The Committee on Vision (CoVIS) is a standing committee of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, which is supported by contributions from several federal agencies. It provides analysis and advice to those sponsoring agencies, on issues involving the human visual system, including questions of physiological and physical optics, neurophysiology, psychophysics, perception, engineering and equipment, computer vision, environmental effects on vision, and visual disorders. The committee of twelve members helps select and define activities of several working groups dealing with specific topics of concern to the sponsors. Results of this work are published in reports available to scientists, the public, and to industry, and have impact on many areas of vision science.