---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1445a"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1445a"
heading: "Advisory Councils"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1445a"
units:
  - "Chapter 32 — Marine Sanctuaries"
---

# §1445a. Advisory Councils

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1432.md?p=4) may establish one or more advisory councils (in this section referred to as an “Advisory Council”) to advise and make recommendations to the [Secretary](/usc/16/1432.md?p=4) regarding the designation and management of national marine sanctuaries. The Advisory Councils shall be exempt from chapter 10 of title 5.
- (b) **Membership—** Members of the Advisory Councils may be appointed from among—
  - (1) [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) employed by Federal or [State](/usc/16/1432.md?p=5) agencies with expertise in management of natural resources;
  - (2) members of relevant Regional Fishery Management Councils established under [section 1852 of this title](/usc/16/1852.md); and
  - (3) representatives of local user groups, conservation and other public interest organizations, scientific organizations, educational organizations, or others interested in the protection and [multiple use](/usc/16/531.md?p=a) management of [sanctuary resources](/usc/16/1432.md?p=8).
- (c) **Limits on membership—** For sanctuaries designated after November 4, 1992, the membership of Advisory Councils shall be limited to no more than 15 members.
- (d) **Staffing and assistance—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1432.md?p=4) may make available to an Advisory Council any staff, information, administrative services, or assistance the [Secretary](/usc/16/1432.md?p=4) determines are reasonably required to enable the Advisory Council to carry out its functions.
- (e) **Public participation and procedural matters—** The following guidelines apply with respect to the conduct of business meetings of an Advisory Council:
  - (1) Each meeting shall be open to the public, and interested [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) shall be permitted to present oral or written statements on items on the agenda.
  - (2) Emergency meetings may be held at the call of the chairman or presiding officer.
  - (3) Timely notice of each meeting, including the time, place, and agenda of the meeting, shall be published locally and in the Federal Register, except that in the case of a meeting of an Advisory Council established to provide assistance regarding any individual national marine sanctuary the notice is not required to be published in the Federal Register.
  - (4) Minutes of each meeting shall be kept and contain a summary of the attendees and matters discussed.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 92–532, title III, § 315, as added Pub. L. 102–587, title II, § 2112, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5046; amended Pub. L. 104–283, §§ 5, 9(f), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3363, 3368; Pub. L. 106–513, §§ 16, 19(b)(5), Nov. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 2391, 2393; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(112), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4318.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “chapter 10 of title 5.” for “the Federal Advisory Committee Act.”

2000—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–513, § 16, substituted “advise and make recommendations” for “provide assistance”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 106–513, § 19(b)(5), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 1852 of this title.

1996—Pub. L. 104–283, § 9(f), made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 102–587, § 2112, which added this section.

Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 104–283, § 5, inserted before period at end “, except that in the case of a meeting of an Advisory Council established to provide assistance regarding any individual national marine sanctuary the notice is not required to be published in the Federal Register”.