§ 3041a — Director Of The National Reconnaissance Office

(a) There is a Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. (b) The Director of the National Reconnaissance Office shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. (c) The Director of the National Reconnaissance Office shall be the head of the National Reconnaissance Office and shall discharge such functions and duties as are provided by this chapter or otherwise by law or executive order. (1) There is established in the National Reconnaissance Office an advisory board (in this section referred to as the “Board”). (2) The Board shall— (A) study matters relating to the mission of the National Reconnaissance Office, including with respect to promoting innovation, competition, and resilience in space, overhead reconnaissance, acquisition, and other matters; and (B) advise and report directly to the Director with respect to such matters. (i) The Board shall be composed of up to 8 members appointed by the Director, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense, from among individuals with demonstrated academic, government, business, or other expertise relevant to the mission and functions of the National Reconnaissance Office, and who do not present any actual or potential conflict of interest. (ii) The Director shall ensure that no more than 2 concurrently serving members of the Board qualify for membership on the Board based predominantly on a single qualification set forth under clause (i). (iii) Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Director appoints a member to the Board, the Director shall notify the congressional intelligence committees and the congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101(a) of title 10) of such appointment. (B) Each member shall be appointed for a term of 2 years. Except as provided by subparagraph (C), a member may not serve more than three terms. (C) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member’s term until a successor has taken office. (D) The Board shall have a Chair, who shall be appointed by the Director from among the members. (E) Each member shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5. (F) The Director may appoint an executive secretary, who shall be an employee of the National Reconnaissance Office, to support the Board. (4) The Board shall meet not less than quarterly, but may meet more frequently at the call of the Director. (5) The Director shall establish a charter for the Board that includes the following: (A) Mandatory processes for identifying potential conflicts of interest, including the submission of initial and periodic financial disclosures by Board members. (B) The vetting of potential conflicts of interest by the designated agency ethics official, except that no individual waiver may be granted for a conflict of interest identified with respect to the Chair of the Board. (C) The establishment of a process and associated protections for any whistleblower alleging a violation of applicable conflict of interest law, Federal contracting law, or other provision of law. (6) Not later than March 31 of each year, the Board shall submit to the Director and to the congressional intelligence committees a report on the activities and significant findings of the Board during the preceding year. (7) shall not apply to the Board. (8) The Board shall terminate on August 31, 2027.