§773a International Pacific Halibut Commission

Summary

The United States must have three Commissioners on the Commission, and the President picks them and can remove them at any time. They get no pay. Each Commissioner serves a term of up to 2 years and can be reappointed. A term may be shorter so that no more than two Commissioners’ terms end in any one year. If a spot opens, the President fills it, but the new appointee only serves the rest of that term. One Commissioner must be an official of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Two must have knowledge or experience with the Northern Pacific halibut fishery—one who lives in Alaska and one who does not. One of the three must be a voting member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Commissioners are not treated as federal employees except for injury compensation or tort claims under section 8101 et seq. of title 5 and section 2671 et seq. of title 28; that rule took effect on the 90th day after May 17, 1982. The Secretary of State, after consulting the Secretary, can name alternate U.S. Commissioners. An alternate can do all the duties of a Commissioner at a meeting if a regular Commissioner is absent. The number of alternates at a meeting cannot exceed the number of authorized Commissioners who are not present.