Federal advisory committees are a key component of CDC’s overall strategy to achieve stakeholder and public engagement in its efforts and commitment to improve people’s health.
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (P.L. 92-463) provides a mechanism for experts and stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process, offering advice and recommendations to the Federal government as members of advisory committees. The important contribution made by Federal advisory committees is overseen at the highest levels of government: the Congress, the President of the United States and the General Services Administrator (through authority delegated by the President). At the CDC, advisory committee activity is overseen by the Management Analysis and Services Office.
Currently, twenty-one federal advisory committees provide advice and recommendations on a broad range of public health issues to help the agency achieve its mission to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Among the program areas our committees deliberate on are occupational and environmental health, healthcare infection control and clinical laboratory standards, smoking, breast and cervical cancer, HIV, STDs and Tuberculosis, childhood and adult immunizations, and injury prevention and control.
The purpose of the CDC Tribal Consultation Advisory Committee (TCAC), a FACA Exempt Agency Advisory Committee, is to provide a complementary venue wherein tribal representatives and CDC staff will exchange information about public health issues in Indian country, identify urgent public health needs in AI/AN communities, and discuss collaborative approaches to addressing these issues and needs. The CDC TCAC will support, and not supplant any other government-to-government consultation activities that CDC undertakes.
The Intergovernmental Exemption to FACA |
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to actions in support of intergovernmental communications where (1) meetings are held exclusively between Federal officials and elected officers of State, local, and tribal governments (or their designated employees with authority to act on their behalf) acting in their official capacities; and (2) such meetings are solely for the purposes of exchanging views, information, or advice relating to the management or implementation of Federal programs established pursuant to public law that explicitly or inherently share intergovernmental responsibilities or administration. (2 U.S.C. 1534(b)) |