Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§6651 Establishment, Membership, and Functions of Council
Title 42 › CHAPTER 79 — SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY, ORGANIZATION AND PRIORITIES › SUBCHAPTER IV — FEDERAL COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY › § 6651
Summary
Creates the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology. The council includes the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Director of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, and one policy-level official from each of these agencies: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, State, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, NASA, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Energy. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is the chair and can name another member to act as chair when absent. The chair can also ask other agencies to join meetings or invite other people to attend. The council must study science, engineering, and technology issues that affect more than one agency and recommend ways to improve planning and management, find research needs, use federal resources better and avoid duplicate work, and promote international cooperation. The President or the chair can give the council other advisory duties. Agencies on the council must help by lending staff or doing special studies when asked. The council may create subcommittees and panels to do work and report back.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §6651
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Designation
There is established the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”).
(b)Composition
The Council shall be composed of the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Director of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, and one representative of each of the following Federal agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Energy. Each such representative shall be an official of policy rank designated by the head of the Federal agency concerned.
(c)Chairman
The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall serve as Chairman of the Council. The Chairman may designate another member of the Council to act temporarily in the Chairman’s absence as Chairman.
(d)Participation of unnamed Federal agencies in meetings; invitations to attend meetings
The Chairman may (1) request the head of any Federal agency not named in subsection (b) of this section to designate a representative to participate in meetings or parts of meetings of the Council concerned with matters of substantial interest to such agency, and (2) invite other persons to attend meetings of the Council.
(e)Consideration of problems and developments affecting more than one Federal agency; recommendations
The Council shall consider problems and developments in the fields of science, engineering, and technology and related activities affecting more than one Federal agency, and shall recommend policies and other measures designed to—
(1)provide more effective planning and administration of Federal scientific, engineering, and technological programs,
(2)identify research needs including areas requiring additional emphasis,
(3)achieve more effective utilization of the scientific, engineering, and technological resources and facilities of Federal agencies, including the elimination of unwarranted duplication, and
(4)further international cooperation in science, engineering, and technology.
(f)Other advisory duties
The Council shall perform such other related advisory duties as shall be assigned by the President or by the Chairman.
(g)Assistance to Council by agency represented thereon
For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section, each Federal agency represented on the Council shall furnish necessary assistance to the Council. Such assistance may include—
(1)detailing employees to the Council to perform such functions, consistent with the purposes of this section, as the Chairman may assign to them, and
(2)undertaking, upon request of the Chairman, such special studies for the Council as come within the functions herein assigned.
(h)Establishment of subcommittees and panels
For the purpose of conducting studies and making reports as directed by the Chairman, standing subcommittees and panels of the Council may be established.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–328 inserted “, the Director of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy,” after “Technology Policy”. 1996—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 104–127 struck out after first sentence “Among such standing subcommittees and panels of the Council shall be the Subcommittee on Food, Agricultural, and Forestry Research. This subcommittee shall review Federal research and development programs relevant to domestic and world food and fiber production and distribution, promote planning and coordination of this research in the Federal Government, and recommend policies and other measures concerning the food and agricultural sciences for the consideration of the Council. The subcommittee shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of each of the following departments or agencies; the Department of Agriculture, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The principal representatives of the Department of Agriculture shall serve as the chairman of the subcommittee.” 1991—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–54 substituted “Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Veterans’ Administration”. 1981—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 97–98 substituted “Subcommittee on Food, Agricultural, and Forestry Research” for “Subcommittee on Food and Renewable Resources”, “Department of Health and Human Services” for “Department of Health, Education, and Welfare”, and “Department of Energy” for “Energy Research and Development Administration”. 1977—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 95–113 inserted provisions relating to Subcommittee on Food and Renewable Resources.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 4301 of Title 7, Agriculture.
Effective Date
of 1977 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–113 effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as a note under section 1307 of Title 7, Agriculture.
Transfer of Functions
“Department of Energy” substituted for “Energy Research and Development Administration” in subsec. (b) pursuant to section 301(a), 703, and 707 of Pub. L. 95–91, which are classified to section 7151(a), 7293, and 7297 of this title and which terminated Energy Research and Development Administration and transferred its functions (with certain exceptions) to Secretary of Energy.
Executive Documents
Abolition of Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology;
Transfer of Functions
The Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, established pursuant to this section, was abolished and its functions transferred to the President by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1977, § 5A, 42 F.R. 56101, 91 Stat. 1634, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, effective Feb. 26, 1978, as provided by section 1(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12039, Feb. 24, 1978, 43 F.R. 8095, set out under section 6601 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 6651
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110