§ 1504. — Functions and powers.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 20USC1504]
TITLE 20--EDUCATION
CHAPTER 34--NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
Sec. 1504. Functions and powers
(a) Advice to President and Congress; studies and surveys, plans; annual
report
The Commission shall have the primary responsibility for developing
or recommending overall plans for, and advising the appropriate
governments and agencies on, the policy set forth in section 1501 of
this title. In carrying out that responsibility, the Commission shall--
(1) advise the President and the Congress on the implementation
of national policy by such statements, presentations, and reports as
it deems appropriate;
(2) conduct studies, surveys, and analyses of the library and
informational needs of the Nation, including the special library and
informational needs of rural areas, of economically, socially, or
culturally deprived persons, and of elderly persons, and the means
by which these needs may be met through information centers, through
the libraries of elementary and secondary schools and institutions
of higher education, and through public, research, special, and
other types of libraries;
(3) appraise the adequacies and deficiencies of current library
and information resources and services and evaluate the
effectiveness of current library and information science programs;
(4) develop overall plans for meeting national library and
informational needs and for the coordination of activities at the
Federal, State, and local levels, taking into consideration all of
the library and informational resources of the Nation to meet those
needs;
(5) be authorized to advise Federal, State, local, and private
agencies regarding library and information sciences;
(6) promote research and development activities which will
extend and improve the Nation's library and information-handling
capability as essential links in national and international
communications and cooperative networks;
(7) submit to the President and the Congress (not later than
January 31 of each year) a report on its activities during the
preceding fiscal year; and
(8) make and publish such additional reports as it deems to be
necessary, including, but not limited to, reports of consultants,
transcripts of testimony, summary reports, and reports of other
Commission findings, studies, and recommendations.
(b) Advice to Director of Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Commission shall have the responsibility to advise the Director
of the Institute of Museum and Library Services on general policies with
respect to the duties, powers, and authority of the Institute of Museum
and Library Services relating to library services, including--
(1) general policies with respect to--
(A) financial assistance awarded under the Museum and
Library Services Act [20 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.] for library
services; and
(B) projects described in section 262(a)(4) of such Act [20
U.S.C. 9162(a)(4)]; and
(2) measures to ensure that the policies and activities of the
Institute of Museum and Library Services are coordinated with other
activities of the Federal Government.
(c) Joint meeting with National Museum Services Board
(1) The Commission shall meet not less than 1 time each year in a
joint meeting with the National Museum Services Board, convened for
purposes of providing advice on general policy with respect to financial
assistance for projects described in section 262(a)(4) of such Act [20
U.S.C. 9162(a)(4)].
(2) All decisions by the Commission and the National Museum Services
Board with respect to the advice on general policy described in
paragraph (1) shall be made by a \2/3\ majority vote of the total number
of the members of the Commission and the National Museum Services Board
who are present.
(3) A majority of the members of the Commission and a majority of
the members of the National Museum Services Board shall constitute a
quorum for the conduct of business at official joint meetings of the
Commission and the National Museum Services Board.
(d) Contract authority
The Commission is authorized to contract with Federal agencies and
other public and private agencies to carry out any of its functions
under subsection (a) of this section and to publish and disseminate such
reports, findings, studies, and records as it deems appropriate.
(e) Hearings
The Commission is further authorized to conduct such hearings at
such times and places as it deems appropriate for carrying out the
purposes of this chapter.
(f) Cooperation with other agencies
The heads of all Federal agencies are, to the extent not prohibited
by law, directed to cooperate with the Commission in carrying out the
purposes of this chapter.
(Pub. L. 91-345, Sec. 5, July 20, 1970, 84 Stat. 441; Pub. L. 93-29,
title VIII, Sec. 802(a), May 3, 1973, 87 Stat. 59; Pub. L. 102-95,
Sec. 4, Aug. 14, 1991, 105 Stat. 479; Pub. L. 104-208, div. A, title I,
Sec. 101(e) [title VII, Sec. 703(a)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-
233, 3009-306.)
References in Text
The Museum and Library Services Act, referred to in subsec.
(b)(1)(A), is title II of Pub. L. 94-462, as added by Pub. L. 104-208,
title I, Sec. 101(e) [title VII, Sec. 702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat.
3009-233, 3009-294, which is classified generally to chapter 72
(Sec. 9101 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this
Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9101 of this
title and Tables.
Amendments
1996--Subsecs. (b) to (f). Pub. L. 104-208 added subsecs. (b) and
(c) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) to (d) as (d) to (f),
respectively.
1991--Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 102-95 substituted ``national and
international communications and cooperative networks'' for ``the
national communications networks''.
1973--Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 93-29 required the Commission to
conduct studies, surveys, and analyses of the special library and
informational needs of elderly persons.
Termination of Reporting Requirements
For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec.
(a)(7) of this section relating to submitting annual 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 181 of House
Document No. 103-7.
