2001 US Code
Title 20 - EDUCATION
CHAPTER 34 - NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
Sec. 1504 - Functions and powers

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§1504. Functions and powers (a) Advice to President and Congress; studies and surveys, plans; annual report

The Commission shall have the primary responsibility for developing or recommending overall plans for, and advising the appropriate governments and agencies on, the policy set forth in section 1501 of this title. In carrying out that responsibility, the Commission shall—

(1) advise the President and the Congress on the implementation of national policy by such statements, presentations, and reports as it deems appropriate;

(2) conduct studies, surveys, and analyses of the library and informational needs of the Nation, including the special library and informational needs of rural areas, of economically, socially, or culturally deprived persons, and of elderly persons, and the means by which these needs may be met through information centers, through the libraries of elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education, and through public, research, special, and other types of libraries;

(3) appraise the adequacies and deficiencies of current library and information resources and services and evaluate the effectiveness of current library and information science programs;

(4) develop overall plans for meeting national library and informational needs and for the coordination of activities at the Federal, State, and local levels, taking into consideration all of the library and informational resources of the Nation to meet those needs;

(5) be authorized to advise Federal, State, local, and private agencies regarding library and information sciences;

(6) promote research and development activities which will extend and improve the Nation's library and information-handling capability as essential links in national and international communications and cooperative networks;

(7) submit to the President and the Congress (not later than January 31 of each year) a report on its activities during the preceding fiscal year; and

(8) make and publish such additional reports as it deems to be necessary, including, but not limited to, reports of consultants, transcripts of testimony, summary reports, and reports of other Commission findings, studies, and recommendations.

(b) Advice to Director of Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Commission shall have the responsibility to advise the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services on general policies with respect to the duties, powers, and authority of the Institute of Museum and Library Services relating to library services, including—

(1) general policies with respect to—

(A) financial assistance awarded under the Museum and Library Services Act [20 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.] for library services; and

(B) projects described in section 262(a)(4) of such Act [20 U.S.C. 9162(a)(4)]; and

(2) measures to ensure that the policies and activities of the Institute of Museum and Library Services are coordinated with other activities of the Federal Government.

(c) Joint meeting with National Museum Services Board

(1) The Commission shall meet not less than 1 time each year in a joint meeting with the National Museum Services Board, convened for purposes of providing advice on general policy with respect to financial assistance for projects described in section 262(a)(4) of such Act [20 U.S.C. 9162(a)(4)].

(2) All decisions by the Commission and the National Museum Services Board with respect to the advice on general policy described in paragraph (1) shall be made by a 2/3 majority vote of the total number of the members of the Commission and the National Museum Services Board who are present.

(3) A majority of the members of the Commission and a majority of the members of the National Museum Services Board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business at official joint meetings of the Commission and the National Museum Services Board.

(d) Contract authority

The Commission is authorized to contract with Federal agencies and other public and private agencies to carry out any of its functions under subsection (a) of this section and to publish and disseminate such reports, findings, studies, and records as it deems appropriate.

(e) Hearings

The Commission is further authorized to conduct such hearings at such times and places as it deems appropriate for carrying out the purposes of this chapter.

(f) Cooperation with other agencies

The heads of all Federal agencies are, to the extent not prohibited by law, directed to cooperate with the Commission in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.

(Pub. L. 91–345, §5, July 20, 1970, 84 Stat. 441; Pub. L. 93–29, title VIII, §802(a), May 3, 1973, 87 Stat. 59; Pub. L. 102–95, §4, Aug. 14, 1991, 105 Stat. 479; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, §101(e) [title VII, §703(a)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009–306.)

References in Text

The Museum and Library Services Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(A), is title II of Pub. L. 94–462, as added by Pub. L. 104–208, title I, §101(e) [title VII, §702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009–294, which is classified generally to chapter 72 (§9101 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9101 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1996—Subsecs. (b) to (f). Pub. L. 104–208 added subsecs. (b) and (c) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) to (d) as (d) to (f), respectively.

1991—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 102–95 substituted “national and international communications and cooperative networks” for “the national communications networks”.

1973—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 93–29 required the Commission to conduct studies, surveys, and analyses of the special library and informational needs of elderly persons.

Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec. (a)(7) of this section relating to submitting annual report to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and page 181 of House Document No. 103–7.