State Department Considering More COVID-19 Mitigation Measures

The State Department may introduce more measures to help industry mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including more license extensions or fee reductions, an agency official said. The agency is considering more measures after lowering certain fees and extending licensing deadlines in April (see 2004240017), which was received positively by companies, said Mike Miller, the State Department’s deputy assistant secretary for defense trade.

During a June 10 webinar with industry, Miller urged companies to give the State Department feedback on other measures it can take (see 2006080007). “Should we extend measures we’ve taken? Should we adopt new ones?” he said. “We don't claim to have all the best ideas, and the practitioner insights that we get from industry are particularly vital for us.”

Miller said the State Department already has received “great feedback” on a provision that allows employees involved in International Traffic in Arms Regulations-related activities to work remotely. That provision may be extended (see 2005080038). Another provision that extended the expiration dates for a range of licenses “was widely desired by regulated industry,” especially companies dealing with “personnel and administrative disruption” due to COVID-19 mitigation measures, Miller said. A separate measure aimed at reducing registration fees could save “our registrants across the board over $20 million in total over the course of the coming year,” he added.

Miller was speaking during the beginning of a Defense Export Control and Compliance System webinar (see 2006020029) hosted by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. The State Department said a presentation, transcript and recording of the webinar will be available on the agency’s website in “about a week.”