---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 3616"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "3616"
heading: "Joint Commission on the Environment"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/3616"
units:
  - "Chapter 51 — Panama Canal"
  - "Subchapter I — Administration and Regulations"
  - "Part 1"
---

# §3616. Joint Commission on the Environment

- (a) **Establishment; composition—** The United States and the Republic of Panama, in accordance with the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, shall establish a Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) on the Environment (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2)”) to be composed of not more than three representatives of the United States and three representatives of the Republic of Panama, or such other equivalent numbers of representatives as may be agreed upon by the Governments of the two countries. The United States members of the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) shall periodically review the implementation of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 with respect to its impact on the environment and shall, jointly with the representatives of the Government of Panama, make recommendations to the United States Government and the Government of the Republic of Panama with respect to ways to avoid or mitigate adverse environmental impacts resulting from actions taken pursuant to such Treaty.
- (b) **Appointment; compensation and travel expenses—** Representatives of the United States on the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) shall be appointed by the President and shall serve at the pleasure of the President. Such representatives shall serve without compensation but shall be allowed travel or transportation expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with [section 3617 of this title](/usc/22/3617.md).
- (c) **Protection of pay, seniority, or other rights or benefits of appointed or detailed Federal employees—** Any Federal employee subject to the civil service laws and regulations who is detailed to serve with, or appointed by, the United States representatives on the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) shall not lose any pay, seniority, or other rights or benefits by reason of such detail or appointment.
- (d) **Compensation of necessary personnel—** The United States representatives on the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) may, to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in advance in appropriation Acts, appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as the representatives of the United States on the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) may consider necessary for the participation of the United States on the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2).
- (e) **Rules of procedure; establishment; approval—** The United States representatives on the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) may, in cooperation with the representatives of the Republic of Panama on the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2), establish rules of procedure to be used by the Joint [Commission](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=2) in conducting its affairs, subject to the approval of such rules by the Governments of the United States and the Republic of Panama.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1106, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 457.)