CHARTER OF THE
NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS 

Committee’s Official Designation

National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters

Authority

The National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters (NACCD) is required by section 2811A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300hh-10b), as amended, by the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAIA), Public Law No. 116-22. The NACCD is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 USC § 1001 et seq.).

Objectives and Scope of Activities

The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) is responsible for a wide range of activities that include monitoring for emerging issues and concerns as they relate to medical and public health preparedness and response; developing, overseeing, and providing guidance for implementation of national preparedness goals for disasters of all types at the federal, state, and local levels; identifying, conducting responses to, and recovery from public health and medical emergencies; assisting other federal agencies responsible for aspects of planning for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies; and taking into account the special physical, psychological, emotional, and behavioral needs of children. On behalf of HHS, the Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) leads public health and medical planning for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies in accordance with the National Response Framework Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8 (Public Health and Medical Services). Additionally, the federal responsibilities and partnerships described in ESF #6 (Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing, and Human Services) and the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function are critical to comprehensive consideration of issues related to children and disasters. The NACCD shall provide advice and consultation to the HHS Secretary to assist in carrying out these and related activities as they pertain to the unique needs of children in preparation for, responses to, and recovery from disasters.

Description of Duties

The NACCD shall evaluate issues and programs and provide findings, advice, and recommendations to the HHS Secretary, in accordance with FACA, to support and enhance all-hazards public health and medical preparedness, response activities, and recovery aimed at meeting the unique needs of children in a developmentally and socially appropriate manner across the entire spectrum of their physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being.

The NACCD will primarily, though not exclusively:

1. Monitor for and provide advice regarding emerging policy, scientific, technical, or operational issues and concerns related to medical and public health preparedness, response, and recovery in the event of a public health emergency declared by the HHS Secretary;
2. Evaluate and provide advice on implementation of the preparedness goals described in the National Health Security Strategy as they apply to children;
   
3. Monitor and make recommendations to improve HHS assistance to other Departments in planning for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies with respect to the effects on children and their families;
   
4. Make recommendations to ensure that the contents of the Strategic National Stockpile take into account the special needs of children;
   
5. Make recommendations regarding curriculum development for public health and medical response training for medical management of pediatric casualties;
   
6. Monitor and provide advice regarding novel and best practices of outreach to, and care of, children before, during, and following public health emergencies;
   
7. Monitor and make recommendations to ensure that public health and medical information distributed by HHS during a public health emergency is delivered in a manner that takes into account the range of developmentally appropriate communication needs of children and their families or guardians;
   
8. Provide advice for coordination of systems for situational awareness and biosurveillance that require incorporation of data and information from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial public health officials, and relevant entities to identify health threats to children and families;
9. Evaluate and provide inputs with respect to the medical, mental and behavioral, and public health needs of children as they relate to preparation for, response to, and recovery from all-hazards emergencies;
   
10. Provide advice and consultation with respect to children and state, tribal, and territorial emergency preparedness and response activities, including related drills and exercises pursuant to the preparedness goals in the National Health Security Strategy; and
    
11. Provide advice and recommendations with respect to children and the medical and public health grants and cooperative agreements as applicable to preparedness and response activities authorized under the Public Health Service Act, as amended.
    

A voting member of the NACCD shall serve for a term of 3 years, except that the Secretary may adjust the terms of appointees who are initially appointed after the date of enactment of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 (June 24, 2019) in order to provide for a staggered term of appointment for all members. A voting member may serve not more than 3 terms on the NACCD, and not more than two of such terms may be served consecutively. Voting members shall not be full-time or permanent part-time federal employees but shall be appointed by the Secretary as Special Government Employees (5 U.S.C. § 3109). A member may serve after the expiration of his/her term until a successor has been appointed. Members whose term expires after this charter’s renewal date will have a term length contingent upon renewal of the advisory committee. Vacancies will be filled as members rotate out or resign using the same procedures as the initial selection process.

A quorum for the NACCD shall consist of a majority of the appointed voting members. Of the voting members, any who are disqualified from participating in an action on a particular issue shall not count toward the quorum.

Subcommittees

The Secretary may establish subcommittees and working groups to assist the NACCD on topics within its purview. Such subcommittees and working groups shall report directly to the NACCD and their findings and recommendations must be deliberated by the NACCD in a public meeting unless otherwise exempted according to legislation. Subcommittees and working groups shall not report directly to the Secretary or the ASPR. Subcommittee membership may be drawn in whole or in part from the NACCD, but must include at least one of the designated voting members. The Department Committee Management Officer will be notified upon establishment of each subcommittee and will be provided information on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.

Recordkeeping

Records of the NACCD, established subcommittees, or other subgroups of the advisory committee shall be managed in accordance with General Records Schedule 6.2, Federal Advisory Committee Records, or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.

Filing Date

February 20, 2024

Filing Date: February 20, 2024

APPROVED

February 20, 2024 _____________________________ Date

/s/ _____________________________ Xavier Becerra