Collapse to view only § 202. Border, maritime, and transportation responsibilities
- § 201. Repealed.
- § 202. Border, maritime, and transportation responsibilities
- § 203. Functions transferred
- § 204. Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee
- § 205. Ombudsman for immigration detention
The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (referred to in this section as “Administrator”) shall establish within the Transportation Security Administration the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee (referred to in this section as the “Advisory Committee”).
The Advisory Committee may advise, consult with, report to, and make recommendations to the Administrator on surface transportation security matters, including the development, refinement, and implementation of policies, programs, initiatives, rulemakings, and security directives pertaining to surface transportation security.
The Advisory Committee shall consider risk-based security approaches in the performance of its duties.
The Advisory Committee shall select a chairperson from among its voting members.
The term of each voting member of the Advisory Committee shall be 2 years, but a voting member may continue to serve until the Administrator appoints a successor.
A voting member of the Advisory Committee may be reappointed.
The Administrator may review the participation of a member of the Advisory Committee and remove such member for cause at any time.
The Administrator may remove any member of the Advisory Committee that the Administrator determines should be restricted from reviewing, discussing, or possessing classified information or sensitive security information.
The members of the Advisory Committee shall not receive any compensation from the Government by reason of their service on the Advisory Committee.
The Administrator shall require the Advisory Committee to meet at least semiannually in person or through web conferencing and may convene additional meetings as necessary.
The Advisory Committee shall maintain a record of the persons present at each meeting.
Unless otherwise prohibited by other Federal law, minutes of the meetings shall be published on the public website under subsection (e)(5).
The Advisory Committee may redact or summarize, as necessary, minutes of the meetings to protect classified or other sensitive information in accordance with law.
Not later than 60 days after the date on which a voting member is appointed to the Advisory Committee and before that voting member may be granted any access to classified information or sensitive security information, the Administrator shall determine if the voting member should be restricted from reviewing, discussing, or possessing classified information or sensitive security information.
If a voting member is not restricted from reviewing, discussing, or possessing sensitive security information under subparagraph (A) and voluntarily signs a nondisclosure agreement, the voting member may be granted access to sensitive security information that is relevant to the voting member’s service on the Advisory Committee.
Access to classified materials shall be managed in accordance with Executive Order 13526 of December 29, 2009 (75 Fed. Reg. 707), or any subsequent corresponding Executive order.
Voting members shall protect sensitive security information in accordance with part 1520 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations.
Voting members shall protect classified information in accordance with the applicable requirements for the particular level of classification.
The Advisory Committee may request the assistance of subject matter experts with expertise related to the jurisdiction of the Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee shall periodically submit reports to the Administrator on matters requested by the Administrator or by a majority of the members of the Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee shall submit to the Administrator and the appropriate congressional committees an annual report that provides information on the activities, findings, and recommendations of the Advisory Committee during the preceding year.
Not later than 6 months after the date that the Administrator receives an annual report under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall publish a public version of the report, in accordance with section 552a(b) of title 5.
The Administrator shall consider the information, advice, and recommendations of the Advisory Committee in formulating policies, programs, initiatives, rulemakings, and security directives pertaining to surface transportation security.
Not later than 90 days after the date the Administrator receives a recommendation from the Advisory Committee under subsection (d)(2) that the Administrator agrees with, and quarterly thereafter until the recommendation is fully implemented, the Administrator shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees or post on the public website under paragraph (5) an update on the status of the recommendation.
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 1
Within the Department, there shall be a position of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (in this section referred to as the “Ombudsman”). The Ombudsman shall be independent of Department agencies and officers and shall report directly to the Secretary. The Ombudsman shall be a senior official with a background in civil rights enforcement, civil detention care and custody, and immigration law.
The Ombudsman or designated personnel of the Ombudsman, shall be provided unfettered access to any location within each such detention facility and shall be permitted confidential access to any detainee at the detainee’s request and any departmental records concerning such detainee.
The Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall each establish procedures to provide formal responses to recommendations submitted to such officials by the Ombudsman within 60 days of receiving such recommendations.
The Secretary shall establish procedures to provide the Ombudsman access to all departmental records necessary to execute the responsibilities of the Ombudsman under subsection (b) or (c) not later than 60 days after a request from the Ombudsman for such information.
The Ombudsman shall prepare a report to Congress on an annual basis on its activities, findings, and recommendations.