Advisory council

The Secretary shall establish an advisory council for the program for the purpose of advising, assisting, consulting with, and making recommendations to, the Secretary and Director concerning matters related to the activities, policies and operations of the program. The advisory council shall consist of ex officio members and not more than 13 members appointed by the Secretary. In making recommendations under paragraph (1), the advisory council shall include recommendations on— the state of public cultivar development, including— The ex officio members of the advisory council shall consist of the following persons (or their designees): The members of the advisory council who are not ex officio members shall be appointed by the Secretary as follows: 4 of the members shall be appointed from among individuals representing— Members of the advisory council shall serve without compensation, if not otherwise officers or employees of the United States, except that they shall, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the advisory council, be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under sections 5701 through 5707 of title 5. The term of office of a member appointed under subsection (c) is four years, except that any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the predecessor of such member was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. The Secretary shall make appointments to the advisory council so as to ensure that the terms of the members appointed under subsection (c) do not all expire in the same year. A member may serve after the expiration of the member’s term until a successor takes office. A member who is appointed for a term of four years may not be reappointed to the advisory council before two years after the date of expiration of such term of office. If a vacancy occurs in the advisory council among the members appointed under subsection (c), the Secretary shall make an appointment to fill such vacancy within 90 days after the date such vacancy occurs. The Secretary shall select as the chair of the advisory council one of the members appointed under subsection (c). The term of office of the chair shall be two years. The advisory council shall meet at the call of the chair or on the request of the Director, but at least two times each fiscal year. The location of the meetings of the advisory council shall be subject to the approval of the Director. The Director shall make available to the advisory council such staff, information, and other assistance as it may require to carry out its functions. The Director shall provide such orientation and training for new members of the advisory council as may be appropriate for their effective participation in the functions of the advisory council. The advisory council may prepare, for inclusion in a report submitted under section 5842 of this title— The advisory council may prepare such reports as the advisory council determines to be appropriate. Section 1013(a) of title 5 relating to the termination of an advisory committee shall not apply to the advisory council established under this section.