§3717 National Quality Council

Summary

Creates a National Quality Council to set and promote national goals for quality in business, schools, government, and other areas. The Council must push for voluntary use of those goals by companies, unions, associations, and public and private groups. It must build public interest in quality methods, encourage organizations to use those methods, and hold a White House Conference on Quality Performance in the American workplace to bring leaders together to help U.S. competitiveness. The Council will have 17 to 20 members picked by the Secretary. Members include 2–3 from manufacturing, 2–3 from services, 2–3 from national quality nonprofits, two education experts (one K–12, one postsecondary), and one each from labor, professional societies, local and state government, the Federal Quality Institute, NIST, the Department of Defense, a rotating civilian agency rep every 2 years, and the Malcolm Baldrige Foundation. Members in the first seven categories serve two-year terms (up to half of the first appointees may serve one-year terms) and may not serve more than two back-to-back terms. The Secretary names the first Chair; after that members elect a Chair and Vice Chair each year, but no one may hold either job more than two years in a row. The Council hires an Executive Director who hires staff and must avoid conflicts of interest. A Trust Fund in the U.S. Treasury will hold donations and other money; the Council may use those funds only as Congress provides in appropriation laws. Private gifts from one source may not exceed $25,000 a year; gifts over $10,000 need approval by two-thirds of the Council. Each year the Council must send the President and Congress a detailed report on its progress, operations and finances, nonfederal contributions, future plans, and any other recommended information.