I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3204 
To reform the Trade Advisory Committee system to ensure that a broad 
range of views are represented and accommodated in developing United 
States trade policy. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2007 
Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. WAXMAN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To reform the Trade Advisory Committee system to ensure 
that a broad range of views are represented and accom-
modated in developing United States trade policy. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Trade Advisory Com-
mittee Reform Act’’ or the ‘‘TAC Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL ADVISERS FOR TRADE POLICY 
AND NEGOTIATIONS. 
(a) SELECTION.—Section 161 of the Trade Act of 
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2211) is amended in subsection (a)— 
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(1) in paragraph (1) by striking the first sen-
tence and inserting the following: ‘‘The following 
members of Congress shall be selected and des-
ignated as congressional advisers on trade policy and 
negotiations: From the Committee on Ways and 
Means of the House of Representatives, the chair-
man and ranking minority member of the full com-
mittee, and the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the Subcommittee on Trade; from the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate, the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the full committee, 
and the chairman and ranking minority member of 
the Subcommittee on Trade.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(D) Of the total number of members from 
a House of Congress selected as congressional 
advisers under this paragraph, not more than 
half may be of the same political party.’’. 
(b) EXPANSION OF ROLE.—Such section is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) RECOMMENDATIONS BY CONGRESSIONAL AD-
VISERS ON TRADE AGREEMENT EFFECTS.—Each con-
gressional adviser under subsection (a) shall, on an annual 
basis and at any other time the congressional adviser con-
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siders appropriate, transmit written recommendations to 
the covered executive branch officials on trade agreement 
effects. Each official to which recommendations are trans-
mitted shall give due regard to the recommendations. 
‘‘(e) APPOINTMENTS TO TRADE ADVISORY COMMIT-
TEES.— 
‘‘(1) NUMBER.—Every trade advisory com-
mittee, whether established before, on, or after the 
date of the enactment of this subsection, shall have 
a number of members the total of which is evenly di-
visible by three. 
‘‘(2) APPOINTMENT.—For purposes of appoint-
ing the members of a trade advisory committee, the 
congressional advisers under subsection (a) shall be 
grouped by party affiliation. The group with the 
greatest number of advisers shall appoint one-third 
of the members; the group with the next-greatest 
number of advisers shall appoint one-third of the 
members; and the President (or the President’s des-
ignee) shall appoint the remaining members. 
‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.—The congressional advis-
ers are encouraged to consult with other committees 
of Congress, including but not limited to committees 
with jurisdiction over health, environmental, labor, 
and consumer issues, in making such appointments. 
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‘‘(4) INTERESTS REPRESENTED.—The officials 
responsible for appointing the members of a trade 
advisory committee shall ensure that each trade ad-
visory committee includes— 
‘‘(A) at least 1 member from labor organi-
zations; 
‘‘(B) at least 1 member from consumer in-
terest organizations; and 
‘‘(C) at least 1 member from public health 
organizations. 
‘‘(5) TERMS.—Each member of a trade advi-
sory committee shall serve a term of 2 years. 
‘‘(6) OTHER
PROVISIONS
SUPERSEDED.—This 
subsection supersedes any other provision of law to 
the extent that provision is inconsistent with this 
subsection, whether enacted before, on, or after the 
date of the enactment of this subsection. 
‘‘(f) REPORTS TO CONGRESS BY TRADE ADVISORY 
COMMITTEES.—Before the President submits trade agree-
ment legislation to Congress, each trade advisory com-
mittee that has advised with respect to that legislation 
shall submit to the congressional advisers under sub-
section (a) a report on the legislation. The report shall 
include an examination of the trade agreement effects of 
the legislation. 
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‘‘(g) REPORTS
TO
CONGRESS
BY
EXECUTIVE 
BRANCH OFFICIALS.—Each covered executive branch offi-
cial shall, on an annual basis, submit to Congress a report 
on the trade advisory process. The report shall identify 
the concerns raised by members of trade advisory commit-
tees on the effectiveness of the process and explain the 
steps taken by that official to address those concerns. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COVERED
EXECUTIVE
BRANCH
OFFI-
CIAL.—The term ‘covered executive branch official’ 
applies to the following: 
‘‘(A) The United States Trade Representa-
tive. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary of Labor. 
‘‘(C) The Secretary of Agriculture. 
‘‘(D) The Secretary of Commerce. 
‘‘(E) The Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
‘‘(2) TRADE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The term 
‘trade advisory committee’ includes any advisory 
committee with respect to United States trade pol-
icy, and specifically includes any committee estab-
lished under section 135. 
‘‘(3) TRADE AGREEMENT EFFECTS.—The term 
‘trade agreement effects’— 
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