What are Technical Advisory Committees?
Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) advise the Department of Commerce on the technical parameters for export controls applicable to dual-use commodities and technology and on the administration of those controls. The TACs are composed of representatives from industry and Government representing diverse points of view on the concerns of the exporting community. Industry representatives are selected from firms producing a broad range of goods, technologies, and software presently controlled for national security, foreign policy, nonproliferation, and short supply reasons or that are proposed for such controls, balanced to the extent possible among large and small firms.
TAC members are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and serve terms of not more than four consecutive years. The membership reflects the Department's commitment to attaining balance and diversity. TAC members must obtain secret-level clearances prior to appointment. These clearances are necessary so that members can be permitted access to relevant classified information needed in formulating recommendations to the Department of Commerce. Each TAC meets approximately four times per year. Members of the TACs are not compensated for their services.
How Many TACs are There and What Do They Do?
The following is a list of TACs that currently advise BIS, along with a short summary of each TAC's issue areas. You can access the committee's charter by clicking on its name.
- Emerging Technology and Research Technical Advisory Committee - Identification of emerging technologies and research and development activities that may be of interest from a dual-use perspective, the prioritization of new and existing controls to determine which are of greatest consequence to national security, the potential impact of dual-use export control requirements on research activities and the threat to national security posed by the unauthorized export of technologies.
- Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee - Articles, materials, and supplies of computers, electronics, and telecommunications equipment.
- Materials Technical Advisory Committee - Articles, materials, and supplies for radar absorption, jet engine turbines blades, super-conductivity, fluids, lubricants, composites, and for nuclear, missile, chemical, and biological weapons, including technical data and other information.
- Materials Processing Equipment Technical Advisory Committee - Articles, materials, and supplies of metal-working equipment, numerically controlled machine tools and robots, including technical data on the integration of numerically controlled machine tools and robotics equipment to form manufacturing cells and flexible manufacturing systems and enterprise automation technologies, as well as other information.
- President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration - Advice on matters pertinent to the Export Administration Act, the Export Administration Regulations and related statutes and regulations.
- Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee - The Export Administration Regulations "EAR" and procedures implementing these regulations.
- Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee - Articles, materials, and supplies of sensors and instrumentation, including technical data and other information.
- Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee - Articles, materials, and supplies of transportation and related equipment, including technical data and other information
Join a TAC!
The TACs seek new members on an ongoing basis. The current Notice of Recruitment, which was published in the Federal Register on August 24, 2009, explains how to apply.
For more information, send an e-mail to: Committee Liaison Officer.