RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.

SEC. 8702. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. Section 205 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125) is amended— (1) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking “Each” and inserting “Except as provided in paragraph (6), each”; (B) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “Committee” and inserting “Except as provided in paragraph (6), committee”; and (C) by adding at the end the following: “(6) Committee composition waiver authority.— “(A) Notice.—On notice from the applicable regional forester that an adequate number of qualified candidates are not interested or available to serve on a resource advisory committee, the Secretary concerned shall publish a notice in the Federal Register seeking candidates for the resource advisory committee. “(B) Modification of membership requirements.—If, by the date that is 30 days after the date of publication of notice under subparagraph (A), an inadequate number of qualified candidates have applied to serve on a resource advisory committee, the Secretary concerned may reduce— “(i) the membership requirement under paragraph (1) to not fewer than 9; and “(ii) the membership requirements under subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (2) to 3 in each category described in that paragraph, except that where a vacancy exists on a resource advisory committee, the Secretary concerned may not reject a qualified applicant from any category. “(C) Termination of authority.—The authority provided under this paragraph terminates on October 1, 2023.” ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: “(g) Regional Appointment Pilot Program.— “(1) Definition of applicable designee.—In this subsection, the term ‘applicable designee’ means the applicable regional forester. “(2) Pilot program.—The Secretary concerned shall carry out a pilot program (referred to in this subsection as the ‘pilot program’) to allow an applicable designee to appoint members of resource advisory committees. “(3) Geographic limitation.—The pilot program shall only apply to resource advisory committees chartered in— “(A) the State of Montana; and “(B) the State of Arizona. “(4) Responsibilities of applicable designee.— “(A) Review.—Before appointing a member of a resource advisory committee under the pilot program, an applicable designee shall conduct the review and analysis that would otherwise be conducted for an appointment to a resource advisory committee if the pilot program was not in effect, including any review and analysis with respect to civil rights and budgetary requirements. “(B) Savings clause.—Nothing in this subsection relieves an applicable designee from any requirement developed by the Secretary concerned for making an appointment to a resource advisory committee that is in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection, including any requirement for advertising a vacancy. “(5) Termination of effectiveness.—The authority provided under this subsection terminates on October 1, 2023. “(6) Report to congress.—Not later than the date that is 180 days after the date described in paragraph (5), the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report that includes— “(A) with respect to appointments made under the pilot program compared to appointments to resource advisory committees not made under the pilot program, a description of the extent to which— “(i) appointments were faster or slower; and “(ii) the requirements described in paragraph (4) differ; and “(B) a recommendation with respect to whether Congress should terminate, continue, modify, or expand the pilot program.” .