Congress passes bill forbidding scientists from advising the EPA

https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/1422...

(a) Independent Advice.--Section 8(a) of the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4365(a)) is amended by inserting ``independently'' after ``Advisory Board which shall''.

(b) Membership.--Section 8(b) of the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4365(b)) is amended to read as follows:

``(b)(1) The Board shall be composed of at least nine members, one of whom shall be designated Chairman, and shall meet at such times and places as may be designated by the Chairman.

``(2) Each member of the Board shall be qualified by education, training, and experience to evaluate scientific and technical information on matters referred to the Board under this section. The Administrator shall ensure that--

``(A) the scientific and technical points of view represented on and the functions to be performed by the Board are fairly balanced among the members of the Board;

``(B) at least ten percent of the membership of the Board are from State, local, or tribal governments;

``(C) persons with substantial and relevant expertise are not excluded from the Board due to affiliation with or representation of entities that may have a potential interest in the Board's advisory activities, so long as that interest is fully disclosed to the Administrator and the public and appointment to the Board complies with section 208 of title 18, United States Code;

``(D) in the case of a Board advisory activity on a particular matter involving a specific party, no Board member having an interest in the specific party shall participate in that activity;

``(E) Board members may not participate in advisory activities that directly or indirectly involve review or evaluation of their own work;

``(F) Board members shall be designated as special Government employees; and

``(G) no federally registered lobbyist is appointed to the Board.

It won't pass the Senate. If by some cataclysm it passes the Senate, Obama will veto it.