§2605 Cultural Property Advisory Committee

Summary

Creates a Cultural Property Advisory Committee to advise the U.S. government on requests from other countries about agreements or emergency actions under the Convention. The President must appoint 11 members: 2 who speak for museums, 3 who are archaeology/anthropology/ethnology experts, 3 who know the international trade in cultural objects, and 3 who represent the general public. Members serve three-year terms and can be reappointed. For the first group, the President must pick four to serve three years, four to serve two years, and the rest to serve one year. Vacancies are filled the same way as the originals. Members are paid back for actual expenses. Six members make a quorum, and decisions are by a majority of those voting. The Director of the United States Information Agency must give the Committee needed staff and help, and other federal agencies may lend staff if asked. The Director calls meetings or the Committee meets if a majority asks in writing. For each country request, the Committee must investigate and write a report with its findings, say which nations have a large import trade in the material, and recommend whether to make or extend an agreement or take emergency action. Reports must list recommended terms and the types of archaeological or ethnological material to be covered. A member who disagrees can add a written dissent. The Committee must send every report to the President and Congress and must keep reviewing how well any agreements or emergency actions are working and say if restrictions should be suspended or if laws need to change. Most open-meeting rules apply, but the President can block public notice and some open-meeting requirements when public disclosure would hurt U.S. negotiating positions. Confidential business or government information given to the Committee must be kept secret and may only be shared with officers the USIA Director names, with designated members and staff of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees, and with the Committee itself. Committee members may not take part directly in negotiations unless they are otherwise authorized.