Memo, Subject: Implementation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (3 Atchs: a - Comprehensive Review of Advisory Committees, B - Not Enclosed, C - Advisory Committees)

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MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES Subject: Implementation of the Federal Advisory Committee Public Law 92-463, the Federa$ Advisory Committee Act, becomes effective January 5 , 3.973. The implementing Executive Order 11686, Committee Management, dated October 7, 1972, requires the Director, OMB, to prescribe administrative guidelines and management controls for advisory committees. Several related actions are required to implement the Act. Those actions are listed in the attachments: I. Attachment A details the necessary procedures required by the agencies to initiate a comprehensive review of all advisory committees, by July2, 1973. A summary of the review is due 2. Attachment B is a draft of OMB Circular A-63. It provides interim guidance to the agencies effective immedifor agencies to charter all existing committees prior to the committee taking any action. mittees. It designates agencies to provide legal, administrative, and evaluative support for Presidential Advisory It further asks for comments and highlights the need Your comments are requested All reports and comments should be directed to the Director, Office of Management and Budget, ATTN: OMSD, Committee ments should be addressed or telephoned to the Secretariat Questions concerning these attach-

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Subject: Comprehensive review of advisory committees Section 7 ( b ) of the Act, in detailing the responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, states "The Director shall, immediately after the enactment of this Act, institute a comprehensive review of the activities and responsibilities of each advisory committee to determine: (1) whether such committee is carrying out its purpose; ( 2 ) whether, consistent with the provisions of applicable statutes, the responsibilities assigned to it should be revised; . ( 3 ) whether it should be merged with other advisory ( 4 ) whether it should be abolished. The Director may from time to time request such information as he deems necessary to carry out his functions While advisory committees are frequently a useful means of providing expert advice, sectioo 7 ( b ) requires each agency responsible for an advisory committee to make a careful and comprehensive review of the necessity for the continued existence of that committee, In order to insure that rigorous standards are observed for this review, any determination for the continued existence of a committee should be made by a senior policy-making official, based on the provisions of section 7 ( b ) As a general rule f o r the conduct of your review, you should assume that any advisory committee not expressly created by statute is not needed, Such an assumption will require the users of advisory committees to justify, individually, ,the necessity for their existrence, justification, you should satisfy yourself that the committee in question provides advice vital to the operation of your agency which you can get in no other way, or it provides vital advice at demonstrably lower cost than any other method available. Before accepting such

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Report of Agency Comprehensive Review of Advisory Committees Four separate alphabetical lists should be submitted : (1) Those committees which, in the agency's view, are ( 2 ) Thpse committees which, in the agency's view, should ( 3 ) Those committees which, in the agency's view, should be merged with other committees. name of the committee to be merged, indicate the committee with which this committee shall merge.) to be continued. have their current responsibilities revised; ( 4 ) Those committees which, in the agency's view, should For each advisory committee which the head of the department or agency determines necessary for continuance, a brief justification (a paragraph) will be submitted to the OMB Committee Management Secretariat stating why the committee