---
kind: "section"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 387q"
title: "21"
title_heading: "Food and Drugs"
number: "387q"
heading: "Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/21/387q"
units:
  - "Chapter 9 — Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act"
  - "Subchapter IX — Tobacco Products"
---

# §387q. Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee

- (a) **Establishment—** Not later than 6 months after June 22, 2009, the [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d) shall establish a 12-member [advisory committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1), to be known as the [Tobacco Products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) Scientific [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1) (in this section referred to as the “[Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1)”).
- (b) **Membership—**
  - (1) **In general—**
    - (A) **Members—** The [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d) shall appoint as members of the [Tobacco Products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) Scientific [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1) individuals who are technically qualified by training and experience in medicine, medical ethics, science, or technology involving the manufacture, evaluation, or use of [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1), who are of appropriately diversified professional backgrounds. The committee shall be composed of—
      - (i) 7 individuals who are physicians, dentists, scientists, or health care professionals practicing in the area of oncology, pulmonology, cardiology, toxicology, pharmacology, addiction, or any other relevant specialty;
      - (ii) 1 individual who is an officer or employee of a [State](/usc/21/387.md?p=19) or local government or of the Federal Government;
      - (iii) 1 individual as a representative of the general public;
      - (iv) 1 individual as a representative of the interests of the tobacco manufacturing industry;
      - (v) 1 individual as a representative of the interests of the small business tobacco manufacturing industry, which position may be filled on a rotating, sequential basis by representatives of different small business tobacco [manufacturers](/usc/21/360hh.md?p=3) based on areas of expertise relevant to the topics being considered by the [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1); and
      - (vi) 1 individual as a representative of the interests of the tobacco growers.
    - (B) **Nonvoting members—** The members of the committee appointed under clauses [(iv)](#b-1-A-iv), [(v)](#b-1-A-v), and [(vi)](#b-1-A-vi) of subparagraph (A) shall serve as consultants to those described in clauses [(i)](#b-1-A-i) through [(iii)](#b-1-A-iii) of subparagraph (A) and shall be nonvoting representatives.
    - (C) **Conflicts of interest—** No members of the committee, other than members appointed pursuant to clauses [(iv)](#b-1-A-iv), [(v)](#b-1-A-v), and [(vi)](#b-1-A-vi) of subparagraph (A) shall, during the member’s tenure on the committee or for the 18-month period prior to becoming such a member, receive any salary, grants, or other payments or support from any business that manufactures, [distributes](/usc/21/360eee.md?p=5), markets, or sells [cigarettes](/usc/21/387.md?p=3) or other [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1).
  - (2) **Limitation—** The [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d) may not appoint to the [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1) any individual who is in the regular full-time employ of the [Food](/usc/21/321.md?p=f) and [Drug](/usc/21/321.md?p=g-1) Administration or any agency responsible for the enforcement of this chapter. The [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d) may appoint Federal officials as ex officio members.
  - (3) **Chairperson—** The [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d) shall designate 1 of the members appointed under clauses [(i)](#b-1-A-i), [(ii)](#b-1-A-ii), and [(iii)](#b-1-A-iii) of paragraph (1)(A) to serve as chairperson.
- (c) **Duties—** The [Tobacco Products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) Scientific [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1) shall provide advice, information, and recommendations to the [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d)—
  - (1) as provided in this subchapter;
  - (2) on the effects of the alteration of the [nicotine](/usc/21/387.md?p=12) yields from [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1);
  - (3) on whether there is a threshold level below which [nicotine](/usc/21/387.md?p=12) yields do not produce dependence on the [tobacco product](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) involved; and
  - (4) on its review of other safety, dependence, or health issues relating to [tobacco products](/usc/21/321.md?p=rr-1) as requested by the [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d).
- (d) **Compensation; support; chapter 10 of title 5—**
  - (1) **Compensation and travel—** Members of the [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1) who are not officers or employees of the [United States](/usc/21/387.md?p=22), while attending conferences or meetings of the committee or otherwise engaged in its business, shall be entitled to receive compensation at rates to be fixed by the [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d), which may not exceed the daily equivalent of the rate in effect under the Senior Executive Schedule under [section 5382 of title 5](/usc/5/5382.md), for each day (including travel time) they are so engaged; and while so serving away from their homes or regular places of business each member may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as [authorized](/usc/21/360eee.md?p=2) by [section 5703 of title 5](/usc/5/5703.md) for [persons](/usc/21/321.md?p=e) in the Government service employed intermittently.
  - (2) **Administrative support—** The [Secretary](/usc/21/321.md?p=d) shall furnish the [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1) clerical and other assistance.
  - (3) **Nonapplication of chapter 10 of title 5—** [Section 1013 of title 5](/usc/5/1013.md) does not apply to the [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1).
- (e) **Proceedings of advisory panels and committees—** The [Advisory Committee](/usc/21/360fff.md?p=1) shall make and maintain a transcript of any proceeding of the panel or committee. Each such panel and committee shall delete from any transcript made under this subsection information which is exempt from disclosure under [section 552(b) of title 5](/usc/5/552.md?p=b).

## Source credit

(June 25, 1938, ch. 675, § 917, as added Pub. L. 111–31, div. A, title I, § 101(b)(3), June 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1824; amended Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(160), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4323.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(160)(A), substituted “chapter 10 of title 5” for “FACA” in heading.

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(160)(B), substituted “chapter 10 of title 5” for “FACA” in heading and “Section 1013 of title 5” for “Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act” in text.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Modification of Deadlines for Secretarial Action

With respect to any time periods specified in an amendment by div. A of Pub. L. 111–31 that begin on June 22, 2009, within which the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to carry out and complete specified activities, with certain limitations, the calculation of such time periods shall commence on the first day of the first fiscal quarter following the initial 2 consecutive fiscal quarters of fiscal year 2010 for which the Secretary has collected fees under section 387s of this title, and the Secretary may extend or reduce the duration of one or more such time periods, except that no such period shall be extended for more than 90 days, see section 6 of Pub. L. 111–31, set out as a note under section 387 of this title.