Title 45—Public Welfare--Volume 1
PART 703—OPERATIONS AND FUNCTIONS OF STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES
§ 703.1   Name and establishment.
Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1975a(d), the Commission has chartered and maintains Advisory Committees to the Commission in each State, and the District of Columbia. All relevant provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-463, as amended) are applicable to the management, membership, and operations of such committees and subcommittees thereof.
§ 703.2   Functions.
Under the Commission's charter each Advisory Committee shall:
(a) Advise the Commission in writing of any knowledge or information it has of any alleged deprivation of the right to vote and to have the vote counted by reason of color, race, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or that citizens are being accorded or denied the right to vote in Federal elections as a result of patterns or practices of fraud or discrimination;
(b) Advise the Commission concerning matters related to discrimination or a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution and the effect of the laws and policies of the Federal Government with respect to equal protection of the laws;
(c) Advise the Commission upon matters of mutual concern in the preparation of reports of the Commission to the President and the Congress;
(d) Receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from individuals, public and private organizations, and public officials upon matters pertinent to inquiries conducted by the Advisory Committee;
(e) Initiate and forward advice and recommendations to the Commission upon matters that the Advisory Committee has studied;
(f) Assist the Commission in the exercise of its clearinghouse function and with respect to other matters that the Advisory Committee has studied;
(g) Attend, as observers, any open hearing or conference that the Commission may hold within the State.
§ 703.3   Scope of subject matter.
The scope of the subject matter to be dealt with by Advisory Committees shall be those subjects of inquiry or study with which the Commission itself is authorized to investigate, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1975(a). Each Advisory Committee shall confine its studies to the State covered by its charter. It may, however, subject to the requirements of § 703.4, undertake to study, within the limitations of the Act, subjects other than those chosen by the Commission for study.
§ 703.4   Advisory Committee Management Officer.
(a) The Chief of the Regional Programs Coordination Unit is designated as Advisory Committee Management Officer pursuant to the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-463, as amended).
(b) Such Officer shall carry out the functions specified in section 8(b) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
(c) Such Officer shall, for each Advisory Committee, appoint a Commission employee to provide services to the Committee and to be responsible for supervising the activity of the Committee pursuant to section 8 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The employee is subject to the supervision of the Regional Director of the Commission responsible for the State within which said Committee is chartered.
§ 703.5   Membership.
(a) Subject to exceptions made from time to time by the Commission to fit special circumstances, each Advisory Committee shall consist of at least 11 members appointed by the Commission. Members of the Advisory Committees shall serve for a fixed term to be set by the Commission upon the appointment of a member subject to the duration of Advisory Committees as prescribed by the charter, provided that members of the Advisory Committee may, at any time, be removed by the Commission.
(b) No person is to be denied an opportunity to serve on a State Advisory Committee because of race, age, sex, religion, national origin, or disability. The Commission shall encourage membership on the State Advisory Committee to be broadly diverse.
§ 703.6   Officers.
(a) The officers of each Advisory Committee shall be a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and such other officers as may be deemed advisable.
(b) The Chairperson shall be appointed by the Commission.
(c) The Vice Chairperson and other officers shall be elected by the majority vote of the full membership of the Committee.
(d) The Chairperson, or in his or her absence the Vice Chairperson, under the direction of the Commission staff member appointed pursuant to § 703.4(b) shall:
(1) Call meetings of the Committee;
(2) Preside over meetings of the Committee;
(3) Appoint all subcommittees of the Committee;
(4) Certify for accuracy the minutes of Committee meetings prepared by the assigned Commission staff member; and
(5) Perform such other functions as the Committee may authorize or the Commission may request.
§ 703.7   Subcommittees—Special assignments.
Subject to the approval of the designated Commission employee, an Advisory Committee may:
(a) Establish subcommittees, composed of members of the Committee, to study and report upon matters under consideration and authorize such subcommittees to take specific action within the competence of the Committee; and
(b) Designate individual members of the Committee to perform special projects involving research or study on matters under consideration by the Committee.
§ 703.8   Meetings.
(a) Meetings of a Committee shall be convened by the designated Commission employee or subject to his or her approval by the Chairperson or a majority of the Advisory Committee members. The agenda for such Committee or subcommittee meeting shall be approved by the designated Commission employee.
(b) A quorum shall consist of one-half or more of the members of the Committee, or five members, whichever is the lesser, except that with respect to the conduct of fact-finding meetings as authorized in paragraph (e) of this section, a quorum shall consist of three members.
(c) Notice of all meetings of an Advisory Committee shall be given to the public.
(1) Notice shall be published in the Federal Register at least 15 days prior to the meetings, provided that in emergencies such requirement may be waived.
(2) Notice of meetings shall be provided to the public by press releases and other appropriate means.
(3) Each notice shall contain a statement of the purpose of the meeting, a summary of the agenda, and the date, time, and location of such meeting.
(d) Except as provided for in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, all meetings of Advisory Committees or subcommittees shall be open to the public.
(1) The Chief of the Regional Programs Coordination Unit may authorize a Committee or subcommittee to hold a meeting closed to the public if he or she determines that the closing of such meeting is in the public interest provided that prior to authorizing the holding of a closed meeting the Chief of the Regional Programs Coordination Unit has requested and received the opinion of the General Counsel with respect to whether the meeting may be closed under one or more of the exemptions provided in the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c).
(2) In the event that any meeting or portion thereof is closed to the public, the Committee shall publish, at least annually, in summary form a report of the activities conducted in meetings not open to the public.
(e) Advisory Committees and subcommittees may hold fact-finding meetings for the purpose of inviting the attendance of and soliciting information and views from government officials and private persons respecting subject matters within the jurisdiction of the Committee or subcommittee.
(f) Any person may submit a written statement at any business or fact-finding meeting of an Advisory Committee or subcommittee.
(g) At the discretion of the designated Commission employee or his or her designee, any person may make an oral presentation at any business or fact-finding meeting, provided that such presentation will not defame, degrade, or incriminate any other person as prohibited by the Act.
§ 703.9   Reimbursement of members.
(a) Advisory Committee members may be reimbursed by the Commission by a per diem subsistence allowance and for travel expenses at rates not to exceed those prescribed by Congress for Government employees, for the following activities only:
(1) Attendance at meetings, as provided for in § 703.8; and
(2) Any activity specifically requested and authorized by the Commission to be reimbursed.
(b) Members will be reimbursed for the expense of travel by private automobile on a mileage basis only to the extent such expense is no more than that of suitable public transportation for the same trip unless special circumstances justify the additional expense of travel by private automobile.
§ 703.10   Public availability of documents and other materials.
Part 704 of this chapter shall be applicable to reports, publications, and other materials prepared by or for Advisory Committees.