124 STAT. 736 PUBLIC LAW 111–148—MAR. 23, 2010 title 5, United States Code) and expenses incurred while per- forming the duties of the Board. An officer or employee of the Federal government who is a member of the Board shall be exempt from compensation. ‘‘(6) DIRECTOR AND STAFF; EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.— The Board may employ and fix the compensation of an Execu- tive Director and such other personnel as may be necessary to carry out the duties of the Institute and may seek such assistance and support of, or contract with, experts and consult- ants that may be necessary for the performance of the duties of the Institute. ‘‘(7) MEETINGS AND HEARINGS.—The Board shall meet and hold hearings at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of its members. Meetings not solely concerning matters of per- sonnel shall be advertised at least 7 days in advance and open to the public. A majority of the Board members shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may meet and hold hearings. ‘‘(g) FINANCIAL AND GOVERNMENTAL OVERSIGHT.— ‘‘(1) CONTRACT FOR AUDIT.—The Institute shall provide for the conduct of financial audits of the Institute on an annual basis by a private entity with expertise in conducting financial audits. ‘‘(2) REVIEW AND ANNUAL REPORTS.— ‘‘(A) REVIEW.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall review the following: ‘‘(i) Not less frequently than on an annual basis, the financial audits conducted under paragraph (1). ‘‘(ii) Not less frequently than every 5 years, the processes established by the Institute, including the research priorities and the conduct of research projects, in order to determine whether information produced by such research projects is objective and credible, is produced in a manner consistent with the require- ments under this section, and is developed through a transparent process. ‘‘(iii) Not less frequently than every 5 years, the dissemination and training activities and data net- works established under section 937 of the Public Health Service Act, including the methods and prod- ucts used to disseminate research, the types of training conducted and supported, and the types and functions of the data networks established, in order to determine whether the activities and data are produced in a manner consistent with the requirements under such section. ‘‘(iv) Not less frequently than every 5 years, the overall effectiveness of activities conducted under this section and the dissemination, training, and capacity building activities conducted under section 937 of the Public Health Service Act. Such review shall include an analysis of the extent to which research findings are used by health care decision-makers, the effect of the dissemination of such findings on reducing prac- tice variation and disparities in health care, and the effect of the research conducted and disseminated on
