§5003 United States Commissioners

Summary

The United States must have up to three Commissioners on the Commission. The President appoints them and they serve as long as the President wants, for terms of up to 4 years and may be reappointed. One must be a U.S. Government official, one must live in Alaska, and one must live in Washington. While serving, they are not treated as federal employees except for injury compensation and tort claims under chapter 81 of title 5 and chapter 171 of title 28. The Secretary, with the Secretary of Commerce, can name Alternate Commissioners who can act with full authority when a regular Commissioner is absent. The number of alternates at any meeting cannot exceed the number of Commissioners who are missing. The United States Section, working with the Advisory Panel in section 5004, must set and recommend research priorities for anadromous stocks and related species and oversee U.S. research programs. Commissioners and alternates get no pay for their service, but the Secretary may pay their travel expenses under the Federal Travel Regulations and sections 5701, 5702, 5704–5708, and 5731 of title 5; the Secretary of Commerce may repay those travel costs to the Secretary.