§ 3717. — National Quality Council.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC3717]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 63--TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
Sec. 3717. National Quality Council
(a) Establishment and functions
There is established a National Quality Council (hereafter in this
section referred to as the ``Council''). The functions of the Council
shall be--
(1) to establish national goals and priorities for Quality
performance in business, education, government, and all other
sectors of the Nation;
(2) to encourage and support the voluntary adoption of these
goals and priorities by companies, unions, professional and business
associations, coalition groups, and units of government, as well as
private and nonprofit organizations;
(3) to arouse and maintain the interest of the people of the
United States in Quality performance, and to encourage the adoption
and institution of Quality performance methods by all corporations,
government agencies, and other organizations; and
(4) to conduct a White House Conference on Quality Performance
in the American Workplace that would bring together in a single
forum national leaders in business, labor, education, professional
societies, the media, government, and politics to address Quality
performance as a means of improving United States competitiveness.
(b) Membership
The Council shall consist of not less than 17 or more than 20
members, appointed by the Secretary. Members shall include--
(1) at least 2 but not more than 3 representatives from
manufacturing industry;
(2) at least 2 but not more than 3 representatives from service
industry;
(3) at least 2 but not more than 3 representatives from national
Quality not-for-profit organizations;
(4) two representatives from education, one with expertise in
elementary and secondary education, and one with expertise in post-
secondary education;
(5) one representative from labor;
(6) one representative from professional societies;
(7) one representative each from local and State government;
(8) one representative from the Federal Quality Institute;
(9) one representative from the National Institute of Standards
and Technology;
(10) one representative from the Department of Defense;
(11) one representative from a civilian Federal agency not
otherwise represented on the Council, to be rotated among such
agencies every 2 years; and
(12) one representative from the Foundation for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award.
(c) Terms
The term of office of each member of the Council appointed under
paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (b) of this section shall be 2
years, except that when making the initial appointments under such
paragraphs; the Secretary shall appoint not more than 50 percent of the
members to 1 year terms. No member appointed under such paragraphs shall
serve on the Council for more than 2 consecutive terms.
(d) Chairman and Vice Chairman
The Secretary shall designate one of the members initially appointed
to the Council as Chairman. Thereafter, the members of the Council shall
annually elect one of their number as Chairman. The members of the
Council shall also annually elect one of their members as Vice Chairman.
No individual shall serve as Chairman or Vice Chairman for more than 2
consecutive years.
(e) Executive Director and employees
The Council shall appoint and fix the compensation of an Executive
Director, who shall hire and fix the compensation of such additional
employees as may be necessary to assist the Council in carrying out its
functions. In hiring such additional employees, the Executive Director
shall ensure that no individual hired has a conflict of interest with
the responsibilities of the Council.
(f) Funding
There is established in the Treasury of the United States a National
Quality Performance Trust Fund, into which all funds received by the
Council, through private donations or otherwise, shall be deposited.
Amounts in such Trust Fund shall be available to the Council, to the
extent provided in advance in appropriations Acts, for the purpose of
carrying out the functions of the Council under this Act.
(g) Contributions
The Council may not accept private donations from a single source in
excess of $25,000 per year. Private donations from a single source in
excess of $10,000 per year may be accepted by the Council only on
approval of two-thirds of the Council.
(h) Annual report
The Council shall annually submit to the President and the Congress
a comprehensive and detailed report on--
(1) the progress in meeting the goals and priorities established
by the Council;
(2) the Council's operations, activities, and financial
condition;
(3) contributions to the Council from non-Federal sources;
(4) plans for the Council's operations and activities for the
future; and
(5) any other information or recommendations the Council
considers appropriate.
(Pub. L. 102-245, title V, Sec. 507, Feb. 14, 1992, 106 Stat. 27.)
References in Text
This Act, referred to in subsec. (f), is Pub. L. 102-245, Feb. 14,
1992, 106 Stat. 7, known as the American Technology Preeminence Act of
1991. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short
Title of 1992 Amendment note set out under section 3701 of this title
and Tables.
Codification
Section was enacted as part of the American Technology Preeminence
Act of 1991, and not as part of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology
Innovation Act of 1980 which comprises this chapter.
Termination of Reporting Requirements
For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec.
(h) of this section relating to annually submitting a report to
Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, as amended, set out as a
note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and page 184 of
House Document No. 103-7.
