§1401 Establishment

Summary

Creates the Marine Mammal Commission. Effective September 1, 1982, the Commission must have three members chosen by the President with the Senate’s approval. The President must pick from a list of people who know marine ecology and resource management and who would not profit from hunting or capturing marine mammals. That list is sent by the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality and must be agreed to by that Chairman, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Chairman of the National Academy of Sciences. Members may not hold any other U.S. officer or employee job while serving, except as a retired officer or retired civilian employee. The President names one member as Chairman. Each member normally serves a three-year term. For the first group, one member serves one year, one serves two years, and one serves three years. Members cannot be reappointed, except someone who fills a vacancy serves the rest of that term and may then be reappointed for one full term. A member may stay in office after their term ends until a successor takes over. Members are paid per day at the daily equivalent of the GS–18 rate under section 5332 of title 5 for days they work, and they get travel expenses as allowed by section 5703 of title 5. The Commission must have an Executive Director chosen by the Chairman with the Commission’s OK, hired without following the usual competitive hiring rules, paid up to the GS–18 rate, and given duties by the Chairman.