Meet the Committee
National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters
The National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters is a federal advisory committee that provides advice and guidance to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and to the HHS Secretary. The Committee brings together experts with policy, advocacy, and lived-world experience to make recommendations to address the specific needs of people with disabilities in preparation for, response to, and recovery from all-hazards emergencies and disasters.
Members are appointed by the HHS Secretary from among the nation’s preeminent scientific, public health, and medical professionals in areas consistent with the purpose and functions of the advisory committee. The HHS Secretary, in consultation with other heads of relevant federal agencies, have appointed 7 voting members to the NACIDD.
The NACIDD consists of at least seven non-federal voting members, including a Chairperson, including:
- At least two non-federal health care professionals with expertise in disability accessibility before, during, and after disasters, medical and mass care disaster planning, preparedness, response, or recovery;
- At least two representatives from State, local, Tribal, or territorial agencies with expertise in disaster planning, preparedness, response, or recovery for individuals with disabilities; and
- At least two individuals with a disability with expertise in disaster planning, preparedness, response, or recovery for individuals with disabilities.
A voting member of the NACIDD shall serve for a term of three years, except that the Secretary may adjust the terms of appointees who are initially appointed after the date of enacted 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 three terms on the NACIDD, 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. Vacancies will be filled as members rotate out or resign using the same procedures as the initial selection process.
The NACIDD has up to 10 federal, non-voting members (ex officio), including the following officials or their designees:
- The Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response;
- The Administrator for the Administration for Community Living;
- The Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority;
- The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
- The Commissioner of Food and Drugs;
- The Director of the National Institutes of Health;
- The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
- The Chair of the National Council on Disability;
- The Chair of the United States Access Board;
- The Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A quorum for the NACIDD requires a majority of the appointed voting members. Of the voting members, any who are disqualified from participating in an action on an issue will not count toward the quorum.
The Secretary may establish subcommittees and working groups to assist the NACIDD explore topics within its purview. Subcommittees and working groups report directly to the NACIDD and their findings and recommendations must be deliberated by the NACIDD in a public meeting unless otherwise exempted. Subcommittees and working groups do not report directly to the Secretary or the ASPR. Subcommittee membership may be drawn in whole or in part from the NACIDD, 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.