---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 773a"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "773a"
heading: "International Pacific Halibut Commission"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/773a"
units:
  - "Chapter 10 — Northern Pacific Halibut Fishing"
  - "Subchapter IV — Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982"
---

# §773a. International Pacific Halibut Commission

- (a) **United States Commissioners—** The United States shall be represented on the [Commission](/usc/16/773.md?p=b) by three [United States Commissioners](/usc/16/951.md?p=6) to be appointed by the President and to serve at his pleasure. The [Commissioners](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) shall receive no compensation for their services as [Commissioners](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3). Each United States [Commissioner](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) shall be appointed for a term of office not to exceed 2 years, but is eligible for reappointment. Any United States [Commissioner](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) may be appointed for a term of less than 2 years if such appointment is necessary to ensure that the terms of office of not more than two [Commissioners](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) will expire in any 1 year. A vacancy among the [United States Commissioners](/usc/16/951.md?p=6) shall be filled by the President in the manner in which the original appointment was made, but any [Commissioner](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the [Commissioner](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3)’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. Of the [Commissioners](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3)—
  - (1) one shall be an official of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
  - (2) two shall be knowledgeable or experienced concerning the Northern Pacific [halibut](/usc/16/773.md?p=e) [fishery](/usc/16/1383a.md?p=o-1); of these, one shall be a resident of Alaska and the other shall be a nonresident of Alaska. Of the three [commissioners](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) described in paragraphs [(1)](#a-1) and [(2)](#a-2), one shall be a voting member of the North Pacific [Fishery](/usc/16/1383a.md?p=o-1) Management [Council](/usc/16/460mmm–1.md?p=2).
  - (3) [Commissioners](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) shall not be considered Federal employees except for the purposes of injury compensation or tort claims liability as provided in [section 8101](/usc/16/8101.md) et seq. of [title 5](/usc/5.md) and section 2671 et seq. of [title 28](/usc/28.md). This subsection shall take effect on the 90th day after May 17, 1982.
- (b) **Alternate United States Commissioners—** The Secretary of State, in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/16/773.md?p=g), may designate from time to time alternate [United States Commissioners](/usc/16/951.md?p=6) to the [commission](/usc/16/773.md?p=b). An Alternate United States [Commissioner](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) may exercise, at any meeting of the [Commission](/usc/16/773.md?p=b), all powers and duties of a United States [Commissioner](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) in the absence of a duly designated [Commissioner](/usc/16/3601.md?p=3) for whatever reason. The number of such alternate [United States Commissioners](/usc/16/951.md?p=6) that may be designated for any such meeting shall be limited to the number of authorized [United States Commissioners](/usc/16/951.md?p=6) that will not be present.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–176, § 3, May 17, 1982, 96 Stat. 78.)