§ 1006 — Responsibilities Of The Administrator

(a) The Administrator shall establish and maintain within the General Services Administration a Committee Management Secretariat, which shall be responsible for all matters relating to advisory committees. (1) Each year, the Administrator shall conduct a comprehensive review of the activities and responsibilities of each advisory committee to determine— (A) whether the committee is carrying out its purpose; (B) whether, consistent with the provisions of applicable statutes, the responsibilities assigned to the committee should be revised; (C) whether the committee should be merged with other advisory committees; or (D) whether the committee should be abolished. (2) The Administrator may from time to time request such information as the Administrator deems necessary to carry out functions under this subsection. Agency heads shall cooperate with the Administrator in making the reviews required by this subsection. (3) Upon completion of the review, the Administrator shall make recommendations to the President and to either the agency head or Congress with respect to action the Administrator believes should be taken. (c) The Administrator shall prescribe administrative guidelines and management controls applicable to advisory committees, and, to the maximum extent feasible, provide advice, assistance, and guidance to advisory committees to improve their performance. In carrying out functions under this subsection, the Administrator shall consider the recommendations of each agency head with respect to means of improving the performance of advisory committees whose duties are related to the agency. (1) The Administrator, after study and consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall establish guidelines with respect to uniform fair rates of pay for comparable services of members, staffs, and consultants of advisory committees in a manner that gives appropriate recognition to the responsibilities and qualifications required and other relevant factors. The guidelines shall provide that— (A) a member of an advisory committee or of the staff of an advisory committee shall not receive compensation at a rate in excess of the maximum rate payable under section 5376 of this title; (B) members of advisory committees, while engaged in the performance of their duties away from their homes or regular places of business, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of this title for persons employed intermittently in the Government service; and (C) members of advisory committees may be provided services pursuant to section 3102 of this title while in performance of their advisory committee duties if the members— (i) are blind or deaf or otherwise qualify as individuals with disabilities (within the meaning of section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791)); and (ii) do not otherwise qualify for assistance under section 3102 of this title by reason of being an employee of an agency (within the meaning of section 3102(a)(1) of this title). (2) Nothing in this subsection shall prevent an individual from receiving compensation at the rate at which the individual would otherwise be compensated (or was compensated) as a full-time employee of the United States if the individual— (A) is a full-time employee of the United States without regard to service with an advisory committee; or (B) was a full-time employee of the United States immediately before service with an advisory committee. (e) The Administrator shall include in budget recommendations a summary of the amounts the Administrator considers necessary for the expenses of advisory committees, including the expenses for publication of reports where appropriate.