Commerce May Postpone First Emerging Tech TAC Meeting Until March, Official Says

The Commerce Department again postponed the first meeting of its Emerging Technology Technical Advisory Committee and may not reschedule it until March, a Commerce official said. The meeting, which was originally scheduled for Dec. 4, 2019,was initially postponed to January as the agency faced delays in issuing members their security clearances (see 1911200045). But the problem persisted, according to Anita Zinzuvadia, a licensing officer with the Bureau of Industry and Security, who said Commerce canceled the January meeting.

Speaking during a Jan. 29 Information Systems TAC meeting, Zinzuvadia said the ETTAC does not yet have a quorum for a closed session. Commerce TACs typically hold both open and closed sessions, with the latter open only to members and officials with certain security clearances. “They’re waiting for a few members to get their clearances,” she said. “So that’s the delay, or at least that's part of the delay, from what I’ve heard.” Commerce recently issued a notice asking for applicants for all seven of its TACs (see 1912300022). The agency did not comment.

Zinzuvadia said Commerce will likely push the meeting to March to give members enough time to receive their clearances. After one TAC member expressed skepticism that the clearances would be approved in time, Zinzuvadia suggested Commerce might try to “fast-track” the clearances. She also said Commerce had not circulated an agenda for the canceled January meeting and said she did not know what specifically would have been discussed. She said she told another Commerce official that the agency should consider scheduling the ETTAC meetings “right before” ISTAC meetings because there will likely be an “overlap” on topics. “That could be of potential interest,” Zinzuvadia said, “but I don't know if that's going to happen.”

Commerce released its advance notice of proposed rulemaking for emerging technologies in November 2018 and released its first control Jan. 6 on geospatial imagery software (see 2001030024). The yearlong delay caused confusion and anxiety within U.S. industries and frustration among BIS officials (see 1911070014). A BIS official said the agency plans to release proposed controls on areas that include quantum technology, semiconductor design, chemicals, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and possibly 3D printing (see 1912160032).

During the ISTAC meeting, Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s export compliance manager Mark Renfeld, who was leading the meeting due to the absence of the chairman, said industry is awaiting more guidance on emerging technologies. “We’re thinking about the implications of this. As we all see technology developing, what does it mean in the context and construct of emerging technologies?” he said. “This is one of those areas where I think we’re looking for some additional statements, additional information from BIS.”