The recommendation to change the arsenic standards came from a subcommittee called the National Research Council (NRC), an NAS affiliate. Congress established the NAS in 1863 to provide science-related recommendations to the federal government. It progressed into a membership organization for the best U.S. scientists, whose members elect new members based on recognition of distinguished achievement in original research.
The NRC provides these advisory duties on a for-hire basis, since the NAS does not receive federal appropriations directly in the budget process. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contracted with the NRC to review and report on the science relevant to arsenic in drinking water. The current arsenic standard, which was set in the 1940s, is going on 60 years old.