Formal Recommendation by the 

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

to the National Organic Program (NOP)

 

Date: October 28, 2010 

Subject: Establishing Ad Hoc Committees 

Chair: Daniel G. Giacomini 

 

The NOSB hereby recommends to the NOP the following: 

Rulemaking Action 

Guidance Statement 

Other X 

 

Statement of the Recommendation (Including Recount of Vote): 

 

The NOSB recommends that the formation of ad hoc committees be allowed 

when required, and that procedures for doing so be described in Section IV 

of the NOSB Policy Manual, as attached. 

 

Rationale Supporting Recommendation (including consistency with 

OFPA and NOP): 

 

Currently, although they have been formed in the past, there are no 

provisions in the NOSB Policy Manual for commissioning Ad Hoc 

committees when policy or guidance development would clearly benefit from 

the experience and input of members from various standing committees, or 

from the combination of two or more standing committees. A recent example 

of this arrangement is the Joint Handling and Materials Committee that was 

formed to collaborate on and develop recommended policy regarding 

classification of materials for the National List. Additionally, at times, 

excessive workload could require formation of an ad hoc or joint committee 

to tackle large NOSB mandated tasks, such as sunset material reviews or 

evaluation of large numbers of concurrently submitted petitions to add 

materials to the National List. With input from standing committee chairs, the 

NOSB Chairperson should monitor committee work plans and workload, and 

determine when and if the formation of an ad hoc committee would benefit 

the effectiveness of the NOSB. Once a determination is made by the NOSB 

chair that an ad hoc committee should be formed, that decision would be 

brought to the Executive Committee for discussion and approval. 

NOSB Vote: 

Moved: Steve DeMuri Second: Barry Flamm 

Yes: 14 No: 0 Abstain: 

0 

Absent: 

0 

Recusal: 

0 
National Organic Standards Board 

Policy Development Committee 

Ad Hoc Committees 

July 22, 2010

Introduction 

This recommendation allows for the formation of Ad Hoc Committees comprised of NOSB 

members when deemed necessary to carry out critical work. 

Background 

The National Organic Standards Board is comprised of six standing committees: Crops 

(CC), Livestock (LC), Handling (HC), Policy Development (PDC), Certification, Accreditation, 

and Compliance (CACC), and Materials (MC), and an Executive Committee (EC) comprised 

of the NOSB officers and the chair of each of the standing committees. At times, policy or 

guidance development cuts across multiple committee jurisdictions and requires the 

expertise of, and input from, members of several standing committees to be completed. In 

these cases, it would be beneficial for a provision in the NOSB Policy and Procedures 

Manual (PPM) allowing for the formation of Ad Hoc committees to effectively carry out 

NOSB work. 

Relevant Areas in the Rule 

Sections §205.600, §205.607. 

Discussion 

Currently, although they have been formed in the past, there are no provisions in the NOSB 

Policy Manual for commissioning Ad Hoc committees when policy or guidance development 

would clearly benefit from the experience and input of members from various standing 

committees, or from the combination of two or more standing committees. A recent example 

of this arrangement is the Joint Handling and Materials Committee that was formed to 

collaborate on and develop recommended policy regarding classification of materials for the 

National List. Additionally, at times, excessive workload could require formation of an ad hoc 

or joint committee to tackle large NOSB mandated tasks, such as sunset material reviews or 

evaluation of large numbers of concurrently submitted petitions to add materials to the 

National List. With input from standing committee chairs, the NOSB Chairperson should 

monitor committee work plans and workload, and determine when and if the formation of an 

ad hoc committee would benefit the effectiveness of the NOSB. Once a determination is 

made by the NOSB chair that an ad hoc committee should be formed, that decision would 

be brought to the Executive Committee for discussion and approval. 
Recommendation 

The Policy Development Committee recommends that the formation of ad hoc committees 

be allowed when required, and that procedures for doing so be described in Section IV of 

the NOSB Policy Manual, as attached. 

Committee Vote: 

Motion: Steve DeMuri Second: Jay Feldman 

Yes: 4 No: 0 Abstain: 0 Absent: 1 
SECTION IV 

Board Committees 

 

Committees play an important role in administering the Board’s responsibilities. Committees 

exist to provide greater depth and clarity in the Board’s responsibility to make informed 

decisions. For example, at the request of the Secretary seeking advice on a matter related 

to the NOP, the full Board may request that a committee conduct research and analysis or 

draft proposed recommendations to be considered by the full Board. Except for the 

Executive Committee, no committees are authorized to act in place of the Board. 

Committees are empowered to analyze information and bring draft recommendations to the 

Board for action. 

 

Committee chairs are appointed by the Board Chair. The current standing committees are: 

 Certification, Accreditation, and Compliance 

 Crops 

 Handling 

 Livestock 

 Materials 

 Policy Development 

The Livestock Committee, the Crops Committee and the Handling Committee will each have 

co-chairs. One co-chair will guide all committee discussion and will oversee the committee’s 

work plan. The other co-chair will be responsible for the committee’s consideration of 

materials and will serve as the liaison to the Materials Committee. 

 

1. Committee recommendations are finalized by the NOSB according to the following 

process: 

2. Committee drafts the recommendation. 

3. Draft recommendation is posted for public comment. 

4. Public comments are considered by committee when making recommendation to the 

Board. 

5. Board takes action on the recommendation 

Board actions may include adoption of the recommendation as presented by the committee, 

amending and then adopting the recommendation, rejecting the recommendation, or 

referring the recommendation back to committee for further development. 

 

Committee Meetings 

 

Committees may hold meetings via telephone conference calls. Two weeks’ notice should 

be provided in scheduling such calls. The date and time set for the call is a product of 

committee dialog regarding the most conducive schedule. This dialog may occur on a 

previous conference call or through E-mail. All E-mail requests for meeting times should 
allow 48 hours to respond. 

Emergency calls may be scheduled with less notice only after each member is contacted to 

reach a consensus on time and date of the meeting. If the members do not respond to Email requests, the chair or their designee must contact the member by phone. 

 

Standing Committees 

 

Certification, Accreditation, and Compliance Committee (CACC) The Certification, 

Accreditation, and Compliance Committee drafts recommendations for consideration by the 

Board to provide guidance, clarification or proposed standards of certification, accreditation 

and compliance sections of the organic regulations [7CFR Part 205] and OFPA. The CACC 

occasionally works with other committees to develop joint recommendations where 

certification and compliance issues are involved. 

 

Crops Committee (CC) The Crops Committee drafts recommendations for consideration 

by the Board to provide guidance, clarification or proposed standards of the crop production 

section of the organic regulations as contained in [7CFR Part 205] and OFPA. The CC 

reviews petitions, substances scheduled to sunset, technical advisory panel reports, and 

public comments concerning materials used for crop production which have been requested 

for addition to or removal from the National List. The CC occasionally works with other 

committees to develop joint recommendations where crop issues are involved. 

 

Handling Committee (HC) The Handling Committee makes draft recommendations for 

consideration by the Board to provide guidance, clarification or proposed standards of the 

handling and labeling sections of the organic regulations as contained in [7CFR Part 205] 

and OFPA. The HC reviews petitions, substances scheduled to sunset, technical advisory 

panel reports and public comments concerning materials used for processing and handling 

which have been requested for addition to or removal from the National List. The HC 

occasionally works with other committees to develop joint recommendations where handling 

issues are involved. 

Livestock Committee (LC) The Livestock Committee drafts recommendations for 

consideration by the Board to provide guidance, clarification or proposed standards of the 

livestock and livestock feed sections of the organic regulations as contained in [7CFR Part 

205] and OFPA. The LC reviews petitions, substances scheduled to sunset, technical 

advisory panel reports and public comments concerning materials used for livestock 

production which have been requested for addition to or removal from the National List. The 

LC occasionally works with other committees to develop joint recommendations where 

livestock issues are involved. 

Materials Committee (MC) The Materials Committee drafts recommendations for 

consideration by the Board to provide guidance, clarification or proposed standards of the 

National List section of the organic regulations as contained in [7CFR Part 205] and OFPA. 

The MC works with the NOP, NOSB Committees and TAP Contractors in managing the 

Materials Review Process including tracking petitions, sufficiency reports, materials 

scheduled to sunset and sunset review process In addition to a chair appointed by the 

Board Chair, the MC shall include in its membership one of the co-chairs from each of the 

Livestock, Crops, and Handling committees. Other members may be appointed as needed. 
The MC occasionally works with other committees to develop joint recommendations where 

materials are involved. 

Policy Development Committee (PDC) The Policy Development Committee makes draft 

recommendations for consideration by the Board to provide guidance, clarification or 

proposed standards of Board operations, policies and procedures. The PDC maintains the 

content and updates to the NOSB Policy and Procedures Manual and New Member Guide. 

The PDC occasionally works with other committees to develop joint recommendations 

where policy issues are involved. 

 

Task Forces 

As determined by the Board or Executive Committee, task forces shall be appointed to 

explore specific issues and present draft recommendations to the Board or to a committee. 

Task forces may include non-Board members of the public. Each task force shall include at 

least one member of the NOSB. Minutes shall be taken of task force meetings. Each task 

force shall submit a final report to the Board. Each task force shall be disbanded when its 

work has concluded or when the Board determines the task force is no longer necessary. 

Ad Hoc Committees 

At the discretion of the NOSB Chairperson, with approval of the Executive Committee, an ad

hoc NOSB committee may be formed to develop policy and guidance on specific issues that 

involve multiple standing committee jurisdictions, or for issues or tasks that are very large 

and require additional resources to complete. Ad hoc committees may be comprised only of 

current NOSB members, and could either be a combination of two or more standing 

committees to form a “joint” committee, or could be a totally new committee comprised of 

selected NOSB members from various standing committees. Ad-hoc committees can be 

dissolved at the recommendation of the NOSB chairperson with the approval of the 

executive committee. The position of the ad-hoc committee chairperson is a non-voting 

member of the executive committee.