Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to Advisory Commissions, Boards, and Groups Updated February 12, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL33313 Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to Advisory Bodies Summary Over the past several decades, Congress, by statute, has established a wide array of commissions, boards, and advisory bodies to provide it with assistance in meeting various legislative, investigative, and administrative responsibilities. Some of these entities are temporary and created to serve specific functions, such as studying a discrete policy area or performing one-time tasks. Others are permanent, serving an ongoing purpose, such as overseeing an institution or performing a regular administrative function. The majority of these congressional bodies provide that Members of Congress, particularly the leadership, be intimately involved in the appointment process, either through direct service on a commission, or by appointing or recommending candidates for membership. The choice of a particular mechanism for membership appointment may have implications for the ability of these entities to fulfill their congressional mandates. Examination of the statutory language creating these bodies reveals several common approaches to membership selection. Each alternative schema has its advantages. For example, a commission or board composed entirely of Members permits a high degree of congressional control over the entity’s operations. Bodies composed mainly of qualified private citizens or executive branch appointees may provide a broader expertise than Member-only bodies. Assemblages of mixed membership provide some of the advantages of both Member and citizen-only appointment schemes. This report contains a compilation of existing commissions and boards that demonstrates the range of alternative membership-appointment structures. It includes any statutorily created advisory entity (e.g., boards, advisory panels, task forces) whose membership scheme mandates the participation of Members of Congress either as potential members or as participants in the process of appointing the membership. For each entity, information on the purpose, duration, appointment structure, and term of appointment is provided. Finally, information on the involvement of Members of Congress in the appointment process is presented in a series of tables. Congressional Research Service Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to Advisory Bodies Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Scope ............................................................................................................................ 1 Membership Composition ................................................................................................ 2 Direct Designation ..................................................................................................... 2 Appointment............................................................................................................. 2 Recommendation....................................................................................................... 3 Qualification Provisos ................................................................................................ 3 Separation of Powers ....................................................................................................... 4 Impact of Appointment Framework.................................................................................... 4 Organization of the Report ............................................................................................... 5 Listing of Individual Advisory Bodies ................................................................................ 6 Temporary Advisory Commissions .................................................................................... 7 400 Years of African-American History Commission ...................................................... 7 Adams Memorial Commission .................................................................................... 8 Advisory Committee on International Exchange Rate Policy ............................................ 9 Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children ........................ 10 Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking............................................... 11 Commission on Farm Transactions-Needs for 2050....................................................... 12 Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Persons who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America .................................................... 13 Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics .......................................... 14 Coltsville National Historical Park Advisory Commission.............................................. 15 Cyberspace Solarium Commission ............................................................................. 16 CARES Act Congressional Oversight Commission ....................................................... 17 Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission............................................................. 18 National Commission on Military Aviation Safety ........................................................ 19 National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence ................................................ 20 Public Buildings Reform Board ................................................................................. 21 Route 66 Commemorative Commission ...................................................................... 22 United States Semiquincentennial Commission ............................................................ 23 Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission ............................................................ 24 Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission ................................................................. 25 World War I Centennial Commission .......................................................................... 26 Permanent Entities ........................................................................................................ 27 Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance ................................................... 27 Advisory Committee on the Protection of Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates ........................................................................................................... 28 Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress ......................................................... 29 American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress, Board of Trustees .......................... 30 Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, Board of Trustees ............................................................................................................... 31 British American Parliamentary Group........................................................................ 32 Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group ........................................................... 33 Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee....................................................................... 34 Congressional Research Service Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to Advisory Bodies Commission for the Judiciary Office Building.............................................................. 35 Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad ..................................... 36 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission) .................... 37 Commission on Social Impact Partnerships ................................................................. 38 Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys .............................................. 39 Commission to Recommend Individuals to the President for Appointment to the Office of Architect of the Capitol............................................................................. 40 Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China ........................ 41 Congressional Advisers for Trade Policy and Negotiations ............................................. 42 Congressional Award Board ...................................................................................... 43 Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention ............................ 44 Denali Commission ................................................................................................. 45 Election Assistance Commission ................................................................................ 46 Election Assistance Commission, Board of Advisors ..................................................... 47 Federal Judicial Center Foundation Board ................................................................... 48 Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Board .................................. 49 Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board ................................................................ 50 Financial Oversight and Management Board ................................................................ 51 Gallaudet University, Board of Trustees ...................................................................... 52 Harry S Truman