Provisions governing the establishment and chartering of Advisory Committees are contained in section 9 of the Act and paragraph 6 of OMB Circular A-63. In summary, these requirements include the following:

Where establishment of an Advisory Committee is not specifically authorized by statute or by the President, the need for a new A.I.D. advisory committee is determined by the A.I.D. Administrator, in accordance with the guidelines set forth in section 5(b) of the Act. The determination also includes a certification that creation of the Committee is in the public interest and a description of the nature and purpose of the Committee.

After written consultation to the OMB Secretariat and notification that the establishment of the Committee would be in accord with the Act, A.I.D. publishes the Administrator's Determination in the Federal Register at least fifteen (15) days prior to the filing of the Committee's Charter.

Each advisory committee established or used by A.I.D. is required to file a charter with the A.I.D. Administrator, the House International Relations Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, before meeting or taking any action.

Advisory committee charters shall include the following information:

Committee's official title;

Committee's objectives and scope of activity;

Period of time necessary for the committee to carry out its purposes;

Agency official to whom the committee reports;

Agency responsible for providing necessary support for the committee;

Description of duties for which the committee is responsible, and, if such duties are not solely advisory, a specification of the authority for such functions;

Estimated annual operating costs in dollars and man-years for the committee;

Estimated number and frequency of committee meetings;

Committee's termination date; and

Date the charter is filed.

A copy of the charter is required to be sent to the Library of Congress, Exchange and Gift Division, Federal Advisory Committee Desk, Washington, DC 20540.