16 U.S.C. § 4004 — Establishment of National Council

(a) Establishment There is established the National Fish and Seafood Promotional Council. (b) Composition (1) The National Council must be composed of the Secretary, who must be a nonvoting member, and fifteen voting members appointed by the Secretary. (2) Nominations for appointees must be submitted in a manner prescribed by the Secretary. (c) Regional representation The National Council must be comprised of regional representation from the Northeast, Southeast, Pacific, and Alaska regions. The Northeast region must consist of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. The Southeast region must consist of the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territory of the Virgin Islands. The Pacific region must consist of the States of Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii, the territories of Guam and American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Alaska region must consist of the State of Alaska. (d) Voting members (1) The voting members of the National Council must be— (A) three members who reside in or do substantial fishing industry business in the Northeast region; (B) three members who reside in or do substantial fishing industry business in the Southeast region; (C) three members who reside in or do substantial fishing industry business in the Pacific region; (D) three members who reside in or do substantial fishing industry business in the Alaska region; (E) two members-at-large with demonstrated expertise in fresh-water and inland commercial fisheries, at least one of whom is not a resident of the States of the Alaska, Pacific, Southeast, and Northeast regions; and (F) one member-at-large who is either a person professionally engaged in the dissemination of information pertaining to the nutritional benefits and preparation of fish and fish products or a person who is a member of an organized labor union and has expertise in the United States fisheries. (2) Of the members appointed under each of paragraphs (1)(A) through (D) of this subsection, one must be a harvester, one must be a processor or a receiver, and one must be a marketer. (e) Term of office Members of the National Council must be appointed for a term of 4 years. A vacancy in the National Council must not affect its ability to function. The Secretary must appoint a new member within sixty days to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term. Any member may remain on the National Council beyond that member’s term until a successor is appointed. (f) Chairman The National Council must annually elect a Chairman by a majority of those voting, if a quorum is present. Ten members of the National Council must constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings. (g) First meeting The National Council must first meet within one hundred and eighty days after November 14, 1986. (h) Compensation of members Members of the National Council must serve without compensation, but must be reimbursed under section 5703 of title 5 for reasonable travel costs and expenses incurred in performing their duties as members of the National Council.