45 am]
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