Congressional Membership and Appointment …

1 Congressional Membership and Appointment authority to Advisory Commissions, Boards, and Groups Jacob R. Straus Specialist on the Congress February 27, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 RL33313 Congressional Membership and Appointment authority to Advisory Commissions Congressional Research Service Summary Over the past several decades, Congress, by statute, has established a wide array of commissions, boards, and advisory bodies to provide it with assistance in meeting various legislative, investigative, and administrative responsibilities. Some of these entities are temporary and created to serve specific functions, such as studying a discrete policy area or performing one-time tasks. Others are permanent, serving an ongoing purpose, such as overseeing an institution or performing a regular administrative function.

2 The majority of these Congressional bodies provide that Members of Congress, particularly the leadership, be intimately involved in the Appointment process, either through direct service on a commission, or by appointing or recommending candidates for Membership . The choice of a particular mechanism for Membership Appointment may have implications for the ability of these entities to fulfill their Congressional mandates. Examination of the statutory language creating these bodies reveals several common approaches to Membership selection. Each alternative schema has its advantages. A commission or board composed entirely of Members permits a high degree of Congressional control over the entity s operations. Bodies composed mainly of qualified private citizens or executive branch appointees may provide a broader expertise than Member-only bodies.

3 Assemblages of mixed Membership provide some of the advantages of both Member and citizen-only Appointment schemes. This report contains a compilation of existing commissions and boards that demonstrates the range of alternative Membership - Appointment structures. It includes any statutorily created advisory entity (boards, advisory panels, etc.) whose Membership scheme mandates the participation of Members of Congress either as potential members or as participants in the process of appointing the Membership . For each entity, information on the purpose, duration, Appointment structure, and term of Appointment is provided. Finally, information on the involvement of Members of Congress in the Appointment process is presented in a series of tables. Congressional Membership and Appointment authority to Advisory Commissions Congressional Research Service Contents Introduction.

4 1 Scope .. 1 Membership Composition .. 2 Direct Designation .. 2 Appointment .. 2 Recommendation .. 3 Qualification Provisos .. 3 Separation of Powers .. 3 Impact of Appointment Framework .. 4 Organization of the Report .. 5 Listing of Individual Advisory Bodies .. 6 400 Years of African-American History Commission .. 7 Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance .. 8 Advisory Committee on the Protection of Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates .. 9 Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress .. 10 American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress, Board of Trustees .. 11 Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, Board of Trustees .. 12 British American Parliamentary Group .. 13 Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group.

5 14 Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, Board of 15 Citizen s Coinage Advisory Committee .. 16 Commission for the Judiciary Office Building .. 17 Commission for the Preservation of America s Heritage Abroad .. 18 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission) .. 19 Commission on Social Impact Partnerships .. 20 Commission to Recommend Individuals to the President for Appointment to the Office of Architect of the Capitol .. 21 Congressional -Executive Commission on the People s Republic of China .. 22 Congressional Advisers for Trade Policy and Negotiations .. 23 Congressional Award Board .. 24 Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention .. 25 Creating Options for Veterans Expedited Recovery Commission.

6 26 Denali Commission .. 27 Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission .. 28 Election Assistance Commission .. 29 Election Assistance Commission, Board of Advisors .. 30 Federal Judicial Center Foundation Board .. 31 Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Board .. 32 Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board .. 33 Frederick Douglass Bicentennial 34 Gallaudet University, Board of 35 Congressional Membership and Appointment authority to Advisory Commissions Congressional Research Service Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation, Board of Trustees .. 36 Health Information Technology (HIT) Policy Committee .. 37 Help America Vote Foundation, Board of Directors .. 38 Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Council of Directors .. 39 House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards.

7 40 House Child Care Center, Advisory Board .. 41 House of Representatives Fine Arts Board .. 42 House Office Building Commission .. 43 Human Space Flight Independent Investigation Commission .. 44 Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development Board of Trustees .. 45 International Clean Energy Foundation, Board of Directors .. 46 James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, Board of Trustees .. 47 Japan-United States Friendship Commission .. 48 John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, Board of Trustees .. 49 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Board of Trustees .. 50 Library of Congress Trust Fund Board .. 51 Medal of Valor Review Board (Public Safety Officer).. 52 Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Group, Delegation to the.

8 53 Migratory Bird Conservation Commission .. 54 Millennium Challenge Corporation, Board of Directors .. 55 Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, Board of Trustees .. 56 National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity .. 57 National Capital Planning Commission .. 58 National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics .. 59 National Council on Disability .. 60 National Council on the Arts .. 61 National Historical Publications and Records Commission .. 62 National Rural Investment Board .. 63 NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Group .. 64 Office of Compliance, Board of Directors .. 65 Open World Leadership Center, Board of Trustees .. 66 Senate Commission on Art .. 67 Smithsonian Institution, Board of Regents .. 68 Social Security Advisory Board.

9 69 State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Board .. 70 Tribal Advisory Committee .. 71 United States Air Force Academy, Board of Visitors .. 72 United States Capitol Preservation Commission .. 73 United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission .. 74 United States Coast Guard Academy, Board of Visitors .. 75 United States Commission On Civil Rights .. 76 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom .. 77 Congressional Membership and Appointment authority to Advisory Commissions Congressional Research Service United States Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe .. 78 United States Group of the United States Senate-China Interparliamentary 79 United States Group of the United States Senate-Russia Interparliamentary Group.

10 80 United States Holocaust Memorial Council .. 81 United States Merchant Marine Academy, Board of Visitors .. 82 United States Military Academy, Board of Visitors .. 83 United States Naval Academy, Board of Visitors .. 84 United States Semiquincentennial Commission .. 85 United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control .. 86 Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission .. 87 Vietnam Education Foundation Board of Directors .. 88 Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commission .. 89 Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission .. 90 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Board of Visitors .. 91 Women s Suffrage Centennial Commission .. 92 World War I Centennial Commission .. 93 Tables Table 1. Appointment Role of the Speaker of the House.