SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of this meeting is provided as required by section 708(h)(8) of the Defense Production Act (DPA), 50 U.S.C. 4558(h)(8), and consistent with 44 CFR part 332.

The DPA authorizes the making of “voluntary agreements and plans of action” with, among others, representatives of industry and business to help provide for the national defense.^[1] The President's authority to facilitate voluntary agreements was delegated to the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to responding to the spread of COVID-19 within the United States in Executive Order 13911.^[2] The Secretary of Homeland Security has further delegated this authority to the FEMA Administrator.^[3]

On August 17, 2020, after the appropriate consultations with the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, FEMA completed and published in the Federal Register a “Voluntary Agreement for the Manufacture and Distribution of Critical Healthcare Resources Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic” (Voluntary Agreement).^[4] Unless terminated prior to that date, the Voluntary Agreement is effective until August 17, 2025, and may be extended subject to additional approval by the Attorney General after consultation with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. The Agreement may be used to prepare for or respond to any pandemic, including COVID-19, during that time.

On December 7, 2020, the first plan of action under the Voluntary Agreement—the Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the Manufacture, Allocation, and Distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Respond to COVID-19 (Plan of Action)—was finalized.^[5] The Plan of Action established several sub-committees under the Voluntary Agreement, focusing on different aspects of the Plan of Action.

The meeting will be chaired by the FEMA Administrator or his delegate, and attended by the Attorney General or his delegate and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission or his delegate. In implementing the Voluntary Agreement, FEMA adheres to all procedural requirements of 50 U.S.C. 4558 and 44 CFR part 332. ( printed page 2689)

Meeting Objectives: The objective of the meeting is to update the general public, and private industry partners, on the status of the Voluntary Agreement, PPE Plan of Action, and potential future Plans of Action.

Meeting Closed to the Public: By default, the DPA requires meetings held to implement a voluntary agreement or plan of action be open to the public.^[6] However, attendance may be limited if the Sponsor ^[7] of the voluntary agreement finds that the matter to be discussed at a meeting falls within the purview of matters described in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c). The Sponsor of the Voluntary Agreement, the FEMA Administrator, found that a portion of this meeting to implement the Voluntary Agreement involves matters which fall within the purview of matters described in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c) and that portion of the meeting will therefore be closed to the public.

Specifically, the meeting to implement the Voluntary Agreement may require participants to disclose trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential. Disclosure of such information allows for meetings to be closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4). In addition, the success of the Voluntary Agreement depends wholly on the willing and enthusiastic participation of private sector participants. Failure to close this meeting could have a strong chilling effect on participation by the private sector and cause a substantial risk that sensitive information will be prematurely released to the public, resulting in participants withdrawing their support from the Voluntary Agreement and thus significantly frustrating the implementation of the Voluntary Agreement. Frustration of an agency's objective due to premature disclosure of information allows for the closure of a meeting to pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(B).

86 FR 2688