[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 12, 2012)][Notices][Pages 35063-35065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14170]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket Number OSHA-2012-0020]


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 July 27, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit nominations for WPAC, identified by the OSHA
Docket No., OSHA-2012-0020, 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-2012-0020, 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-2012-0020). 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: Sandra Dillon, Director, Office of the
Whistleblower Protection Program, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3610, 200 Constitution
Avenue NW., Washington, DC., 20210; telephone (202) 693-2199, this is
not a toll-free number; email address Dillon.Sandra@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health (Assistant Secretary) invites interested
individuals to submit nominations for membership on the Whistleblower
Protection Advisory Committee (WPAC).
    WPAC's duties are solely advisory and consultative. WPAC advises,
consults with, and makes recommendations to the Secretary of Labor
(Secretary) and the Assistant Secretary on matters relating to the
improvement of the fairness, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency
of OSHA's whistleblower protection activities. In particular, WPAC will
make recommendations regarding the development and/or implementation
of:
     Better customer service to both workers who raise
complaints and employers who are the subject of investigations;
     Improvement in the investigative and enforcement process,
and the training of OSHA investigators;
     Improvement of regulations governing OSHA investigations;
     Cooperative activities with federal agencies responsible
for areas also covered by the whistleblower protection statutes
enforced by OSHA; and
     Other matters concerning the fairness, efficiency and
transparency of OSHA's whistleblower investigations as identified by
the Secretary or the Assistant Secretary.

WPAC is a continuing advisory body and operates in compliance with the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as well as the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2) and its implementing
regulations (see "Authority and Signature" section).

WPAC is comprised of 12 voting members, all of whom the Secretary
appoints. The composition of WPAC and categories of new members to be
appointed are as follows:
     Four management representatives who are employers or are
from employer associations in industries covered by one or more of the
whistleblower laws;
     Four 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 Plan states; and
     Three 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
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).
    The members serve two-year terms, unless a member becomes unable to
serve, resigns, ceases to be qualified to serve, or is removed by the
Secretary. 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.
    Any individual or organization may nominate one or more qualified
persons for membership. Nominations must include the nominee's name,
contact information, and current occupation or position. The nomination
also must include a resume of the nominee's background, experience and
qualifications. The nomination must identify the category that the
candidate is qualified to represent, and include a statement that the
nominee is aware of the nomination and is willing to serve on WPAC for
a two-year term.
    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.

Public Participation--Submission of Nominations and Access to Docket

    You may submit nominations (1) Electronically at http://www.regulations.gov,
the Federal eRulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (fax); or, (3) by hard copy.
All comments, attachments and other material must identify the Agency name
and docket number for this Federal Register notice, (OSHA Docket No. OSHA 2012-0020).
You may supplement electronic nominations by uploading document files
electronically. If, instead, you wish to mail additional materials in
reference to an electronic or fax submission, you must submit the
documents to the OSHA Docket Office (see ADDRESSES section above). The
additional materials must clearly identify your electronic nomination
by name, date, and docket number so OSHA can attach them to your
nomination. 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 above).
    Submissions are posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov.
OSHA therefore cautions individuals about submitting personal information
such as social security numbers and dates of birth. Although all
submissions are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index,
some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available
to read or download through http://www.regulations.gov. All submissions,
including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying
at the OSHA Docket Office.
    Information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site to
submit comments and access the docket is available at the Web site.
Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not
available through the Web site and for assistance in using the Internet
to locate docket submissions.
    Electronic copies of this Federal Register document are available
at: http://www.regulations.gov. This document, as well as news releases
and other relevant information, also are available at OSHA's Web site
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, and Section 402 of the FDA
Food Safety Modernization Act, Public Law 111-353.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on June 6, 2012.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2012-14170 Filed 6-11-12; 8:45 am]
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