The Secretary shall establish in the Institute the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Board (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Advisory Board”).

The Advisory Board shall be composed of eighteen 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 and rehabilitation professionals, who are not officers or employees of the United States, and who represent the specialties and disciplines relevant to deafness and other communication disorders, including not less than two persons with a communication disorder; and

(B) six members from the general public who are knowledgeable with respect to such disorders, including not less than one person with a communication disorder and not less than one person who is a parent of an individual with such a disorder.

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

(A) The Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of NIH, the Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 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).

(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 an 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 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 Board.

The term of office of an appointed member of the Advisory Board is four years, except that no term of office may extend beyond the expiration of the Advisory Board. 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 from 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, such services of consultants, such information, and (through contracts or other arrangements) such administrative support services and facilities, 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 285m–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 deafness and other communication disorders, 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 related to Federal agencies involved in the implementation of such plan and with key non-Federal entities involved in activities affecting the control of such disorders.

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 Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Board shall be established not later than April 1, 1989.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 464D, as added Pub. L. 100–553, § 2(4), Oct. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 2772, and Pub. L. 100–690, title II, § 2613(a)(1), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4235; amended Pub. L. 100–690, title II, § 2613(b)(2), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4238; Pub. L. 101–93, § 5(b), Aug. 16, 1989, 103 Stat. 611; Pub. L. 102–405, title III, § 302(e)(1), Oct. 9, 1992, 106 Stat. 1985; Pub. L. 102–531, title III, § 312(d)(8), Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3504; Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, § 2008(b)(8), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 211; Pub. L. 109–482, title I, § 104(b)(1)(J), Jan. 15, 2007, 120 Stat. 3693.)