§5508. Environmental Education Advisory Council and Task Force

(a) Establishment

There is hereby established a National Environmental Education Advisory Council and a Federal Task Force on Environmental Education.

(b) Advisory Council; duties; members; terms of office; compensation; termination

(1) The Advisory Council shall advise, consult with, and make recommendations to, the Administrator on matters relating to activities, functions, and policies of the Agency under this chapter. With respect to such matters, the Council shall be the exclusive advisory entity for the Administrator. The Council may exchange information with other Advisory Councils established by the Administrator. The Office of Environmental Education shall provide staff support to the Council.

(2) The Advisory Council shall consist of 11 members appointed by the Administrator after consultation with the Secretary. Two members shall be appointed to represent primary and secondary education (one of whom shall be a classroom teacher); two members shall be appointed to represent colleges and universities; two members shall be appointed to represent not-for-profit organizations involved in environmental education; two members shall be appointed to represent State departments of education and natural resources; two representatives shall be appointed to represent business and industry; and one representative shall be appointed to represent senior Americans. A representative of the Secretary shall serve as an ex officio member of the Advisory Council. The conflict of interest provision at section 208(a) of title 18 shall not apply to members' participation in particular matters which affect the financial interests of employers which they represent pursuant to this subsection.

(3) The Administrator shall provide that members of the Council represent the various geographic regions of the country, has minority representation, and that the professional backgrounds of the members include scientific, policy, and other appropriate disciplines.

(4) Each member of the Advisory Council shall hold office for a term of 3 years, except that-

(A) any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term; and

(B) the terms of the members first taking office shall expire as follows: four shall expire 3 years after November 16, 1990, four shall expire 2 years after November 16, 1990, and three shall expire 1 year after November 16, 1990, as designated by the Administrator at the time of appointment.

(5) Members of the Advisory Council appointed under this section shall, while attending meetings of the Council or otherwise engaged in business of the Council, receive compensation and allowances at a rate to be fixed by the Administrator, but not exceeding the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in effect for grade GS–18 of the General Schedule for each day (including travel time) during which they are engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the Council. While away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Council, members of the Council shall 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 section 5703(b) ¹ of title 5.

(6) Section 1013(a) of title 5, relating to termination, shall not apply to the Advisory Council.

(c) Federal Task Force on Environmental Education; duties; members

(1) The Federal Task Force on Environmental Education shall advise, consult with and make recommendations to the Administrator on matters relating to implementation of this chapter and assure the coordination of such implementation activities with related activities of other Federal agencies.

(2) Membership of the Task Force shall include the-

(A) Department of Education,

(B) Department of the Interior,

(C) Department of Agriculture,

(D) the Environmental Protection Agency,

(E) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

(F) Council on Environmental Quality,

(G) Tennessee Valley Authority, and

(H) National Science Foundation.

(3) The Environmental Protection Agency shall chair the Task Force.

(4) The Administrator may ask other Federal agencies to participate in the meetings and activities of the Task Force where the Administrator finds it appropriate in carrying out the requirements of this chapter.

(d) Reports

(1) The Advisory Council shall, after providing for public review and comment, submit to the Congress, within 24 months of November 16, 1990, and biennially thereafter, a report which shall-

(A) describe and assess the extent and quality of environmental education in the Nation;

(B) provide a general description of the activities conducted pursuant to this chapter and related authorities over the previous 2-year period;

(C) summarize major obstacles to improving environmental education (including environmental education programs relating to national parks and wildlife refuges) and make recommendations for addressing such obstacles;

(D) identify personnel skills, education, and training needed to respond to current and anticipated environmental problems and make recommendations for actions to assure sufficient educational and training opportunities in these professions; and

(E) describe and assess the extent and quality of environmental education programs available to senior Americans and make recommendations thereon; describe the various Federal agency programs to further senior environmental education; and evaluate and make recommendations as to how such educational apparatuses could best be coordinated with nonprofit senior organizations across the Nation, and environmental education institutions and organizations now in existence.

(2) The Federal Task Force on Environmental Education shall review and comment on a draft of the report to Congress.

( Pub. L. 101–619, §9, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3333 ; Pub. L. 117–286, §4(a)(150), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4322 .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 5703 of title 5, referred to in subsec. (b)(5), was amended generally by Pub. L. 94–22, May 19, 1975, §4, 89 Stat. 85 , and, as so amended, does not contain a subsec. (b).

Amendments

2022-Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted "Section 1013(a) of title 5," for "Section 14(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

References in Other Laws to GS–16, 17, or 18 Pay Rates

References in laws to the rates of pay for GS–16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, see section 529 [title I, §101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5.

¹ See References in Text note below.