§2. Findings and purpose

(a) The Congress finds that there are numerous committees, boards, commissions, councils, and similar groups which have been established to advise officers and agencies in the executive branch of the Federal Government and that they are frequently a useful and beneficial means of furnishing expert advice, ideas, and diverse opinions to the Federal Government.

(b) The Congress further finds and declares that—

(1) the need for many existing advisory committees has not been adequately reviewed:

(2) new advisory committees should be established only when they are determined to be essential and their number should be kept to the minimum necessary;

(3) advisory committees should be terminated when they are no longer carrying out the purposes for which they were established;

(4) standards and uniform procedures should govern the establishment, operation, administration, and duration of advisory committees;

(5) the Congress and the public should be kept informed with respect to the number, purpose, membership, activities, and cost of advisory committees; and

(6) the function of advisory committees should be advisory only, and that all matters under their consideration should be determined, in accordance with law, by the official, agency, or officer involved.

(Pub. L. 92–463, §2, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770.)

Executive Order No. 11686

Ex. Ord. No. 11686, Oct. 7, 1972, 37 F.R. 21421, which related to committee management, was superseded by Ex. Ord. No. 11769, Feb. 21, 1974, 39 F.R. 7125, formerly set out below.

Executive Order No. 11769

Ex. Ord. No. 11769, Feb. 21, 1974, 39 F.R. 7125, which related to committee management, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12024, Dec. 1, 1977, 42 F.R. 61445, set out below.

Ex. Ord. No. 12024. Transfer of Certain Advisory Committee Functions

Ex. Ord. No. 12024, Dec. 1, 1977, 42 F.R. 61445, provided:

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States of America, including the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code, Section 202 of the Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 581c) [31 U.S.C. 1531], and Section 7 of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1977 (42 F.R. 56101 (October 21, 1977)) [set out in this Appendix], and as President of the United States of America, in accord with the transfer of advisory committee functions from the Office of Management and Budget to the General Services Administration provided by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1977, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. The transfer, provided by Section 5F of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1977 (42 F.R. 56101) [set out in this Appendix], of certain functions under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), from the Office of Management and Budget and its Director to the Administrator of General Services is hereby effective.

Sec. 2. There is hereby delegated to the Administrator of General Services all the functions vested in the President by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, except that, the annual report to the Congress required by Section 6(c) of that Act shall be prepared by the Administrator for the President's consideration and transmittal to the Congress.

Sec. 3. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall take all actions necessary or appropriate to effectuate the transfer of functions provided in this Order, including the transfer of funds, personnel and positions, assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and other items related to the functions transferred.

Sec. 4. Executive Order No. 11769 of February 21, 1974 is hereby revoked.

Sec. 5. Any rules, regulations, orders, directives, circulars, or other actions taken pursuant to the functions transferred or reassigned as provided in this Order from the Office of Management and Budget to the Administrator of General Services, shall remain in effect as if issued by the Administrator until amended, modified, or revoked.

Sec. 6. This Order shall be effective November 20, 1977.

Jimmy Carter.      

Lobbyists on Agency Boards and Commissions

Memorandum of President of the United States, June 18, 2010, 75 F.R. 35955, provided:

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

My Administration is committed to reducing the undue influence of special interests that for too long has shaped the national agenda and drowned out the voices of ordinary Americans. Special interests exert this disproportionate influence, in part, by relying on lobbyists who have special access that is not available to all citizens. Although lobbyists can sometimes play a constructive role by communicating information to the government, their service in privileged positions within the executive branch can perpetuate the culture of special-interest access that I am committed to changing.

On the day after my inauguration, I signed Executive Order 13490, which places strict limits on the ability of lobbyists to serve in Government positions related to their prior lobbying activities. Last September, we took another step to close the revolving door through which lobbyists enter and exit Government positions when we announced that my Administration aspires to keep Federal agencies’ advisory boards free of federally registered lobbyists. Many departments and agencies are making this aspiration a reality by no longer placing federally registered lobbyists on advisory boards—a practice that I am now establishing as the official policy of my Administration.

Accordingly, I hereby direct the heads of executive departments and agencies not to make any new appointments or reappointments of federally registered lobbyists to advisory committees and other boards and commissions. Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall issue proposed guidance designed to implement this policy to the full extent permitted by law. The final guidance shall be issued following public comment on the proposed guidance.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

Barack Obama.