EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015

EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. The Board provides scientific advice to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This bill requires the Board to independently provide that advice.

Among the revisions to requirements concerning the Board's membership are the following:

• a requirement to balance scientific and technical points of view;
• a set minimum level of representation from state, local, or tribal governments;
• allowance of affiliation with or representation of entities that may have a potential interest in the Board's advisory activities;
• conflict of interest restrictions;
• restrictions on participation in advisory activities involving review of a member's work;
• restrictions on appointment of registered lobbyists; and
• prohibitions on member receipt of current EPA grants or contracts.

The EPA must make public a list of nominees to the Board and accept public comments on the nominees. Reports filed upon the provisional nomination of a member disclosing financial relationships and interests must also be made public.

The EPA must provide draft risk or hazard assessments in its regulatory proposals and documents to the Board. The Board's advice and comments must be included in the record regarding any such proposal and published in the Federal Register.

The Board's member committees and investigative panels must operate in accordance with the membership, participation, and policy requirements contained in this Act, including new requirements for public participation in advisory activities of the Board. The member committees and investigative panels do not have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Board and may not report directly to the EPA.

The bill imposes additional public participation requirements:

• The EPA and the Board must make public all reports and relevant scientific information at the same time they are received by the Board.
• The Board must hold public information-gathering sessions to discuss the state of the science related to a major advisory activity.
• Prior to convening a member committee or investigative panel, the EPA must accept and address public comments on questions asked of the Board.
• The Board, member committees, and investigative panels may not accept a question that unduly narrows the scope of an advisory activity.

The Board must strive to avoid making policy determinations or recommendations, communicate uncertainties, encourage dissenting members to make their views known, conduct periodic reviews to ensure that its activities address the most important scientific issues affecting the EPA, and respond to Congress fully and in a timely manner.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov