16 U.S.C. § 410jj–7 — Advisory Commission

(a) Establishment; membership — This section creates the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Advisory Commission. It has eleven members, each appointed by the Secretary to a five-year term. Seven of them must be present or former patients, elected by the patient community itself. The other four are appointed based on recommendations from the Governor of Hawaii, and at least one of those four must be Native Hawaiian. (b) Chairman; vacancies — The Secretary picks one Commission member to serve as Chairman. If a seat opens up, it gets filled the same way the original appointment was made. (c) Compensation; expenses — Commission members don't get paid for their service. But the Secretary can cover reasonable expenses the Commission runs up while doing its work, as long as the Chairman signs off on the vouchers. (d) Functions — The Secretary must consult the Commission and ask for its advice on developing and running the park, including training programs. The Commission also advises the Secretary about public visitation. That advice about visitor numbers becomes binding on the Secretary — meaning the Secretary must follow it — if the Commission certifies that the advice comes from a referendum. That referendum must be run by the Commission and must include all patients on the official Kalaupapa Registry. (e) Termination — The Commission stops existing 45 years after December 22, 1980.