Department of Commerce

US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker delivered the keynote address at the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Annual Update Conference Luncheon in Washington D.C. Speaking to more than 1,000 public and private sector leaders from across the export control landscape, Secretary Pritzker highlighted the key role BIS plays in national security and emphasized the vital work the agency has undertaken in support of significant foreign policy issues related to Cuba and Russia.

During her speech, Secretary Pritzker discussed the Bureau’s significant work over the last several years in support of U.S. economic growth and national security. In addition, Secretary Pritzker highlighted the success of this Administration’s export control reform initiative, which has helped rationalize the export control system and streamline the licensing process for exporters. Secretary Pritzker also illustrated BIS’ continued commitment to supporting U.S. national security and foreign policy through employing the range of tools at its disposal.

US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker delivered opening remarks at the Commerce Data Advisory Council (CDAC) meeting. This was the fifth and final meeting of CDAC of the Obama Administration, during which Sec Pritzker received recommendations on data management practices, external uses of Department of Commerce data, and open data standards.

In her remarks, Secretary Pritzker reflected on the ways in which the Commerce Department has worked to make federal data more accessible, including through the launch of the Commerce Data Service, the Commerce Data Academy and the Commerce Data Usability Project. In addition, the Secretary noted the value of CDAC’s past recommendations and how they have played an integral role in making Commerce data more widely usable. In closing, Sec Pritzker emphasized the importance of continuing to make Commerce data accessible by institutionalizing CDAC efforts. Through effective institutionalization, Sec Pritzker pointed out that the efforts of CDAC will persist long after the end of the Administration.

[Commentary] We are in the midst of a transition from an economy with a growing digital component, to an economy where digital issues are of first and foremost importance. Four months ago the Digital Economy Board of Advisors (DEBA) was charged with an ambitious agenda to advise the Department of Commerce on how to navigate and respond to this transition. We are honored to co-chair this accomplished group of leading technologists, business leaders, social sector executives and expert policy makers. This past week the Board convened for its second public meeting at the Mozilla offices in Mountain View (CA) to review the outputs of our work to date. Each of the working groups presented their initial discussion drafts, meant to create a space for broader conversation with the Board and to invite additional input from a variety of voices. Through our discussions insights emerged around several key issues, including encouraging the Department of Commerce to engage with the tech sector to:

Develop innovative models that better connect people to high-quality, minimal-time, and low-cost training programs for the most high-demand skills
Foster solutions that encourage and facilitate the growth and usage of digital platforms among SMEs
Protect the benefits that such platforms hold for businesses in the global marketplace
Develop more accurate measures for the impact of emerging digital activities on the economy.

[Zoë Baird is CEO and President of the Markle Foundation. Mitchell Baker is Executive Chairwoman of the Mozilla Foundation. Both Co-Chair the Digital Economy Board of Advisors.]

US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews traveled to Silicon Valley to participate in two meetings of the Digital Economy Board of Advisors (DEBA). Established by Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker in 2016, the DEBA is comprised of technology industry leaders, innovators, and experts, and serves as a centralized forum to help businesses and consumers realize the potential of the digital economy to advance growth and opportunity. The Board provides advice in furtherance of increasing domestic prosperity, improving education, and facilitating participation in political and cultural life through the application and expansion of digital technologies.

Deputy Secretary Andrews moderated a discussion of the DEBA Working Group Coordinators’ Committee (WGCC), which included Working Group members and outside experts, representing corporations ranging from General Electric to Uber to Microsoft. Deputy Secretary Andrews expressed his interest in the WGCC’s advice on how the Department can transform to meet the demands of the 21st century economy and remain as relevant as possible to its constituents. The Deputy Secretary also received valuable information about what companies need from the Department of Commerce in today’s digital economy and how Commerce can improve its outreach to its constituents.

Andrews delivered opening remarks at the second public meeting of the full DEBA, thanking members for their contributions to the Commerce Department’s successes in the digital economy space.

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced the reappointment of three leading experts on public safety, wireless broadband communications, and state and local government to serve three-year terms on the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Board. Secretary Pritzker reappointed three current Board members to another term:

• Jeff Johnson, FirstNet Vice Chair, former Fire Chief and CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
• Sue Swenson, FirstNet Chairwoman and CEO of Novatel Wireless.
• Teri Takai, senior advisor at the Center for Digital Government and former CIO for the states of Michigan and California.

In addition, Secretary Pritzker announced that Swenson would continue to serve as chairwoman of the FirstNet Board for another two-year term.

The National Technical Information Service has just posted a Federal Register Notice inviting proposals from for-profit, non-profit, or research organizations to enter into Joint Venture Partnership agreements with NTIS to develop and deliver innovative, agile data solutions within the Department of Commerce or around the federal government. We’re looking for companies and organizations—selected through a merit-based process—that will partner with NTIS to assist Federal agencies in developing and implementing innovative ways to collect, connect, access, analyze, or use Federal data and data services. To illustrate, the Joint Ventures could help provide:
New technical capability or private sets to help statistical agencies derive economic, demographic and social insights from Federal and private sector data;
Assistance through the integration of public and private data, the “Internet of Things,” cloud computing and predictive analytics, to derive insights for land use planning, and delivering improved public services; and
Aggregation of multiple and disparate data sets from several Federal agencies into an insightful data suite of knowledge to drive business decisions.
The NTIS Joint Ventures also could help address time-to-market innovations and complexity of solutions, and facilitate new partnerships with the private sector focused on delivering value for public service, business outcomes, and economic growth.

The EU-US Privacy Shield Framework was designed by the US Department of Commerce and European Commission to provide companies on both sides of the Atlantic with a mechanism to comply with EU data protection requirements when transferring personal data from the European Union to the United States in support of transatlantic commerce.

The Privacy Shield Framework provides a set of robust and enforceable protections for the personal data of EU individuals. The Framework provides transparency regarding how participating companies use personal data, strong U.S. government oversight, and increased cooperation with EU data protection authorities (DPAs). The European Commission deemed the Privacy Shield Framework adequate to enable data transfers under EU law. Commerce will allow companies time to review the Framework and update their compliance programs and then, on August 1, will begin accepting certifications. To join the Privacy Shield Framework, a US-based company will be required to self-certify to the Department of Commerce and publicly commit to comply with the Framework’s requirements. While joining the Privacy Shield Framework will be voluntary, once an eligible company makes the public commitment to comply with the Framework’s requirements, the commitment will become enforceable under U.S. law. All companies interested in joining the Privacy Shield Framework should review its requirements in their entirety.

To deploy a nationwide public safety broadband network, First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) is working closely with first responders in all 56 states and territories to ensure their communications needs are built into the nationwide network from day one, so they can seamlessly share information and communicate under all conditions.

And like first responders themselves, the network must be resilient: it must be able to withstand the elements and recover rapidly from disruptions, including deliberate attacks, accidents, or naturally occurring weather situations.

To that end, FirstNet is designing the network to be an interoperable, secure, and resilient network that will improve the effectiveness of emergency response in rural and urban communities throughout the nation, including remote locations such as island states and territories. FirstNet will also ensure the network can evolve and incorporate advances in technology so first responders can take advantage of cutting edge broadband communication services, devices, and applications.

As part of President Barack Obama's Climate Action Plan, Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is leading a collaborative nationwide effort to develop a framework that US communities can use to prepare for, resist, respond to, and recover from hazard events more rapidly and at a lower cost.

On July 30, NIST will host the second in a series of regional workshops devoted to developing a community-centric "disaster resilience framework" to minimize the impacts of hazards and quickly restore vital functions and services in the aftermath of disasters.

The disaster resilience framework will establish overall performance goals; assess existing standards, codes, and practices; and identify gaps that must be addressed to bolster community resilience.

The workshop will begin with a session on resilience lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 "superstorm" that affected many states along the Atlantic seaboard. Topics will include buildings and facilities, transportation systems, energy systems, communication and information systems, water and wastewater systems, and social vulnerabilities.

NIST seeks input from a broad array of stakeholders, including planners, designers, facility owners and users, government officials, utility owners, regulators, standards and model code developers, insurers, trade and professional associations, disaster response and recovery groups, and researchers.

On January 21, 2009, President Barack Obama issued the first executive memorandum of his Administration, entitled “Transparency and Open Government.”

This memorandum established three guiding principles for the conduct of government activities. Government should be transparent. Government should be participatory. Government should be collaborative. The Department of Commerce (the Department) is fully committed to these principles, and we are pleased to present the 2014 Department of Commerce Open Government Plan, version 3.0.

The Plan is updated annually, and this release represents its fifth publication. The Department will continue to encourage and strive for increased participation and collaboration among its employees, with other government agencies and the American people.

The 2014 plan provides an overview of the Department’s new 2014-2018 Strategic Plan, describes Department program and functional areas which are critical to Open Government, features three “flagship” Open Government initiatives, and highlights Open Government happenings of ongoing initiatives and activities across the Department’s Bureaus and Operating Units (BOUs).