The Secretary shall establish in the Institute the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Board (here­after in this section referred to as the “Advisory Board”).

The Advisory Board shall be composed of twenty appointed members and nonvoting, ex officio members, as follows:

The Secretary shall appoint—

(A) twelve members from individuals who are scientists, physicians, and other health professionals, who are not officers or employees of the United States, and who represent the specialties and disciplines relevant to arthritis, musculoskeletal diseases, and skin diseases; and

(B) eight members from the general public who are knowledgeable with respect to such diseases, including one member who is a person who has such a disease, one person who is the parent of an adult with such a disease, and two members who are parents of children with arthritis.

The following shall be ex officio members of the Advisory Board:

(A) the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of NIH, the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (or the designees of such officers), and

(B) such other officers and employees of the United States as the Secretary determines necessary for the Advisory Board to carry out its functions.

Members of the Advisory Board who are officers or employees of the Federal Government shall serve as members of the Advisory Board without compensation in addition to that received in their regular public employment. Other members of the Advisory Board shall receive compensation at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate in effect for grade GS–18 of the General Schedule for each day (including traveltime) they are engaged in the performance of their duties as members of the Advisory Board.

The term of office of an appointed member of the Advisory Board is four years. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. A member may serve after the expiration of the member’s term until a successor has taken office. If a vacancy occurs in the Advisory Board, the Secretary shall make an appointment to fill the vacancy not later than 90 days after the date the vacancy occurred.

The members of the Advisory Board shall select a chairman from among the appointed members.

The Secretary shall, after consultation with and consideration of the recommendations of the Advisory Board, provide the Advisory Board with an executive director and one other professional staff member. In addition, the Secretary shall, after consultation with and consideration of the recommendations of the Advisory Board, provide the Advisory Board with such additional professional staff members, such clerical staff members, and (through contracts or other arrangements) with such administrative support services and facilities, such information, and such services of consultants, as the Secretary determines are necessary for the Advisory Board to carry out its functions.

The Advisory Board shall meet at the call of the chairman or upon request of the Director of the Institute, but not less often than four times a year.

The Advisory Board shall—

(1) review and evaluate the implementation of the plan prepared under section 285d–1(a) of this title and periodically update the plan to ensure its continuing relevance;

(2) for the purpose of assuring the most effective use and organization of resources respecting arthritis, musculoskeletal diseases and skin diseases, advise and make recommendations to the Congress, the Secretary, the Director of NIH, the Director of the Institute, and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies for the implementation and revision of such plan; and

(3) maintain liaison with other advisory bodies for Federal agencies involved in the implementation of such plan, the interagency coordinating committees for such diseases established under section 285d–4 of this title, and with key non-Federal entities involved in activities affecting the control of such dis­eases.

In carrying out its functions, the Advisory Board may establish subcommittees, convene workshops and conferences, and collect data. Such subcommittees may be composed of Advisory Board members and nonmember consultants with expertise in the particular area addressed by such subcommittees. The subcommittees may hold such meetings as are necessary to enable them to carry out their activities.

The National Arthritis Advisory Board in existence on November 20, 1985, shall terminate upon the appointment of a successor Board under subsection (a). The Secretary shall make appointments to the Advisory Board established under subsection (a) before the expiration of 90 days after November 20, 1985. The member of the Board in existence on November 20, 1985, may be appointed, in accordance with subsections (b) and (d), to the Advisory Board established under subsection (a).

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 442, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 852; amended Pub. L. 102–405, title III, § 302(e)(1), Oct. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 1985; Pub. L. 102–531, title III, § 312(d)(7), Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3504; Pub. L. 103–43, title VII, § 701(d), title XX, § 2008(b)(7), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 162, 211; Pub. L. 109–482, title I, § 104(b)(1)(I), Jan. 15, 2007, 120 Stat. 3693.)