16 U.S.C. § 410nn–3 — Advisory Commission

(a) Establishment — This subsection creates the Advisory Commission of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (called "the Commission"). It has 12 members, all appointed by the Secretary of the Interior (called "the Secretary"), drawn from five sources. (1) Three members, serving 4-year terms, come from recommendations by the National Maritime Museum Association. (2) Two members, also serving 4-year terms, come from recommendations by the Governor of California — at least one of them must have professional expertise in preserving maritime history. (3) Four members, serving 5-year terms, come from recommendations by the Mayor of San Francisco, with special consideration for people who understand museum or maritime issues and who represent the local fishing industry, recreational users, the business community, or neighborhood groups. (4) One member, serving a 5-year term, comes from a recommendation by the Secretary of Commerce, and must have professional expertise in the maritime industry. (5) Two more members, serving 5-year terms, must have professional expertise in maritime history or historic preservation generally. If a member's fixed term ends, that member may keep serving until a successor is appointed. Any vacancy is filled the same way the original appointment was made. (b) Compensation — Commission members don't get paid for their service. But while away from home or their regular workplace doing Commission business, they can be reimbursed for travel expenses, including a daily allowance, following the same rules that apply to people occasionally employed by the government under section 5703 of title 5. (c) Officers — The Commission's members elect a Chair and other officers by majority vote, for whatever terms the Commission itself decides on. (d) Meetings — The Commission meets whenever the Chair calls a meeting, or whenever a majority of members do — but it must meet at least twice a year. Seven members make a quorum. Following the public-meeting rules in chapter 10 of title 5, the Commission must also meet, from time to time, with people interested in maritime preservation. (e) Bylaws and charter — The Commission may adopt whatever bylaws, rules, and regulations it thinks it needs to do its job. One provision of the open-meetings law — section 1013(b) of title 5 — does not apply to this Commission. (f) Functions — The Commission's job is to advise the Secretary on managing and developing the park. The Secretary, or someone the Secretary designates, must meet and consult with the Commission on these matters regularly — at least twice a year. (g) Termination — The Commission automatically stops existing 10 years after the date of its very first meeting.