President's Council on Food Safety
Department of Agriculture Department of Health and Human Services Environmental Protection Agency Department of Commerce
U.S. Department
of Agriculture 		Department of Health
and Human Services 		Environmental
Protection Agency 		Department
of Commerce
- - - - - - -
Charter
December 16, 1998

Article I: Purpose.

On August 25, 1998, the President, by Executive Order 13100, established the President's Council on Food Safety ("Council") to improve the safety of the food supply through science-based regulation and well-coordinated inspection, enforcement, research, and education programs. The purpose of the Council is to protect the health of the American people by preventing foodborne illness through improving the safety of the food supply by means of science-based regulation and well-coordinated surveillance and investigation, inspection, enforcement, research, and educational programs. The Council is to: develop and update periodically a comprehensive strategic plan for Federal food safety activities; make recommendations to the President on how to implement the comprehensive strategy and enhance coordination among Federal agencies, State, local and tribal governments, and the private sector; advise Federal agencies in setting priority areas for investment in food safety and developing a coordinated food safety budget for the Administration; and to oversee research efforts of the Joint Institute for Food Safety Research. The President also directed the Council to evaluate and report back to him on the proposals contained in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on food safety.

This Charter provides the basis for collaboration among the members of the Council in carrying out its responsibilities as set forth in the Executive Order.

Article II: Membership

The following individuals shall be members of the Council:

  1. Secretary of Agriculture,
  2. Secretary of Commerce,
  3. Secretary of Health and Human Services,
  4. Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
  5. Director of the Office of Management and Budget,
  6. Assistant to the President for Science and Technology/Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy,
  7. Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and
  8. Director of the National Partnership for Reinventing Government.

Each member may designate a senior Federal employee to serve as an alternate representative to perform the duties of the Council member.

Article III: Co-Chairs

The Secretaries of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services and the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology/Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, or their designated alternates, shall serve as co-chairs of the Council.

The co-chairs shall provide leadership and direction to the Council, and coordinate the formation and schedule of standing committees. Each meeting will be led by one co-chair, and this responsibility shall rotate quarterly among the co-chairs.

Article IV: Staff Support Services

Staff support services for the activities of the Council will be provided by the Co-Chairs through a Secretariat, which will consist of a senior Federal employee from the Department of Agriculture and one from the Department of Health and Human Services. Other members may provide additional staff support services, as necessary. The Secretariat will facilitate planning, coordination, and communication among Council members.

Article V: Meetings

The Council shall meet on a quarterly basis at a time and location chosen by the co-chairs. Additional meetings may be held at the call of the co-chairs or at the request of a majority of the members.

A majority of the Council membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. All decisions made by the Council at the meetings shall be by consensus defined as substantial agreement as determined by the chair.

The Secretariat will prepare updates of the Council's activities and make the information available for public inspection and copying and on the Council Internet web site.

The Council will prepare a report for submission to the President on March 1 of each year. The report will contain, at a minimum, a description of the Council's activities and accomplishments during the preceding fiscal year, a description of the planned activities for the coming year, a review of strategic planning objectives, and progress made toward accomplishing those objectives.

Article VI: Duties and Responsibilities

The specific responsibilities of the Council are to:

  1. Develop and update periodically a comprehensive strategic Federal food safety plan ("plan") to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness and its chronic sequelae by further enhancing the safety of the nation's food supply and monitoring the impact of these enhancements. The plan will address public health, resource, and management questions facing Federal food safety agencies and will focus on the full range of food safety issues, including the needs of regulatory agencies and the actions necessary to ensure the safety of the food Americans consume. The planning process will consider both short-term and long-term issues including new and emerging threats to the nation's food supply and the special needs of vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. In developing this plan, the Council will take into consideration the findings and recommendations of the NAS report "Ensuring Safe Food from Production to Consumption" and the review of Federal food safety research by the interagency working group under the auspices of the National Science and Technology Council.

    The strategic plan will help set priorities, improve coordination and efficiency, identify gaps in the current system and ways to fill those gaps, enhance and strengthen prevention and intervention strategies, and identify reliable measures to indicate progress.

    The Council will conduct public meetings to engage consumers, producers, industry, food service providers, retailers, health professionals, State and local governments, Tribes, academia, and the public in the strategic planning process.

  2. Consistent with the strategic plan, advise Federal agencies of priority areas for investment in food safety and work with member agencies in developing annual food safety budgets for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to sustain and strengthen priority activities on food safety, eliminate duplication, and ensure the most effective use of resources for achieving the goals of the plan.

  3. Oversee the Joint Institute for Food Safety Research (JIFSR). The Council will evaluate the reports from JIFSR on food safety research activities and give direction to JIFSR on research needed to establish the most effective possible food safety system.

  4. Evaluate and report to the President on the NAS report, "Ensuring Safe Food from Production to Consumption". After providing opportunity for public comment, including public meetings, the Council will, by February 21, 1999, report to the President on the Council's response to and recommendations concerning the NAS report and appropriate additional actions to improve food safety.

Article VII: Committees

The co-chairs, after consultation with Council members, shall establish committees of Council members, their alternates, or other Federal employees, as they deem necessary, to facilitate and carry out effectively the responsibilities of the Council. Such committees shall report to the Council.

The following committee shall be established by the co-chairs:

JIFSR Executive Research Committee

This committee will evaluate the reports from the JIFSR on its efforts to coordinate food safety research and make recommendations to the Council regarding research needed to establish the most effective possible food safety system.

Article VIII: Web Site

The Council shall establish an Internet web site. The Department of Agriculture shall be the system owner of the web site and shall be responsible for maintaining it. The Council website will provide links to websites of all federal agencies having food safety responsibilities.

Article IX: Effective Date

This Charter shall become effective on the latest date affixed below and may be modified with supplemental agreements signed by all the members of the Council.

December 16, 1998


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