2012 US Code
Title 51 - National and Commercial Space Programs
Subtitle III - Administrative Provisions (§§ 30101 - 31505)
Chapter 311 - SAFETY (§§ 31101 - 31102)
Section 31101 - Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel

(a) Establishment and Members.—There is established an Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel consisting of a maximum of 9 members who shall be appointed by the Administrator for terms of 6 years each. Not more than 4 such members shall be chosen from among the officers and employees of the Administration.

(b) Chairman.—One member shall be designated by the Panel as its Chairman.

(c) Duties.—The Panel shall—

(1) review safety studies and operations plans referred to it, including evaluating the Administration's compliance with the return-to-flight and continue-to-fly recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, and make reports thereon;

(2) advise the Administrator and Congress with respect to—

(A) the hazards of proposed or existing facilities and proposed operations;

(B) the adequacy of proposed or existing safety standards; and

(C) management and culture related to safety; and

(3) perform such other duties as the Administrator may request.

(d) Compensation and Expenses.—

(1) Compensation.—

(A) Federal officers and employees.—A member of the Panel who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall receive no compensation for the member's services as such.

(B) Members appointed from outside the federal government.—A member of the Panel appointed from outside the Federal Government shall receive compensation, at a rate not to exceed the per diem rate equivalent to the maximum rate payable under section 5376 of title 5, for each day the member is engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the Panel.

(2) Expenses.—A member of the Panel shall be allowed necessary travel expenses (or in the alternative, mileage for use of a privately owned vehicle and a per diem in lieu of subsistence not to exceed the rate and amount prescribed in sections 5702 and 5704 of title 5), and other necessary expenses incurred by the member in the performance of duties vested in the Panel, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, the Standardized Government Travel Regulations, or section 5731 of title 5.

(e) Annual Report.—The Panel shall submit an annual report to the Administrator and to Congress. In the first annual report submitted after December 30, 2005, the Panel shall include an evaluation of the Administration's management and culture related to safety. Each annual report shall include an evaluation of the Administration's compliance with the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board through retirement of the space shuttle.

(Pub. L. 111–314, §3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3373.)

In subsection (d)(1)(B), the words “maximum rate payable under section 5376 of title 5” are substituted for “rate for GS–18” because of section 101(c) of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–509, 5 U.S.C. 5376 note).

In subsection (e), the date “December 30, 2005” is substituted for “the date of enactment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005” to reflect the date of enactment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–155, 119 Stat. 2895).