46 U.S.C. § 51327 — Sexual Assault Advisory Council

(a) Establishment. The Secretary must create a Sexual Assault Advisory Council. (b) Membership. The Council has 8 to 14 members chosen by the Secretary: alumni who graduated within the last 4 years or current midshipmen (including, where possible, both victims and non-victims of sexual assault), plus government and outside experts in the sexual assault field. The Council must include at least one licensed mental health professional who has counseled sexual assault survivors, and at least one person experienced in building or running sexual assault or harassment policies in an academic setting. No Department of Transportation employee may serve on the Council, and government experts on the Council cannot outnumber nongovernment experts. (c) Duties; Authorized Activities. At least twice a year, the Council must review the section 51318 policies, the data trends from the section 51325 system, and other relevant matters, then develop recommendations to bring these policies in line with best practices. To do this, the Council may interview current or former midshipmen who consent to being interviewed, and may review the Sea Year surveys under section 51322(d). The Council must follow the Department's rules for protecting personal information. (d) Reports. Each year for 5 years after this section became law, and after that at the Council's discretion, the Council must send the President, the Senate Commerce and Appropriations Committees, and the House Transportation and Appropriations Committees a report on its findings and recommendations. (e) Employee Status. Members are not federal employees and get no pay beyond travel expenses and per diem under section 5703 of title 5. (f) Nonapplicability of FACA. The Federal Advisory Committee Act does not apply to this Council.