---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 7503"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "7503"
heading: "Advisory Panel"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/7503"
units:
  - "Chapter 101 — Nanotechnology Research and Development"
---

# §7503. Advisory Panel

- (a) **In general—** The President shall establish or designate a National [Nanotechnology](/usc/15/7509.md?p=2) [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1).
- (b) **Qualifications—** The [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1) established or designated by the President under [subsection (a)](#a) shall consist primarily of members from academic institutions and industry. Members of the [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1) shall be qualified to provide advice and information on [nanotechnology](/usc/15/7509.md?p=2) research, development, demonstrations, education, technology transfer, commercial application, or societal and ethical concerns. In selecting or designating an [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1), the President may also seek and give consideration to recommendations from the Congress, industry, the scientific community (including the National Academy of Sciences, scientific professional societies, and academia), the defense community, [State](/usc/15/15g.md?p=2) and [local governments](/usc/15/34.md?p=1), regional [nanotechnology](/usc/15/7509.md?p=2) [programs](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3), and other appropriate organizations.
- (c) **Duties—** The [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1) shall advise the President and the [Council](/usc/15/7509.md?p=4) on matters relating to the [Program](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3), including assessing—
  - (1) trends and developments in [nanotechnology](/usc/15/7509.md?p=2) science and engineering;
  - (2) progress made in implementing the [Program](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3);
  - (3) the need to revise the [Program](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3);
  - (4) the balance among the components of the [Program](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3), including funding levels for the [program component areas](/usc/15/7509.md?p=6);
  - (5) whether the [program component areas](/usc/15/7509.md?p=6), priorities, and technical goals developed by the [Council](/usc/15/7509.md?p=4) are helping to maintain United States leadership in [nanotechnology](/usc/15/7509.md?p=2);
  - (6) the management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the [Program](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3); and
  - (7) whether societal, ethical, legal, environmental, and workforce concerns are adequately addressed by the [Program](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3).
- (d) **Reports—** Not later than 4 years after the date of the most recent assessment under [subsection (c)](#c), and quadrennially thereafter, the [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1) shall submit to the President, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report its[^1] assessments under [subsection (c)](#c) and its recommendations for ways to improve the [Program](/usc/15/7509.md?p=3).
- (e) **Travel expenses of non-Federal members—** Non-Federal members of the [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1), while attending meetings of the [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1) or while otherwise serving at the request of the head of the [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1) away from their homes or regular places of business, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by [section 5703 of title 5](/usc/5/5703.md) for individuals in the government serving without pay. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit members of the [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1) who are officers or employees of the United States from being allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with existing law.
- (f) **Exemption from sunset—** [Section 1013 of title 5](/usc/5/1013.md) shall not apply to the [Advisory Panel](/usc/15/7509.md?p=1).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 108–153, § 4, Dec. 3, 2003, 117 Stat. 1927; Pub. L. 114–329, title II, § 204(b)(2), Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 2999; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(78), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4314.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “Section 1013 of title 5” for “Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act”.

2017—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–329 amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Advisory Panel shall report, not less frequently than once every 2 fiscal years, to the President on its assessments under subsection (c) and its recommendations for ways to improve the Program. The first report under this subsection shall be submitted within 1 year after December 3, 2003. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall transmit a copy of each report under this subsection to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Technology, the House of Representatives Committee on Science, and other appropriate committees of the Congress.”

### Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology to serve as the advisory panel identified in this section and to be known as the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel when performing the functions of such advisory committee, see section 3(b)(iv) of Ex. Ord. No. 14007, set out in a note under section 6601 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.