Federal advisory committees

Advisory committees are groups created by statute. The President or agency heads provide advice and recommendations to relevant government agencies. Statutes or presidential directives can create exceptions to this general rule. There are five primary sources of authority for SBA's advisory committees:

• The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)
• The General Services Administration regulations implementing FACA
• The Small Business Act
• Standard operating procedures
• The advisory committees' charters

To determine their scope and duties, SBA officials consider the committee's charter. Advisory committees may not act in ways inconsistent with their charters.

Advisory committees take two forms. Advisory committees created by statute or the President are “non-discretionary.” Advisory committees created by an agency head are “discretionary.”

SBA's non-discretionary advisory committees are:

• The Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development (IATF)
• The National Small Business Development Center Advisory Board
• The Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs
• The Regional Regulatory Fairness Boards
• The National Women’s Business Council
• The Audit and Financial Management Advisory Committee

SBA's discretionary committees are:

• The National Advisory Council
• The District Advisory Councils
• The Council on Underserved Communities
• The Investment Capital Advisory Committee (ICAC)
• The Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee (IIEAC)
• The Small Business Lending Advisory Council

Find additional committee resources and answers to frequently asked questions.

• Nominate someone for a federal advisory committee
• Contact SBA about a federal advisory committee
• Common federal advisory committee questions
• FACA management overview