Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends membership requirements and responsibilities of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board.

Highlights:

• Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that the Science Advisory Board meets certain membership conditions including, but not limited to, the following conditions (Sec. 2):
• The board members are at least 10 percent drawn from state, local, or tribal governments;
• The board members represent “fairly balanced” scientific and technical points of view; and
• The board members who have an interest in a specific party do not participate in advisory activities involving that party.

• Requires the administrator to solicit nominations for the board from relevant federal agencies and to consider qualified individuals who may have a conflict of interest, as long as that interest is disclosed (Sec. 2).

• Requires nominees for the board to submit a written report disclosing recent financial relationships and interests that are relevant to the board’s advisory activities (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits federally registered lobbyists from being appointed to the board (Sec. 2).

• Establishes a 3 year term for board members, to be staggered so that the terms of no more than one-third of the total membership will expire within a single fiscal year (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits a member from serving more than 2 terms over a 10 year period (Sec. 2).

• Requires the administrator and the board to make all reports and relevant scientific information public, including dissenting views of board members (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits the board from setting an “insufficient or arbitrary” amount of time for the public to comment on board proceedings (Sec. 2).

• Requires the board to accept additional comments from the public for 15 calendar days following a board meeting (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text
Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text