Subcommittee Overview
The National Science and Technology Council
(NSTC) Subcommittee on Biometrics and Identity Management serves as
part of the internal deliberative process of the NSTC. Reporting to and
directed by the Committee on Technology, the Subcommittee’s tasking is
to:
- For Biometrics:
- Provide technical leadership in the development and implementation of interoperable federal biometric systems;
- Develop and implement multi-agency investment strategies that advance biometric sciences to meet public and private needs;
- Develop and adopt biometric standards as specified in the NSTC Policy for Enabling the Development, Adoption and Use of Biometric Standards;
- Develop consensus strategic outreach plans for biometrics, including collaboration on www.biometrics.gov, the annual Biometric Consortium Conference and other events;
- For Identity Management (of which biometrics is a subset):
- Identify cross-sector IdM issues, and develop and implement plans to address the federal government’s priority S&T needs
- Facilitate the inclusion of privacy-protecting principles in IdM system design;
- Promote a scientifically educated and aware public that properly understands IdM technologies, federal programs and issues;
- Strengthen international and public sector partnerships to foster the advancement of IdM technologies.
The Subcommittee has three co-chairs:
- Duane Blackburn (OSTP), Overall Policy
- Brad Wing (US-VISIT), Biometrics
- Jim Dray (NIST), Identity Management
Membership
The following NSTC departments and agencies are represented on the Subcommittee:
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Justice
- Department of State
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Treasury
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Federal Trade Commission
- General Services Administration
- Intelligence Community
- Internal Revenue Service
- National Science Foundation
- Social Security Administration
The following organizations in the Executive Office of the President are also represented on the Subcommittee:
- Office of Management and Budget
- Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Office of the Vice President
- Homeland Security Council
- National Security Council
Activities
The Subcommittee has formally chartered a short-duration Identity
Management Task Force to assess the status of and challenges related to
IdM technologies, and develop recommendations regarding Federal
government’s science and technology needs in this area. Concurrently
with the activities of this Task Force, the Subcommittee is continuing
its biometrics coordination through multiple interagency working groups:
- Interoperability (Kim Del Greco, FBI)
- USG-wide biometric system of systems governance/coordination
- Build upon solid foundation of biometric systems in major USG agencies
- Promote adoption of multi-modal biometric capabilities
- Streamline watch list data availability/usability/control
- Make recommendations on how best to accommodate extended interoperability requirements
- Standards (Mike Hogan, NIST; Brad Wing, US-VISIT)
- Support interoperability requirements & needs of biometric community
- Standards Development
- Conformity Assessment
- USG Adoption
- Biometrics RDT&E Coordination (Chris Miles, DHS S&T; Tom Dee, DoD)
- Develop and implement a multi-year, USG-wide, biometrics RDT&E agenda
- Liaison between NSTC/Biometrics and public sector
- The National Biometrics Challenge
- Biometrics S&T Guidance/Assistance (Bill Baron, DOT VOLPE Center)
- Quick response team to answer technical questions from senior level feds on biometric issues
- Bring operational issues/concerns into technology area activities
- Update foundation docs
- Communications (Kim Weissman, US-VISIT)
- Outreach & messaging support
- Maintenance of USG Biometric Websites
- Other activities (press outreach, etc.)
- Privacy (Peter Sand, DHS Privacy Office; Niels Quist, DOJ Privacy and Civil Liberties)
- Develop reference material to further the community’s understanding of the nexus of biometric technologies and privacy theory
- Develop USG policies and procedures, and associated training
material, so that privacy is fully integrated into USG system planning