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6 U.S.C. § 204 — Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee

Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
  1. (a)EstablishmentThe Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (referred to in this section as “Administrator”) shall establish within the Transportation Security Administration the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee (referred to in this section as the “Advisory Committee”).
  2. (b)Duties
    1. (1)In generalThe Advisory Committee may advise, consult with, report to, and make recommendations to the Administrator on surface transportation security matters, including the development, refinement, and implementation of policies, programs, initiatives, rulemakings, and security directives pertaining to surface transportation security.
    2. (2)Risk-based securityThe Advisory Committee shall consider risk-based security approaches in the performance of its duties.
  3. (c)Membership
    1. (1)CompositionThe Advisory Committee shall be composed of—
      1. (A)voting members appointed by the Administrator under paragraph (2); and
      2. (B)nonvoting members, serving in an advisory capacity, who shall be designated by—
        1. (i)the Transportation Security Administration;
        2. (ii)the Department of Transportation;
        3. (iii)the Coast Guard; and
        4. (iv)such other Federal department or agency as the Administrator considers appropriate.
    2. (2)AppointmentThe Administrator shall appoint voting members from among stakeholders representing each mode of surface transportation, such as passenger rail, freight rail, mass transit, pipelines, highways, over-the-road bus, school bus industry, and trucking, including representatives from—
      1. (A)associations representing such modes of surface transportation;
      2. (B)labor organizations representing such modes of surface transportation;
      3. (C)groups representing the users of such modes of surface transportation, including asset manufacturers, as appropriate;
      4. (D)relevant law enforcement, first responders, and security experts; and
      5. (E)such other groups as the Administrator considers appropriate.
    3. (3)ChairpersonThe Advisory Committee shall select a chairperson from among its voting members.
    4. (4)Term of office
      1. (A)Terms
        1. (i)In generalThe term of each voting member of the Advisory Committee shall be 2 years, but a voting member may continue to serve until the Administrator appoints a successor.
        2. (ii)ReappointmentA voting member of the Advisory Committee may be reappointed.
      2. (B)Removal
        1. (i)In generalThe Administrator may review the participation of a member of the Advisory Committee and remove such member for cause at any time.
        2. (ii)Access to informationThe Administrator may remove any member of the Advisory Committee that the Administrator determines should be restricted from reviewing, discussing, or possessing classified information or sensitive security information.
    5. (5)Prohibition on compensationThe members of the Advisory Committee shall not receive any compensation from the Government by reason of their service on the Advisory Committee.
    6. (6)Meetings
      1. (A)In generalThe Administrator shall require the Advisory Committee to meet at least semiannually in person or through web conferencing and may convene additional meetings as necessary.
      2. (B)Public meetingsAt least 1 of the meetings of the Advisory Committee each year shall be—
        1. (i)announced in the Federal Register;
        2. (ii)announced on a public website; and
        3. (iii)open to the public.
      3. (C)AttendanceThe Advisory Committee shall maintain a record of the persons present at each meeting.
      4. (D)Minutes
        1. (i)In generalUnless otherwise prohibited by other Federal law, minutes of the meetings shall be published on the public website under subsection (e)(5).
        2. (ii)Protection of classified and sensitive informationThe Advisory Committee may redact or summarize, as necessary, minutes of the meetings to protect classified or other sensitive information in accordance with law.
    7. (7)Voting member access to classified and sensitive security information
      1. (A)DeterminationsNot later than 60 days after the date on which a voting member is appointed to the Advisory Committee and before that voting member may be granted any access to classified information or sensitive security information, the Administrator shall determine if the voting member should be restricted from reviewing, discussing, or possessing classified information or sensitive security information.
      2. (B)Access
        1. (i)Sensitive security informationIf a voting member is not restricted from reviewing, discussing, or possessing sensitive security information under subparagraph (A) and voluntarily signs a nondisclosure agreement, the voting member may be granted access to sensitive security information that is relevant to the voting member’s service on the Advisory Committee.
        2. (ii)Classified informationAccess to classified materials shall be managed in accordance with Executive Order 13526 of December 29, 2009 (75 Fed. Reg. 707), or any subsequent corresponding Executive order.
      3. (C)Protections
        1. (i)Sensitive security informationVoting members shall protect sensitive security information in accordance with part 1520 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations.
        2. (ii)Classified informationVoting members shall protect classified information in accordance with the applicable requirements for the particular level of classification.
    8. (8)Joint committee meetingsThe Advisory Committee may meet with 1 or more of the following advisory committees to discuss multimodal security issues and other security-related issues of common concern:
      1. (A)Aviation Security Advisory Committee established under section 44946 of title 49.
      2. (B)Maritime Security Advisory Committee established under section 70112 of title 46.
      3. (C)Railroad Safety Advisory Committee established by the Federal Railroad Administration.
    9. (9)Subject matter expertsThe Advisory Committee may request the assistance of subject matter experts with expertise related to the jurisdiction of the Advisory Committee.
  4. (d)Reports
    1. (1)Periodic reportsThe Advisory Committee shall periodically submit reports to the Administrator on matters requested by the Administrator or by a majority of the members of the Advisory Committee.
    2. (2)Annual report
      1. (A)SubmissionThe Advisory Committee shall submit to the Administrator and the appropriate congressional committees an annual report that provides information on the activities, findings, and recommendations of the Advisory Committee during the preceding year.
      2. (B)PublicationNot later than 6 months after the date that the Administrator receives an annual report under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall publish a public version of the report, in accordance with section 552a(b) of title 5.
  5. (e)Administration response
    1. (1)ConsiderationThe Administrator shall consider the information, advice, and recommendations of the Advisory Committee in formulating policies, programs, initiatives, rulemakings, and security directives pertaining to surface transportation security.
    2. (2)FeedbackNot later than 90 days after the date that the Administrator receives a recommendation from the Advisory Committee under subsection (d)(2), the Administrator shall submit to the Advisory Committee written feedback on the recommendation, including—
      1. (A)if the Administrator agrees with the recommendation, a plan describing the actions that the Administrator has taken, will take, or recommends that the head of another Federal department or agency take to implement the recommendation; or
      2. (B)if the Administrator disagrees with the recommendation, a justification for that determination.
    3. (3)NoticesNot later than 30 days after the date the Administrator submits feedback under paragraph (2), the Administrator shall—
      1. (A)notify the appropriate congressional committees of the feedback, including the determination under subparagraph (A) or subparagraph (B) of that paragraph, as applicable; and
      2. (B)provide the appropriate congressional committees with a briefing upon request.
    4. (4)UpdatesNot later than 90 days after the date the Administrator receives a recommendation from the Advisory Committee under subsection (d)(2) that the Administrator agrees with, and quarterly thereafter until the recommendation is fully implemented, the Administrator shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees or post on the public website under paragraph (5) an update on the status of the recommendation.
    5. (5)WebsiteThe Administrator shall maintain a public website that—
      1. (A)lists the members of the Advisory Committee; and
      2. (B)provides the contact information for the Advisory Committee.
  6. (f)Nonapplicability of FACAThe Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 1 See References in Text note below. shall not apply to the Advisory Committee or any subcommittee established under this section.