42 U.S.C. § 286a — Board of Regents

(a) Membership; ex officio members. The Board of Regents has two kinds of members: ex officio members who serve because of another job they hold, and ten members the Secretary appoints. The ex officio members are the Surgeons General of the Public Health Service, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force; the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Dean of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; the Assistant Director for Biological, Behavioral, and Social Sciences at the National Science Foundation; the Director of the National Agricultural Library; and the Librarian of Congress — or a person each of them designates in their place. The Secretary must choose appointed members from leaders in fields like basic science, medicine, dentistry, public health, hospital administration, pharmacology, health communications technology, medical library work, or public affairs. At least six of the ten appointed members must come from leaders in medical, dental, or public health research or education. Each year, the Board elects one appointed member to chair it until the next election. The Secretary also picks a Library staff member to serve as the Board's executive secretary. (b) Recommendations on matters of policy; recommendations included in annual report; use of services of members by Secretary. The Board advises, consults with, and recommends policy to the Secretary about the Library — things like what materials to acquire, what services to offer, and the rules for who can use them. The Secretary's annual report to Congress must include a statement covering the Board's recommendations and what happened to them. The Secretary may also call on individual Board members to help with Library-related work beyond regular meetings. (c) Term of office; vacancy; reappointment. Each appointed Board member serves a four-year term. A member appointed to fill an unexpired vacancy only serves out the rest of that term. No appointed member can be reappointed within one year after their term ends.