DT-20-01, Management Directive 9.13, Organization and Functions, Office of Congressional Affairs
| ML15335A376 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/23/2020 |
| From: | Kristine Svinicki NRC/Chairman |
| To: | |
| David Decker, OCA, 301-415-1693 | |
| References | |
| DT-20-01 MD 9.13 | |
| Download: ML15335A376 (5) | |
Text
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION MANAGEMENT DIRECTIVE (MD)
For updates or revisions to policies contained in this MD that were issued after the MD was signed, please see the Yellow Announcement to Management Directive index (YA-to-MD index).
MD 9.13 ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS, OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS DT-20-01 Volume 9:
Organization and Functions Approved By:
Kristine L. Svinicki, Chairman Date Approved:
January 23, 2020 Cert. Date:
N/A, for the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD catalog Issuing Office:
Office of Congressional Affairs Contact Name:
David Decker EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Directive 9.13, Organization and Functions, Office of Congressional Affairs, is revised to update and clarify the responsibilities of the Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA). Included are Descriptions of the Protocol Office and the Federal and External Affairs Program, now in OCA; Coordination responsibilities related to the Inspector General; and Coordination responsibilities related to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Deputy CFO.
TABLE OF CONTENTS I.
SUPERVISION...................................................................................................................... 2 II. FUNCTIONS......................................................................................................................... 2 A. Congressional Affairs...................................................................................................... 2 B. Protocol Office................................................................................................................. 4 C. Federal and External Affairs Program.............................................................................. 4 III. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE DIRECTOR.......................................................... 4
MD 9.13 ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS, OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS Date Approved: 1/23/2020 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.
2 IV. REDELEGATION OF AUTHORITY BY THE DIRECTOR..................................................... 4 V. REDELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR............................... 5 VI. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND INTERNAL ASSIGNMENTS................................. 5 VII. REFERENCES...................................................................................................................... 5 I. SUPERVISION The Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA) is headed by a director who reports to, and is under the direction of, the Chairman as the principal executive officer and spokesperson for the Commission.
II. FUNCTIONS The office is responsible for administering the agency's Congressional Affairs Program, and for providing advice and assistance to the Chairman, the Commission, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff on all NRC relations with Congress. In addition, the Protocol Office and the Federal and External Affairs Program reside in OCA.
A. Congressional Affairs
- 1. Provides the Chairman, the Commission, the Executive Director for Operations (EDO), and the NRC staff with advice and counsel concerning relations with Congress; keeps the NRC currently and fully informed on the views of Congress toward NRC policies, plans, and activities; and pursuant to Section 303 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, keeps Congress currently and fully informed of NRC's policies, plans, and activities.
- 2. Coordinates all official contacts for the Chairman, the Commission, the EDO, and the NRC staff with members of Congress, their committees, and their staffs.
- 3. Serves as the liaison with the NRC oversight committees, other congressional committees, as appropriate, and individual members of Congress with respect to matters of interest and concern to the NRC.
- 4. Serves as the primary contact point for all NRC communications, written and oral, with Congress; routinely receives copies of all correspondence from members of Congress and congressional committees, with the exception of those of a personal nature and those addressed to the Office of the Inspector General; provides for the prompt acknowledgment of this correspondence, as appropriate; reviews and concurs in all NRC responses and other outgoing communications to members of
MD 9.13 ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS, OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS Date Approved: 1/23/2020 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.
3 Congress and congressional committees, with the exception of matters within the cognizance of the Inspector General; and coordinates all financial information with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Deputy CFO, or the Comptroller before release.
- 5. Transmits routine communications to Congress, including notifications of proposed rulemakings, new and revised regulatory guides, announcements of regulatory actions, studies, reports, public documents, and other items of a routine nature.
Prepares direct responses to routine congressional requests and inquiries (other than routine correspondence), when appropriate and with EDO concurrence.
- 6. Coordinates internal NRC activities that bear directly on NRC relations with Congress including, but not limited to, all hearings and attendance before Congress by all NRC personnel, preparation of testimony and hearing materials, editing hearing transcripts, and preparing supplemental materials, correspondence, and announcements.
- 7. Transmits classified, sensitive, and other documents that are not publicly available to Congress in accordance with NRC security directives and procedures, and congressional regulations regarding the transmission of these documents.
- 8. Monitors all legislative proposals, bills, congressional hearings, debates, and other activities of potential interest and concern to the NRC and advises the Chairman, the Commission, and the NRC staff, as appropriate.
- 9. Participates in planning and developing NRC's legislative program in cooperation with the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), coordinates with OGC concerning responses to legislation submitted to the NRC for comment, and coordinates legislative liaison in financial management activities with the CFO, Deputy CFO, or Comptroller, as appropriate.
- 10. Represents the Commission, as appropriate, in conferences and meetings with members of Congress and their staffs and arranges for appearances for NRC representatives before congressional committees.
- 11. Coordinates internal NRC activities and arrangements for visits, tours, notifications, presentations, briefings, and other activities with individual members of Congress or congressional committees and their staffs to keep them informed of the role and activities of the NRC and significant events.
- 12. Develops and establishes records, policies, and procedures necessary for the effective conduct of NRC relations with Congress, and provides for monitoring the status and timeliness of NRC's responses to congressional correspondence.
MD 9.13 ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS, OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS Date Approved: 1/23/2020 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.
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- 13. Performs any other functions assigned by the Chairman.
B. Protocol Office The Protocol Office extends hospitality to Members of Congress, distinguished visitors, and other dignitaries. The office serves as a liaison between dignitaries and the Commission with respect to official visits and events.
C. Federal and External Affairs Program The Federal and External Affairs Program serves as an initial point-of-contact for Commission interactions with other Federal agencies and external organizations, including those that represent public interest groups, non-governmental organizations, and the nuclear industry.
III. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE DIRECTOR A. The director is authorized and directed to take any actions necessary to carry out the functions assigned by this or other official directives or communications, subject to the limitations they may prescribe.
B. In addition, the director is specifically authorized to speak publicly for the NRC on routine matters within his or her area of responsibility, and without advance clearance on nonroutine matters in those circumstances in which the director is unable to reach the Chairman, other Commissioners, or the EDO, in that order, or when the urgency of the circumstances does not permit sufficient time for advance clearance. The director is not authorized to speak on behalf of the Inspector General without advance clearance.
IV. REDELEGATION OF AUTHORITY BY THE DIRECTOR The director may, except where expressly prohibited, redelegate in writing to others the authority delegated to the director by this or other official directives or communications, subject to the limitations stated below and to any other stipulations the director may deem necessary A. The director shall send a memorandum specifying the redelegation to the EDO, with a copy to the Secretary of the Commission, the General Counsel, and the Chief Human Capital Officer.
MD 9.13 ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS, OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS Date Approved: 1/23/2020 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.
5 B. The director shall stipulate any limitations on further redelegations of authority that he or she makes.
C. The director shall maintain a file of all redelegations.
V. REDELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR The associate director is authorized to act for the director during his or her absence.
VI. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND INTERNAL ASSIGNMENTS OCA is an organization that is composed of the Congressional Affairs Program, the NRC Protocol Office, and the Federal and External Affairs Program. Functional descriptions for OCA can be found on the NRC public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/ocafuncdesc.html.
VII. REFERENCES Nuclear Regulatory Commission Documents Office of Congressional Affairs Web page on the NRC Public Web site:
http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/ocafuncdesc.html.
United States Code Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).