15 U.S.C. § 278 — Visiting Committee on Advanced Tech-

Page 661 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 278 § 276. Ownership of facilities In the absence of specific agreement to the contrary, additional facilities, including equip- ment, purchased pursuant to the performance of services authorized by section 273 of this title shall become the property of the Department of Commerce. (Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 8, 31 Stat. 1450; June 30, 1932, ch. 314, pt. II, title III, § 312, 47 Stat. 410; Aug. 3, 1956, ch. 906, § 1, 70 Stat. 959.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1956—Act Aug. 3, 1956, substituted provisions relating to ownership of additional facilities by the Department of Commerce (formerly contained in section 278b of this title) for those relating to fees, see section 275a of this title. 1932—Act June 30, 1932, inserted provision for pay- ment of moneys into the Treasury, among other changes. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1932 AMENDMENT Amendment by act June 30, 1932, effective July 1, 1932, see section 314 of that act. § 277. Regulations The Secretary of Commerce shall, from time to time, make regulations regarding the pay- ment of fees, the limits of tolerance to be at- tained in standards submitted for verification, the sealing of standards, the disbursement and receipt of moneys, and such other matters as he may deem necessary for carrying this chapter into effect. (Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 9, 31 Stat. 1450; Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552, § 10, 32 Stat. 829; Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, § 1, 37 Stat. 736.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Act Mar. 4, 1913, substituted ‘‘Secretary of Com- merce’’ for ‘‘Secretary of Commerce and Labor’’. TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Act Feb. 14, 1903, transferred power and authority of Secretary of the Treasury over Bureau of Standards to Secretary of Commerce and Labor. § 278. Visiting Committee on Advanced Tech- nology (a) Establishment; appointment; membership and composition; review and recommendations There is established within the Institute a Vis- iting Committee on Advanced Technology (here- after in this chapter referred to as the ‘‘Com- mittee’’). The Committee shall consist of not fewer than 9 members appointed by the Direc- tor, a majority of whom shall be from United States industry. The Director shall appoint as original members of the Committee any final members of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Visiting Committee who wish to serve in such capacity. In addition to any pow- ers and functions otherwise granted to it by this chapter, the Committee shall review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Institute, its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress. (b) Qualifications; recommendations for appoint- ment The persons appointed as members of the Com- mittee— (1) shall be eminent in fields such as busi- ness, research, new product development, engi- neering, labor, education, management con- sulting, environment, and international rela- tions; (2) shall be selected solely on the basis of es- tablished records of distinguished service; (3) shall not be employees of the Federal Government; and (4) shall be so selected as to provide rep- resentation of a cross-section of the tradi- tional and emerging United States industries. The Director is requested, in making appoint- ments of persons as members of the Committee, to give due consideration to any recommenda- tions which may be submitted to the Director by the National Academies, professional societies, business associations, labor associations, and other appropriate organizations. (c) Terms of office; eligibility (1) The term of office of each member of the Committee, other than the original members, shall be 3 years; except that any member ap- pointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remain- der of such term. Any person who has completed two consecutive full terms of service on the Committee shall thereafter be ineligible for ap- pointment during the one-year period following the expiration of the second such term. (2) The original members of the Committee shall be elected to three classes of three mem- bers each; one class shall have a term of one year, one a term of two years, and the other a term of three years. (d) Meetings; quorum; notice The Committee shall meet at least twice each year at the call of the Chairman or whenever one-third of the members so request in writing. A majority of the members of the Committee not having a conflict of interest in the matter being considered by the Committee shall con- stitute a quorum. Each member shall be given appropriate notice, whenever possible, not less than 15 days prior to any meeting, of the call of such meeting. (e) Appointment by Committee of executive and other committees The Committee shall have an executive com- mittee, and may delegate to it or to the Sec- retary such of the powers and functions granted to the Committee by this chapter as it deems appropriate. The Committee is authorized to ap- point from among its members such other com- mittees as it deems necessary, and to assign to committees so appointed such survey and advi- sory functions as the Committee deems appro- priate to assist it in exercising its powers and functions under this chapter. Page 662 TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE § 278a (f) Chairman; Vice Chairman The election of the Chairman and Vice Chair- man of the Committee shall take place at each annual meeting occurring in an even-numbered year. The Vice Chairman shall perform the du- ties of the Chairman in his absence. In case a va- cancy occurs in the chairmanship or vice chair- manship, the Committee shall elect a member to fill such vacancy. (g) Professional and clerical staff The Committee may, with the concurrence of a majority of its members, permit the appoint- ment of a staff consisting of not more than four professional staff members and such clerical staff members as may be necessary. Such staff shall be appointed by the Director, after con- sultation with the Chairman of the Committee, and assigned at the direction of the Committee. The professional members of such staff may be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competi- tive service and the provisions of chapter 51 of title 5 relating to classification, and com- pensated at a rate not exceeding the appropriate rate provided for individuals in grade GS–18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, as may be necessary to provide for the per- formance of such duties as may be prescribed by the Committee in connection with the exercise of its powers and functions under this chapter. (h) Annual and other reports to Secretary and Congress (1) The Committee shall render an annual re- port to the Secretary for submission to the Con- gress not later than 30 days after the submittal to Congress of the President’s annual budget re- quest in each year. Such report shall deal essen- tially, though not necessarily exclusively, with policy issues or matters which affect the Insti- tute or with which the Committee in its official role as the private sector policy advisor of the Institute is concerned. Each such report shall identify areas of research and research tech- niques of the Institute of potential importance to the long-term competitiveness of United States industry, in which the Institute possesses special competence, which could be used to as- sist United States enterprises and United States industrial joint research and development ven- tures. (2) The Committee shall render to the Sec- retary and the Congress such additional reports on specific policy matters as it deems appro- priate. (Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 10, 31 Stat. 1450; Pub. L. 100–418, title V, §§ 5115(a)(1), 5131(b), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1433, 1441; Pub. L. 104–113, § 8(1), Mar. 7, 1996, 110 Stat. 779; Pub. L. 110–69, title III, §§ 3005, 3006, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 590; Pub. L. 114–329, title II, §§ 204(a)(1)(B)(ii), 205(a)(2)(C), title IV, § 404, Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2998, 3001, 3023.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–329, § 404(1), substituted ‘‘not fewer than 9 members appointed by the Director, a majority of whom’’ for ‘‘15 members appointed by the Director, at least 10 of whom’’ and ‘‘National Institute of Standards and Technology’’ for ‘‘National Bureau of Standards’’. Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 114–329, §§ 205(a)(2)(C), 404(2), made identical amendments, striking out ‘‘, including the Program established under section 278n of this title,’’ after ‘‘which affect the Institute’’. Pub. L. 114–329, § 204(a)(1)(B)(ii), struck out at end ‘‘Such report also shall comment on the programmatic planning document and updates thereto submitted to Congress by the Director under subsections (c) and (d) of section 278i of this title.’’ 2007—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–69, § 3006, substituted ‘‘twice each year’’ for ‘‘quarterly’’. Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 110–69, § 3005, substituted ‘‘not later than 30 days after the submittal to Congress of the President’s annual budget request in each year’’ for ‘‘on or before January 31 in each year’’ and inserted at end ‘‘Such report also shall comment on the pro- grammatic planning document and updates thereto submitted to Congress by the Director under sub- sections (c) and (d) of section 278i of this title.’’ 1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–113 substituted ‘‘15 members’’ for ‘‘nine members’’ and ‘‘at least 10’’ for ‘‘at least five’’. 1988—Pub. L. 100–418, § 5131(b), amended section gen- erally, substituting provisions of subsecs. (a) to (h) re- lating to Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology for provisions of former single undesignated paragraph which related to a visiting committee which was to visit bureau at least once a year and report to Sec- retary of Commerce upon efficiency of its scientific work and condition of its equipment. Pub. L. 100–418, § 5115(a)(1), substituted ‘‘Institute’’ for ‘‘bureau’’. 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 Organi- zation 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. § 278a. Repealed. Pub. L. 88–611, § 4(a)(1), Oct. 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 991 Section, act Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 11, as added July 22, 1950, ch. 486, § 2, 64 Stat. 373; amended Aug. 3, 1956, ch. 906, § 2, 70 Stat. 959; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–890, § 2, 72 Stat. 1712, provided for acceptance of gifts and be- quests. See sections 1522 and 1523 of this title. § 278b. Working Capital Fund (a) Utilization The Institute is authorized to utilize in the performance of its functions the Working Cap- ital Fund established by the Act of June 29, 1950 (64 Stat. 275). (b) Availability of Fund The working capital of the fund shall be avail- able for obligation and payment for any activi- ties authorized by this chapter, and for any ac- tivities for which provision is made in the ap- propriations which reimburse the fund. (c) Reimbursements In the performance of authorized activities, the Working Capital Fund shall be available and may be reimbursed for expenses of hire of auto- mobile, hire of consultants, and travel to meet- ings, to the extent that such expenses are au- thorized for the appropriations of the Depart- ment of Commerce.