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Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§285m–4 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Board

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES › Part Part C— - Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes › Subpart subpart 13— - national institute on deafness and other communication disorders › § 285m–4

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must create a National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Board inside the Institute. The Board will have 18 appointed members plus nonvoting federal officials. Of the 18, 12 must be scientists, doctors, or rehabilitation professionals (including at least two people who have a communication disorder) and 6 must be members of the public (including at least one person with a communication disorder and at least one parent of someone with such a disorder). Certain federal officers (like the Assistant Secretary for Health, the NIH Director, the Institute Director, the CDC Director, the VA Under Secretary for Health, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs) are nonvoting members. Federal employees on the Board get no extra pay. Other members can be paid up to the daily equivalent of the GS–18 annual pay rate. Appointed members serve four-year terms, can stay until a successor is named, and vacancies must be filled within 90 days. The members pick a chair. The Secretary must provide an executive director and at least one other professional staffer after consulting the Board. The Board must meet when the chair or Institute Director asks, and at least four times a year. The Board had to be set up by April 1, 1989. The Board reviews and updates the Institute’s plan on deafness and communication disorders. It advises and makes recommendations to Congress, the Secretary, the NIH Director, the Institute Director, and other federal agency leaders about using and organizing resources. The Board keeps contact with other advisory groups and important nonfederal organizations. It may form subcommittees, hold workshops or conferences, and collect data, and it can use outside experts to help.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §285m–4

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall establish in the Institute the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Board (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Advisory Board”).
(b)The Advisory Board shall be composed of eighteen appointed members and nonvoting ex officio members as follows:
(1)The Secretary shall appoint—
(A)twelve members from individuals who are scientists, physicians, and other health and rehabilitation professionals, who are not officers or employees of the United States, and who represent the specialties and disciplines relevant to deafness and other communication disorders, including not less than two persons with a communication disorder; and
(B)six members from the general public who are knowledgeable with respect to such disorders, including not less than one person with a communication disorder and not less than one person who is a parent of an individual with such a disorder.
(2)The following shall be ex officio members of each Advisory Board:
(A)The Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of NIH, the Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (or the designees of such officers).
(B)Such other officers and employees of the United States as the Secretary determines necessary for the Advisory Board to carry out its functions.
(c)Members of an Advisory Board who are officers or employees of the Federal Government shall serve as members of the Advisory Board without compensation in addition to that received in their regular public employment. Other members of the Board shall receive compensation at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate in effect for grade GS–18 of the General Schedule for each day (including traveltime) they are engaged in the performance of their duties as members of the Board.
(d)The term of office of an appointed member of the Advisory Board is four years, except that no term of office may extend beyond the expiration of the Advisory Board. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. A member may serve after the expiration of the member’s term until a successor has taken office. If a vacancy occurs in the Advisory Board, the Secretary shall make an appointment to fill the vacancy not later than 90 days from the date the vacancy occurred.
(e)The members of the Advisory Board shall select a chairman from among the appointed members.
(f)The Secretary shall, after consultation with and consideration of the recommendations of the Advisory Board, provide the Advisory Board with an executive director and one other professional staff member. In addition, the Secretary shall, after consultation with and consideration of the recommendations of the Advisory Board, provide the Advisory Board with such additional professional staff members, such clerical staff members, such services of consultants, such information, and (through contracts or other arrangements) such administrative support services and facilities, as the Secretary determines are necessary for the Advisory Board to carry out its functions.
(g)The Advisory Board shall meet at the call of the chairman or upon request of the Director of the Institute, but not less often than four times a year.
(h)The Advisory Board shall—
(1)review and evaluate the implementation of the plan prepared under section 285m–1(a) of this title and periodically update the plan to ensure its continuing relevance;
(2)for the purpose of assuring the most effective use and organization of resources respecting deafness and other communication disorders, advise and make recommendations to the Congress, the Secretary, the Director of NIH, the Director of the Institute, and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies for the implementation and revision of such plan; and
(3)maintain liaison with other advisory bodies related to Federal agencies involved in the implementation of such plan and with key non-Federal entities involved in activities affecting the control of such disorders.
(i)In carrying out its functions, the Advisory Board may establish subcommittees, convene workshops and conferences, and collect data. Such subcommittees may be composed of Advisory Board members and nonmember consultants with expertise in the particular area addressed by such subcommittees. The subcommittees may hold such meetings as are necessary to enable them to carry out their activities.
(j)
(k)The National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Board shall be established not later than April 1, 1989.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 100–553 and section 2613(a)(1) of Pub. L. 100–690 contained identical provisions enacting this section. See 1988 Amendment note below.

Amendments

2007—Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 109–482 struck out subsec. (j) which read as follows: “The Advisory Board shall prepare an annual report for the Secretary which— “(1) describes the Advisory Board’s activities in the fiscal year for which the report is made; “(2) describes and evaluates the progress made in such fiscal year in research, treatment, education, and training with respect to the deafness and other communication disorders; “(3) summarizes and analyzes expenditures made by the Federal Government for activities respecting such disorders in such fiscal year; and “(4) contains the Advisory Board’s recommendations (if any) for changes in the plan prepared under section 285m–1(a) of this title.” 1993—Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 103–43 substituted “Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Veterans’ Administration”. 1992—Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 102–531 substituted “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” for “Centers for Disease Control”. Pub. L. 102–405 substituted “Under Secretary for Health” for “Chief Medical Director”. 1989—Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 101–93 substituted “April 1, 1989” for “90 days after the date of the enactment of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Act”. 1988—Pub. L. 100–690, § 2613(b)(2), amended this section to read as if the

Amendments

made by Pub. L. 100–690, § 2613(a)(1), which enacted this section, had not been enacted. See Codification note above.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2007 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–482 applicable only with respect to amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2007 or subsequent fiscal years, see section 109 of Pub. L. 109–482, set out as a note under section 281 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1988 AmendmentFor

Effective Date

of amendment by section 2613(b)(2) of Pub. L. 100–690, see section 2613(b)(1) of Pub. L. 100–690, set out as an Effect of Enactment of Similar Provisions note under section 285m of this title. Termination of Advisory BoardsAdvisory boards established after Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of their establishment, unless, in the case of a board established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such board is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a board established by the Congress, its duration is otherwise provided by law. See section 1001(2) and 1013 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Pub. L. 93–641, § 6, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2275, set out as a note under section 217a of this title, provided that an advisory committee established pursuant to the Public Health Service Act shall terminate at such time as may be specifically prescribed by an Act of Congress enacted after Jan. 4, 1975. References in Other Laws to GS–16, 17, or 18 Pay RatesReferences in laws to the rates of pay for GS–16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, see section 529 [title I, § 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 285m–4

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73