Advisory and Rulemaking Committees
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ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Advisory Committee – Any committee, board, commission, council, conference, panel, task force, or similar group, or any subcommittee or other subgroup thereof, which is established by statute or established or utilized by the President or any agency official for the purpose of obtaining advice or recommendations on issues or policies which are within the scope of his or her responsibilities, and has at least one member who is not a full-time officer or employee of the Federal Government.
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) – a formal standing advisory committee made up of representatives from aviation associations, aviation industry, public interest groups, advocacy groups, and interested members of the public. ARAC provides the FAA with information, advice, and recommendations. It is governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) – governs ARAC activities. It states that unless specified by a law or presidential directive, advisory committees must be used solely for advisory functions.
Executive Committee (EXCOM) - provides the overall administration of the ARAC. It consists of 18 members; the chair, the vice chair, the assistant chairs, the FAA executive director, the FAA director of aviation policy and planning, the FAA assistant chief counsel of regulations, and public interest representatives.
Topics – made up of ARAC members with interest in 11 specific subject areas. They are as follows:
- Air Carrier Operations
- Air Carrier/General Aviation Maintenance
- Air Traffic
- Aircraft Certification Procedures
- Airport Certification
- General Aviation Certification and Operations
- Noise Certification
- Occupant Safety
- Rotorcraft
- Training and Qualifications
- Transport Airplane and Engine
Tasks – The assigned actions to the committee. It is mandatory for the tasks to be published in the Federal Register.
Working Groups – Made up of individuals that volunteer to participate on a tasking. The working groups make recommendations to either the aeronautical technical subject area or directly to the EXCOM regarding the task at hand. The process of the working group is divided into the following phases:
- Task
- Working group formation
- Work plan/concept paper
- Recommendation paper
- FAA action
RULEMAKING COMMITTEES
Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) – An informal rulemaking committee established through the FAA Administrator to allow industry's participation in providing recommendations to the rulemaking process. Participants are invited by the FAA to the designated ARC. The intent is to have an ARC provide the FAA with recommended rulemaking language to solve a particular issue. It does not follow Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). However, the FAA must adhere to Administrative Procedure Act requirements if the ARC's activities affect a rulemaking project.
Charters – The assigned actions to the committee. Only the Administrator is allowed to issue a charter. It is optional to publish the charter in the Federal Register. The charter contains the objectives and the scope of the task at hand. It is where the FAA gives direction to the ARC about its workload, specific deadlines, and expected deliverables.