29 U.S.C. § 1142 — Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans

(a) Establishment, membership, terms, appointment, vacancies, and quorum. (1) The Secretary^* must establish an Advisory Council on Employee^* Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, called the “Council” in this section. The Secretary appoints 15 members, and no more than 8 may belong to the same political party. (2) Members must be qualified to evaluate programs created under this chapter. (3) The members must include 3 representatives of employee organizations, including at least 1 representing an organization whose members participate in a multiemployer plan^*; 3 employer^* representatives, including at least 1 representing employers that maintain or contribute to multiemployer plans; 3 members from the general public, including 1 person^* representing pension-benefit recipients; and 1 representative from each of insurance, corporate trust, actuarial counseling, investment counseling, investment management, and accounting. (4) Members serve 3-year terms. Of the first members, 5 serve 1 year, 5 serve 2 years, and 5 serve 3 years. A member may be reappointed. A replacement for a vacancy serves only the rest of the term. A majority is a quorum, and the Council may act only by a majority vote of members present and voting.

(b) Duties and functions. The Council must advise the Secretary about carrying out the Secretary’s functions under this chapter and give recommendations. It must meet at least 4 times each year and at other times the Secretary requests. The Secretary’s annual report under section 1143(b) of this title must include every recommendation received from the Council during the prior calendar year.

(c) Executive secretary and other services. The Secretary must provide an executive secretary and the secretarial, clerical, and other services needed for the Council’s work. The Secretary may ask other Government agencies for statistics, reports, and other information that will help the Council perform its duties.

(d) Compensation. (1) Each member is entitled to the daily equivalent of the annual basic-pay rate for GS–18 of the General Schedule for each day, including travel time, spent actually performing Council duties. (2) While away from home or the member’s regular business place performing Council services, a member may receive travel expenses, including a daily allowance instead of subsistence, in the same way intermittent Government employees receive expenses under 5 U.S.C. 5703(b).

(e) Termination. Section 1013(a) of title 5, about termination, does not apply to the Council.