DELAWARE RIVER AND BAY OIL SPILL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

SEC. 607. DELAWARE RIVER AND BAY OIL SPILL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.(a) Establishment.—There is established the Delaware River and Bay Oil Spill Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the “Committee”).(b) Membership.—(1) In general.—The Committee shall consist of 27 members who are appointed by the Commandant of the Coast Guard and who have particular expertise, knowledge, and experience regarding the transportation, equipment, and techniques that are used to ship cargo and to navigate vessels in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay, as follows:(A) Three members who are employed by port authorities that oversee operations on the Delaware River or have been selected to represent these port authorities, of whom—(i) one member shall be an employee or representative of the Port of Wilmington;(ii) one member shall be an employee or representative of the South Jersey Port Corporation; and(iii) one member shall be an employee or representative of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.(B) Two members who represent organizations that operate tugs or barges that utilize the port facilities on the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.(C) Two members who represent shipping companies that transport cargo by vessel from ports on the Delaware River and Delaware Bay, of whom at least one may not be a representative of a shipping company that transports oil or petroleum products.(D) Two members who represent operators of oil refineries adjacent to the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.(E) Two members who represent State-licensed pilots who work on the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.(F) One member who represents labor organizations whose members load and unload cargo at ports on the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.(G) One member who represents local commercial fishing interests or an aquaculture organization the members of which organization depend on fisheries and 120 STAT. 557 resources in the waters of Delaware River or Delaware Bay.(H) Three members who represent environmental organizations active with respect to the Delaware River and Delaware Bay, including a watershed advocacy group and a wildlife conservation advocacy group.(I) One member who represents an organization affiliated with recreational fishing interests in the vicinity of Delaware River and Delaware Bay.(J) Two members who are scientists or researchers associated with an academic institution and who have professional credentials in fields of research relevant to oil spill safety, oil spill response, or wildlife and ecological recovery.(K) Two members who are municipal or county officials from Delaware.(L) Two members who are municipal or county officials from New Jersey.(M) Two members who are municipal or county officials from Pennsylvania.(N) One member who represents an oil spill response organization located on the lower Delaware River and Delaware Bay.(O) One member who represents the general public.(2) Ex officio members.—The Committee may also consist of an appropriate number (as determined by the Commandant of the Coast Guard) of nonvoting members who represent Federal agencies and agencies of the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware with an interest in oil spill prevention in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.(c) Responsibilities.—(1) In general.—The Committee shall provide advice and recommendations on measures to improve the prevention of and response to future oil spills in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay to the Commandant, the Governors of the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. (2) Report.—Not later than 18 months after the date that the Commandant completes appointment of the members of the Committee, the Committee shall provide a report to the entities referred to in paragraph (1) with the recommendations of the Committee, including a ranking of priorities, for measures to improve prevention and response to oil spills described in paragraph (1).(d) Meetings.—The Committee—(1) shall hold its first meeting not later than 60 days after the date on which the Commandant completes the appointment of members of the Committee; and(2) shall meet thereafter at the call of the Chairman.(e) Appointment of Members.—The Commandant shall appoint the members of the Committee after soliciting nominations by notice published in the Federal Register.(f) Chairman and Vice Chairman.—The Committee shall elect, by majority vote at its first meeting, one of the members of the Committee as the Chairman and one of the members as the Vice 120 STAT. 558 Chairman. The Vice Chairman shall act as Chairman in the absence of or incapacity of the Chairman or in the event of vacancy in the office of the Chairman.(g) Pay and Expenses.—(1) Prohibition on pay.—Members of the Committee who are not officers or employees of the United States shall serve without pay. Members of the Committee who are officers or employees of the United States shall receive no additional pay on account of their service on the Committee.(2) Expenses.—While away from their homes or regular places of business, members of the Committee may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem, in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code.(h) Funding.—There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2007 to carry out this section.(i) Termination.—The Committee shall terminate 18 months after the date on which the Commandant completes the appointment of members of the Committee.