§42503 Administration

Summary

The Commission must keep a committee that meets at least once a year when the Commission or a majority of the members calls a meeting. Committee members are not treated as federal employees except for Chapter 81 of title 5, Chapter 171 of title 28, and other federal tort-liability laws. Members work without pay and cannot be paid for committee service. If the Commission names someone to represent a group, that person can speak for that group and many of the special Government employee rules (as defined in section 202(a) of title 18) do not apply, unless the person already is a special Government employee. Before appointing members, the Commission must publish a notice in the Federal Register asking for nominations, must not use a nominee’s political affiliation, may require security checks, and may not appoint federal employees. A member’s term ends on December 31 of the third full year after the appointment’s effective date, but the member may stay up to 1 year until a successor is chosen. Vacancies are filled the same way, and members serve at the Commission’s pleasure. The Commission can reappoint a member after the first term without a new nomination process. The Commission must provide needed staff and services. The committee picks a Chair and Vice Chair, and the Vice Chair fills in if the Chair is absent. The Chair can create subcommittees and assign members. The Commission must consult the committee before taking major actions when the committee’s advice applies. The committee gives written advice and reports when it chooses. Within 60 days after the Commission gets recommendations, the Commission must post them on a public website and reply in writing about what it did. The Commission must also send the committee’s advice to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The Commission may send a representative to observe committee meetings. The committee ends on September 30, 2029.