STANDING ADVISORY PANEL ON IMPROVING COORDINATION AMONG THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, AND THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON MATTERS OF NATIONAL SECURITY.

SEC. 1054. STANDING ADVISORY PANEL ON IMPROVING COORDINATION AMONG THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, AND THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON MATTERS OF NATIONAL SECURITY.(a) Establishment of Advisory Panel.—The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) may jointly establish an advisory panel to advise, review, and make recommendations on ways to improve coordination among the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the United States Agency for International Development on matters relating to national security, including reviewing their respective roles and responsibilities.(b) Membership.—(1) Composition.—The advisory panel shall be composed of 12 members, of whom—122 STAT. 4606(A) three shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Administrator;(B) three shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense, with the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Administrator;(C) three shall be appointed by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator; and(D) three shall be appointed by the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State.(2) Chairman.—The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator shall jointly designate one member as chairman.(3) Vice chairman.—The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator shall jointly designate one member as vice chairman. The vice chairman may not be a member appointed to the advisory panel under paragraph (1) by the same Secretary or Administrator who appointed the member under such paragraph who is designated as the chairman under paragraph (2).(4) Expertise.—Members of the advisory panel shall be private citizens of the United States with national recognition and significant experience in the Federal Government, the Armed Forces, public administration, foreign affairs, or development.(5) Deadline for appointment.—All members of the advisory panel should be appointed not earlier than January 20, 2009, and not later than March 20, 2009.(6) Terms.—The term of each member of the advisory panel is for the life of the advisory panel.(7) Vacancies.—A vacancy in the advisory panel shall be filled not later than 30 days after such vacancy occurs and in the manner in which the original appointment was made.(8) Security clearances.—The appropriate departments or agencies of the Federal Government shall cooperate with the advisory panel in expeditiously providing to the members and staff of the advisory panel appropriate security clearances to the extent possible pursuant to existing procedures and requirements, except that no person shall be provided with access to classified information under this section without the appropriate security clearances.(9) Status.—A member of the advisory panel who is not otherwise employed by the Federal Government shall not be considered to be a Federal employee, except for the purposes of chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, and chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code.(10) Expenses.—The members of the advisory panel shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the advisory panel.(c) Meetings and Procedures.—122 STAT. 4607(1) Initial meeting.—The advisory panel shall conduct its first meeting not later than 30 days after the date that all appointments to the advisory panel have been made under subsection (b).(2) Meetings.—The advisory panel shall meet not less often than once every three months. The advisory panel may also meet at the call of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, or the Administrator.(3) Procedures.—The advisory panel shall carry out its duties under procedures established under subsection (d).(d) Support of Federally Funded Research and Development Center.—If the advisory panel is established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Administrator, shall, not later than 60 days after the date of the final appointment of the members of the advisory panel pursuant to subsection (b)(5), enter into a contract with a federally funded research and development center for the provision of administrative and logistical support and assistance to the advisory panel in carrying out its duties under this section. Such support and assistance shall include the establishment of the procedures of the advisory panel.(e) Duties of Panel.—The advisory panel shall—(1) analyze the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the USAID regarding—(A) stability operations;(B) foreign assistance (including security assistance); and(C) other areas the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator jointly agree are appropriate;(2) review—(A) the structures and systems that coordinate policy-making;(B) the national security-related roles and responsibilities of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, USAID, and, as appropriate, other relevant agencies to ensure effective coordination;(C) the efforts of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, USAID, and such other relevant agencies to ensure that lessons learned and expertise that is developed in carrying out programs related to national security are shared among the departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as appropriate; and(D) the coordination of activities conducted abroad and carried out by personnel of the Department of Defense, Department of State, USAID, and such other relevant agencies; and(3) provide advice and make recommendations for otherwise improving coordination between and among the Department of Defense, the Department of State and USAID on matters of national security.(f) Cooperation of Other Agencies.—Upon request by the advisory panel, any department or agency of the Federal Government shall provide information that the advisory panel considers necessary to carry out its duties.(g) Reports.—122 STAT. 4608(1) Interim report.—Not later than 180 days after the first meeting of the advisory panel, the advisory panel shall submit to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator a report that identifies—(A) aspects of the interagency structure and processes relating to matters of national security that should take priority in any effort to improve the coordination among the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and USAID; and(B) methods to better coordinate the interagency structure and processes relating to matters of national security.(2) Annual reports.—Not later than December 31 of the year in which the interim report is submitted under paragraph (1), the advisory panel shall submit to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator a report on—(A) the activities of the advisory panel;(B) any deficiencies relating to coordination among the Department of Defense, Department of States and USAID and other relevant agencies on matters of national security;(C) any improvements made during the period covered by the report to the coordination among the Department of Defense, the Department of State, USAID, and other relevant agencies on matters of national security;(D) methods to better coordinate the interagency structure and processes among the Department of Defense, the Department of State, USAID, and other relevant agencies on matters relating to national security; and(E) such findings, conclusions, and recommendations as the advisory panel considers appropriate.(3) Submission of report to congress.—The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees the reports required under this subsection and any additional information considered appropriate.(4) Congressional briefings.—Not later than 30 days after the submission of each report required under this subsection, the members of the advisory panel shall make themselves available to meet with the appropriate congressional committees to brief such committees on the matters contained in the report.(5) Appropriate committees.—For the purposes of this subsection, the appropriate congressional committees are the following:(A) The Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Appropriations of the House of Representatives.(B) The Committees on Foreign Relations, Armed Services, and Appropriations of the Senate.(h) Termination of Advisory Panel.—The advisory panel shall terminate on December 31, 2012.(i) Definitions.—In this section:(1) Administrator.—The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.(2) Stability operations.—The term “stability operations” means stability and reconstruction operations conducted by departments or agencies of the Federal Government described by Department of Defense Directive 3000.05, National Security 122 STAT. 4609 Presidential Directive 1, or National Security Presidential Directive 44.(3) Federal agency.—The term “Federal agency” means any entity included in chapter 1 of title 5, United States code.