UNDERGROUND RAILROAD ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

1.       The official designation of the Committee is the Underground Railroad Advisory Committee.

2.      The purpose of the Committee is to advise on matters relating to the study of the Underground Railroad, its routes and operations in order to preserve and interpret this aspect of American history.

3.      The Committee will terminate two years after the date on which funds are made available for the study or upon completion of the study, whichever is later. The Committee is subject to rechartering every biennial anniversary of November 28, 1990, when Public Law 101-628 was enacted. The Committee shall take no action unless the filing requirements of section 9 and 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S. C. Appendix (1988), have been compiled with. This charter is for the period from the date of filing to November 28, 1992.

4.       The Committee reports to the Director, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127.

5.       Support for the Committee is provided by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

6.       The duties of the Committee are solely advisory and are as stated in paragraph 2 above. State and local officials, scholarly and other interested organizations and individuals are to be involved with this study. The study shall be completed no later than 2 years after the date on which funds are made available and is to be submitted to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

7.      The estimated annual operating cost of the committee is $40,000 which includes the cost of .5 person-years of staff support.

8.      The Secretary or the Secretary’s designee, shall from time to time, but at least on three occasions, meet and consult with the Advisory committee on matters relating to the study.

9.      All meetings of the Committee shall be subject to the provisions of the Federal Advisory committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix (1988).

10.   The Committee shall be composed of nine members, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, of whom—

a.        three shall have expertise in African-American History;
b.       two shall have expertise in historic preservation;
c.        one shall have expertise in American History;
d.       three shall be from the general public. 

              The Advisory Committee shall designate one of its members as chairperson. 

11.    All members appointed by the Secretary of the Interior under paragraph 9 shall represent interests other than those of the Federal government.

12.     Five members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

13.    Members of the Committee shall serve without compensation as such, but may be reimbursed for expenses reasonably incurred in carrying out their responsibilities under the Act on vouchers signed by the Chairperson and approved by the Director.

14.  The Director, National Park Service, or in the Director’s absence, a Federal employee designated by the Director, will serve as the Designated Federal Officer as required by Section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

15.   The Underground Railroad Study Committee is established by P.L. 101-628, 1990.

            Manuel Lujan, Jr. 
            Secretary of the Interior
              _________________________________

Date Charter Signed:  September 6, 1991

Date Charter Filed:     SEP. 11, 1991

Read More »