Title 18

SECTION 375.204

375.204 Notice of meetings.

§ 375.204 Notice of meetings.

(a) Public announcements of meetings - 1) General rule. Except to the extent that information described in § 375.205(a) (involving closed meetings) is exempt from disclosure, the Secretary shall announce at least one week before each Commission meeting, the time, place, and subject matter of the meeting, whether it is an open meeting or closed meeting, and the name and telephone number of the official designated by the Commission to respond to requests for information about the meeting.

(2) Abbreviated notice. If the Commission determines by a majority of its members by a recorded vote that Commission business requires that a Commission meeting be called with less than one week's notice as prescribed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the Secretary shall make public announcements of the time, place, and subject matter of such meeting and whether open or closed to the public, at the earliest practicable time.

(3) Change in the time or place. If there is a change in time or place of a meeting following the public announcement prescribed in paragraph (a)(1) or (2) of this section the Secretary shall publicly announce such change at the earliest practicable time.

(4) Change in the subject matter or the determination to open or close a meeting. The subject matter of a meeting, or the determination of the Commission to open or close a meeting or a portion of a meeting, may be changed following the public announcement prescribed in paragraph (a) (1) or (2) of this section only if:

(i) The Commission determines by a recorded vote by a majority of the membership that Commission business so requires and that no earlier announcement of the change is possible; and

(ii) The Secretary publicly announces such change and the vote of each member upon such change at the earliest practicable time.

(b) Stricken items. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, individual items that have been announced for consideration at Commission meetings may be deleted without vote or notice.

(c) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, earliest practicable time, means as soon as practicable, which should in few, if any, instances be later than the commencement of the meeting or portion of the meeting in question.

(d) Informing public of meeting announcements. (1) The Secretary shall use reasonable means to assure that the public is fully informed of the public announcements required by this section. For example, such announcements may be posted on the Commission's public notice boards, published in official Commission publications, or sent to the persons on a mailing list maintained for those who want to receive such material.

(2) Immediately following each public announcement required by this section, notice of the time, place, and subject matter of a meeting, whether the meeting is open or closed, any change in a preceding announcement, and the name and telephone number of the official designated by the Commission to respond to requests for information about the meeting shall also be submitted by the Secretary for publication in the Federal Register.

(e) Issuance of list of Commission actions. Following each Commission meeting, the Secretary shall issue a list of Commission actions taken which shall become effective as of the date of issuance of the related order (or date designated therein) or other document, which the Secretary shall issue in due course, in the manner prescribed by the Commission.