Executive Order 13137

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to more accurately describe the expertise requirements for members selected for the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, it is hereby ordered that Executive Order 12975, as amended ("Order"), is further amended as follows:

Section 1. Section 3 of the order shall read as follows: "Sec. 3. Establishment of National Bioethics Advisory Commission. There is established in the Department of Health and Human Services a National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC). The NBAC shall be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.)."

Sec. 2. A new section 4 shall be added to the order to read: "Sec. 4. Structure. (a) The National Bioethics Advisory Commission shall be composed of not more than 18 non-government members appointed by the President. At least one member shall be selected from each of the following categories of primary expertise: (1) philosophy/theology; (2) social/behavioral science; (3) law; (4) medicine/allied health professions; and (5) biological research. At least three members shall be selected from the general public, bringing to the Commission expertise other than that listed. The membership shall be approximately evenly balanced between scientists and non-scientists. Close attention will be given to equitable geographic distribution and to ethnic and gender representation.

(b) Members of the Commission will serve for terms of 2 years and may continue to serve after the expiration of their term until a successor is appointed. A member appointed to fill an unexpired term will be appointed to the remainder of such term.

(c) The President shall designate a Chairperson from among the members of the NBAC."

Sec. 3. (a) "[S]ection 5" in the third sentence of section 1(b) of the order shall be deleted and "section 6" shall be inserted in lieu thereof.

(b) Current sections 4 through 7 of Executive Order 12975 shall be renumbered sections 5 through 8.

(c) New section 8(b) is amended by deleting "October 3, 1999" and inserting "October 3, 2001" in lieu thereof.

William J. Clinton
The White House,
September 15, 1999.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., September 17, 1999]