Title 14
SECTION 399.75
399.75 Rulemakings relating to unfair and deceptive practices.
§ 399.75 Rulemakings relating to unfair and deceptive practices.(a) General. When issuing a proposed or final regulation declaring a practice in air transportation or the sale of air transportation to be unfair or deceptive to consumers under the authority of 49 U.S.C. 41712(a), unless the regulation is specifically required by statute, the Department shall employ the definitions of “unfair” and “deceptive” set forth in § 399.79.
(b) Procedural requirements. When issuing a proposed regulation under paragraph (a) of this section that is defined as high impact or economically significant within the meaning of 49 CFR 5.17(a), the Department shall follow the procedural requirements set forth in 49 CFR 5.17. When issuing a proposed regulation under paragraph (a) of this section that is not defined as high impact or economically significant within the meaning of 49 CFR 5.17(a), unless the regulation is specifically required by statute, the Department shall adhere to the following procedural requirements:
(1) Request for a hearing. Following publication of a proposed regulation, and before the close of the comment period, any interested party may file in the rulemaking docket a petition, directed to the General Counsel, to hold a hearing on the proposed regulation.
(2) Grant of petition for hearing. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the petition shall be granted if the petitioner makes a plausible prima facie showing that:
(i) The proposed rule depends on conclusions concerning one or more specific scientific, technical, economic, or other factual issues that are genuinely in dispute or that may not satisfy the requirements of the Information Quality Act;
(ii) The ordinary public comment process is unlikely to provide an adequate examination of the issues to permit a fully informed judgment; and
(iii) The resolution of the disputed factual issues would likely have a material effect on the costs and benefits of the proposed rule.
(3) Denial of petition for hearing. A petition meeting the requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section may be denied if the General Counsel determines that:
(i) The requested hearing would not advance the consideration of the proposed rule and the General Counsel's ability to make the rulemaking determinations required by this section; or
(ii) The hearing would unreasonably delay completion of the rulemaking.
(4) Explanation of denial. If a petition is denied in whole or in part, the General Counsel shall include a detailed explanation of the factual basis for the denial, including findings on each of the relevant factors identified in paragraph (b)(2) or (3) of this section.
(5) Hearing notice. If the General Counsel grants the petition, the General Counsel shall publish notification of the hearing in the Federal Register. The document shall specify the proposed rule at issue and the specific factual issues to be considered at the hearing. The scope of the hearing shall be limited to the factual issues specified in the notice.
(6) Hearing process. (i) A hearing under this section shall be conducted using procedures approved by the General Counsel, and interested parties shall have a reasonable opportunity to participate in the hearing through the presentation of testimony and written submissions.
(ii) The General Counsel shall arrange for a neutral officer to preside over the hearing and shall provide a reasonable opportunity to question the presenters.
(iii) After the hearing and after the record of the hearing is closed, the hearing officer shall place on the docket minutes of the hearing with sufficient detail as to fully reflect the evidence and arguments presented on the issues, along with proposed findings addressing the disputed issues of fact identified in the hearing notice.
(iv) Interested parties who participated in the hearing shall be given an opportunity to file statements of agreement or objection in response to the hearing officer's proposed findings. The complete record of the hearing shall be made part of the rulemaking record.
(7) Actions following hearing. (i) Following the completion of the hearing process, the General Counsel shall consider the record of the hearing, including the hearing officer's proposed findings, and shall make a reasoned determination whether to terminate the rulemaking; to proceed with the rulemaking as proposed; or to modify the proposed rule.
(ii) If the General Counsel decides to terminate the rulemaking, the General Counsel shall publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the decision and explaining the reasons for the decision.
(iii) If the General Counsel decides to finalize the proposed rule without material modifications, the General Counsel shall explain the reasons for the decision and its responses to the hearing record in the preamble to the final rule.
(iv) If the General Counsel decides to modify the proposed rule in material respects, the General Counsel shall publish a new or supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register explaining the General Counsel's responses to and analysis of the hearing record, setting forth the modifications to the proposed rule, and providing additional reasonable opportunity for public comment on the proposed modified rule.
(8) Interagency review process. The hearing procedures under this paragraph (b)(8) shall not impede or interfere with the interagency review process of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for the proposed rulemaking.
(c) Basis for rulemaking. When issuing a proposed or final regulation declaring a practice in air transportation or the sale of air transportation to be unfair or deceptive to consumers under the authority of 49 U.S.C. 41712(a), unless the regulation is specifically required by statute, the Department shall articulate the basis for concluding that the practice is unfair or deceptive to consumers as defined in § 399.79.
[85 FR 78716, Dec. 7, 2020]