Charter 2015
Authority
Authorized by 42 U.S.C. 280i-2, section 399CC of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (Committee) is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. app.), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.
Objectives and Scope of Activities
The Committee will (1) monitor autism spectrum disorder research, and to the extent practicable, services and support activities, across all relevant Federal departments and agencies, including coordination of Federal activities with respect to autism spectrum disorder; (2) develop a summary of advances in autism spectrum disorder research related to causes, prevention, treatment, early screening, diagnosis or ruling out a diagnosis; interventions, including school and community-based interventions, and access to services and supports for individuals with autism spectrum disorder; (3) make recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) regarding any appropriate changes to such activities, including with respect to the strategic plan; (4) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding public participation in decisions relating to autism spectrum disorder, and the process by which public feedback can be better integrated into such decisions; (5) develop a strategic plan for the conduct of, and support for, autism spectrum disorder research, including, as practicable, for services and supports, for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder and the families of such individuals, which shall include (A) proposed budgetary requirements; and (B) recommendations to ensure that autism spectrum disorder research, and services and support activities, to the extent practicable, of the Department of Health and Human Services and of other Federal departments and agencies are not unnecessarily duplicative; and (6) submit to the Congress and the President: (A) an annual update on the summary of advances described in paragraph (2); and (B) an annual update to the strategic plan described in paragraph (5), including any progress made in achieving the goals outlined in such strategic plan.
Description of Duties
The Committee will coordinate all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services concerning autism spectrum disorder. The Committee's primary mission is to provide advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on matters concerning autism spectrum disorder and to facilitate the efficient and effective exchange of information on autism activities among the member agencies in order to enhance coordination of autism-related programs and activities. The Committee will assist in increasing public understanding of the member agencies' activities, programs, policies and research and will serve as a public forum for discussion of issues related to autism spectrum disorder.
Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports
The Committee makes recommendations to the Secretary and submits to the Congress and the President an annual update on the summary of advances and an annual update to the strategic plan.
Support
Management and support services will be provided by the Office of the Director, National Institute of Mental Health.
Estimated Annual Operating Cost and Staff Years
The estimated annual cost for operating the Committee, including compensation and travel expenses for members but excluding staff support is $881,096. The estimated annual person-years of staff support required are 4 at an estimated annual cost of $501, 914.
Designated Federal Officer
The Director, National Institute of Mental Health, will assign a full-time or permanent part-time NIH employee as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) of the Committee. In the event that the DFO cannot fulfill the assigned duties of the Committee, one or more full-time or permanent part-time NIH employees will be assigned these duties on a temporary basis.
The Committee will meet at the call of the chairperson or upon the request of the Secretary. The DFO will prepare and approve all meeting agendas, attend all committee and subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting when it is determined to be in the public interest, and chair meetings when directed to do so by the Director, NIH, or the Director, NIMH.
Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings
Meetings of the full Committee will be held not less than 2 times within a fiscal year. Meetings will be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Secretary in accordance with subsection (c) of section 552b of Title 5, U.S.C. Notice of all meetings will be given to the public. In the event a portion of a meeting is closed to the public, as determined by the Secretary, in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b(c)) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, a report will be prepared which will contain, as a minimum, a list of the members and their business addresses, the Committee's function's, dates and places of meetings, and a summary of the Committee's activities and recommendations made during the fiscal year. A copy of the report will be provided to the Department Committee Management Officer.
Duration
Continuing.
Termination Date
In accordance with the Committee's statutory authority, the Committee will terminate on September 30, 2019. Unless renewed by appropriate action prior to its expiration, the charter for the Committee will expire two-years from the date it is filed.
Membership and Designation
This Committee will consist of Federal members listed below, or their designees, and non-Federal public members. The authority to select the Federal members of the Committee is delegated to the Director, National Institute of Mental Health, and the authority to select the chair is delegated to the Director, National Institutes of Health.
Federal Membership: The Committee will be composed of the following Federal members:
- The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
- The Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Directors of such national research institutes of the National Institutes of Health as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) determines appropriate;
- The heads of such other agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate, such as the Administration for Community Living, Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Health Resources and Services Administration; and
- Representatives of other Federal Governmental departments and agencies that serve individuals with autism spectrum disorder such as the Department of Education and the Department of Defense.
Non-Federal Membership: Not more than ½, but not fewer than 1/3, of the total membership of the committee will be composed of non-Federal public members appointed by the Secretary. Non-Federal public members appointed to the Committee will serve for a term of four years, and may be reappointed for one or more additional four year terms. A member may serve after the expiration of the member's term until a successor has been appointed. All non-Federal members serve as Special Government Employees of which:
- At least two such members will be individuals with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder;
- At least two such members will be parents or legal guardians of an individual with an autism spectrum disorder; and
- At least two such members will be representatives of leading research, advocacy, and service organizations for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
A quorum for the conduct of business by the full Committee will consist of a majority of currently appointed members. None of these members serve as Representatives.
The Chair of the Committee will provide leadership to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, serve as a principal advisor to the Secretary on issues related to autism spectrum disorder, and will provide advice, as appropriate, to the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of NIH, and the heads of other relevant federal agencies. The Director, NIH, will select the Chair for a term not to exceed two years, with the option for renewal for one or more additional 2-year terms.
Subcommittees
As necessary, subcommittees and ad hoc working groups may be established by the Committee and workshops and conferences may be convened by the committee. The advice/ recommendations of a subcommittee/working group must be deliberated by the parent advisory Committee. A subcommittee may not report directly to a Federal official unless there is statutory authority to do so.
All subcommittees will be composed of Committee members and may hold such meetings as are necessary to enable the subcommittees to carry out their duties. All subcommittee members may vote on subcommittee actions and all subcommittee members count towards the quorum for a subcommittee meeting. Special consultants and ad hoc members may be called upon to perform functions within the Committee's jurisdiction. Ad hoc consultants do not count towards the quorum and may not vote. A quorum for a subcommittee will be three members. The Department Committee Management Officer will be notified upon establishment of each standing subcommittee and will be provided information on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.
Recordkeeping
Meetings of the committee and its subcommittees will be conducted according to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, other applicable laws and Departmental policies. Committee and subcommittee records will be handled in accordance with General Records Schedule 26, Item 2 or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These records will be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
Filing Date
September 30, 2014
Approved
September 23, 2014
Dr. Thomas R. Insel
Director, NIMH
