United States participation in the North Pacific Fisheries Convention

The United States shall be represented on the Commission by five United States Commissioners. The Commissioners shall be as follows: Two of the Commissioners shall be appointed by the President and shall be an officer or employee of— In making each appointment under clause (i), the President shall select a Commissioner from among individuals who are knowledgeable or experienced concerning fisheries resources in the North Pacific Ocean. One Commissioner shall be the chairman of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council or a designee of such chairman. One Commissioner shall be the chairman of the Pacific Fishery Management Council or a designee of such chairperson. One Commissioner shall be the chairman of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council or a designee of such chairperson. In the event of a vacancy in a position as a Commissioner appointed under subsection (a), the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary, may designate from time to time and for periods of time considered appropriate an alternate Commissioner to the Commission. An alternate Commissioner may exercise all powers and duties of a Commissioner in the absence of a Commissioner appointed under subsection (a), and shall serve the remainder of the term of the absent Commissioner for which designated. An individual serving as a Commissioner, or an alternative Commissioner, other than an officer or employee of the United States Government, shall not be considered a Federal employee, except for the purposes of injury compensation or tort claims liability as provided in chapter 81 of title 5 and chapter 171 of title 28. An individual serving as a Commissioner or an alternate Commissioner, although an officer of the United States while so serving, shall receive no compensation for the individual’s services as such Commissioner or alternate Commissioner. The Secretary of State shall pay the necessary travel expenses of a Commissioner or an alternate Commissioner in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations and sections 5701, 5702, 5704 through 5708, and 5731 of title 5. The Secretary may reimburse the Secretary of State for amounts expended by the Secretary of State under this paragraph. There is established an advisory committee which shall be composed of 11 members appointed by the Secretary as follows: Each member of the Advisory Committee shall serve for a term of 2 years and shall be eligible for reappointment for not more than 3 consecutive terms. The Commissioners shall notify the Advisory Committee in advance of each meeting of the Commissioners. The Advisory Committee shall attend each meeting and shall examine and be heard on all proposed programs, investigations, reports, recommendations, and regulations of the Commissioners. The Advisory Committee shall determine its organization and prescribe its practices and procedures for carrying out its functions under this chapter, the North Pacific Fisheries Convention, and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The Advisory Committee shall publish and make available to the public a statement of its organization, practices, and procedures. A majority of the members of the Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. Meetings of the Advisory Committee, except when in executive session, shall be open to the public. Prior notice of each non-executive meeting shall be made public in a timely fashion. The Advisory Committee shall not be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).11 See References in Text note below. In order to reduce the cost of Advisory Committee meetings, the Advisory Committee shall, to the extent practicable, utilize teleconferences and webinars for that purpose. The Secretary and the Secretary of State shall furnish the Advisory Committee with relevant information concerning fisheries resources and international fishery agreements. The Secretary shall provide to the Advisory Committee in a timely manner such administrative and technical support services as are necessary to function effectively. An individual appointed to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee— The Secretary of State may pay the necessary travel expenses of members of the Advisory Committee in carrying out the duties of the Advisory Committee in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations and sections 5701, 5702, 5704 through 5708, and 5731 of title 5. The Secretary may reimburse the Secretary of State for amounts expended by the Secretary of State under this subparagraph.