FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

Details on agency responses to committee recommendations can be found under the Performance Measures section for each committee in the fields “Agency Feedback” and “Agency Feedback Comment.”

EPA - 734 - EPA Science Advisory Board - Statutory (Congress Created)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	EPA Science Advisory Board	Agency Name	Environmental Protection Agency
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	734
Original Establishment Date	1/1/1978	Committee Status	Chartered
Actual Termination Date		Committee URL	http://www.epa.gov/sab
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	45
Terminated This FY	No	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	Designated Federal Officer
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix	Dr.
Current Charter Date	9/9/2025	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	Shaunta
Date Of Renewal Charter	9/9/2027	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Hill-Hammond
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority	ERDDAA ACT OF 1978, 42 U.S.C. 4365	Designated Federal Officer Phone*	(202) 564-3343
Establishment Authority*	Statutory (Congress Created)	Designated Federal Officer Fax*	(202) 565-2098
Specific Establishment Authority*	ERDDAA ACT OF 1978, 42 U.S.C. 4365	Designated Federal Officer Email*	hill-hammond.shaunta@epa.gov
Effective Date Of Authority*	1/1/1978
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	Scientific Technical Program Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Continue
Legislation to Terminate Required	Not Applicable
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB), established in 1978 under the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act, provides independent peer review and advice to EPA on a wide range of scientific and technical aspects of environmental problems and issues and research needs.
How is membership balanced?*	The SAB is composed of about 45 members. The number of members may be adjusted as necessary to provide leadership to SAB committees and panels. Most SAB members serve as special government employees appointed to provide their individual expert advice. Members are independent experts in the fields of science, engineering, and economics and other social sciences to provide a range of expertise required to assess the scientific and technical aspects of environmental issues. In addition, the chair of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee is an SAB member.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	The SAB, its subcommittees, panels, and subgroups, review a variety of issues that the Agency must confront. The board supports the Agency by using its broad base of scientific disciplines to review the scientific and technical basis of Agency regulatory and research activities. The frequency of meetings is dependent on the Agency's progress addressing its regulatory requirements and scientific programs. In FY 2025, the Tier 1 chartered SAB, Tier 2 subcommittees, and Tier 3 panels and subgroups provided advice and received informational briefings from EPA offices on a variety of topics. The Tier 1 SAB held one meeting and Tier 3 panels held one meeting. These meetings were held as videoconferences or hybrid (in person with videoconference). The SAB produced six advisory reports. A list of the reports finalized in FY 2025 is included in the committee reports section of the FACA database.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	Other EPA advisory committees do not have the scope and level of scientific talent required to provide the depth, objectivity, or credibility as does the Science Advisory Board. There are no similar efforts of the kind that the Board provides within the Agency. To avoid duplication, the board maintains an active liaison with the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel, the TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals, the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee, the Board of Scientific Counselors, and other EPA advisory committees.
Why close or partially close meetings?	The SAB annually conducts an independent review of the EPA Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards. These awards are established to honor and recognize EPA employees who have made outstanding contributions in the advancement of science and technology through their research and development activities, as exhibited in publication of their results in peer reviewed journals. The Administrator determined that these meetings should be closed to the public because they are concerned with recommending employees deserving of awards and involves professional judgments on the relative merits of various employees and their respective work. Such personnel matters involve the discussion of information that is of a personal nature, the disclosure of which would be a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and, therefore, is protected from disclosure by section (c)(6) of the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6).
Recommendation Remarks	Members may serve as Tier 1 (parent committee members) and Tier 2 (subcommittee) members.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	Yes	Action Reorganize Priorities*	Yes
Outcome Trust In Government	No	Action Reallocate Resources	Yes
Outcome Major Policy Changes	Yes	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	Yes	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	No
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	No	Action Comment	N/A
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	No	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	No	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	NA	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	NA	Grants Review Comment	NA
Number Of Recommendations*	928	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	Each advisory report is considered a recommendation. The SAB produced six reports in FY 2025 and a total of 928 advisory reports to EPA since 1973.	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	50.00%	Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	Difficult to quantify since many of the recommendations are applicable for long-range planning.	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	30.00%	Access Publications	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	Difficult to quantify since many of the recommendations are applicable for long-range planning.	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	Yes	Access Comment	N/A
Agency Feedback Comment*	The Agency prepares a written response acknowledging the advice and how the Agency will address it.	Narrative Description*	EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB), established in 1978 under the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act, provides independent peer review and advice to EPA on a wide range of scientific and technical aspects of environmental problems and issues and research needs.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$46,477.19	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$130,377.26
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$5,117.35	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$0.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$2,229,921.51	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$2,265,600.25
4. Payments to Consultants*	$24,024.44	4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$107,428.62
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$37,346.64	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$61,517.03
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*	$0.00	6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*	$0.00
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$0.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$2,000.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$61,517.03
10. Other Costs	$58,462.23	10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*	$289,479.46
11. Total Costs	$2,401,349.36	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$2,917,919.65
Date Cost Last Modified	8/28/2025 3:03 PM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	11.00	Est Cost Remarks
Cost Remarks	Committee activity for FY25 was impacted by presidential transition

Interest Areas

Category Area Applied Science Applied Sciences Environment Environmental Issues Oceans and Atmospheric Sciences Waste Disposal Health Public Health Science and Technology Science and Technology

Custom Links

Committee Level Reports