I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1864
To standardize the process for conducting public hearings for Federal agencies
within the Department of the Interior.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 19, 1999
Mr. HANSEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To standardize the process for conducting public hearings
for Federal agencies within the Department of the Interior.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Hearing Stand-
ardization Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Public hearings are a significant part of the
process used by Federal agencies to obtain public
input.
(2) Public hearings are important to the public
and should allow their comments to become part of
the official record of agency actions, provide a forum
for the public to ask questions of the Federal agen-
cies, and allow the public to receive from the Federal
agencies meaningful responses to questions as part
of the official record of agency actions.
(3) Federal agencies do not have a standard
procedure in accordance with which their public
hearings are conducted. As a result, Federal agen-
cies have total discretion in setting rules for public
hearings. These rules frequently do not require the
Federal agencies to respond to legitimate questions
asked by the public.
(4) Standardizing the procedure in accordance
with which Federal agencies conduct public hearings
is necessary to help ensure that the public under-
stands the public hearing process and can partici-
pate appropriately in that process.
SEC. 3. REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR
CONDUCTING PUBLIC HEARINGS.
(a) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the
Interior shall establish by regulation general requirements
for conducting public hearings on certain agency actions.
(b) CONTENT OF REGULATIONS.—Regulations issued
pursuant to subsection (a) shall be designed to help ensure
that the public understands and can fully participate in
public hearings held pursuant to such regulations and
shall, at a minimum, establish the following:
(1) Agency actions regarding which a public
hearing is required or appropriate.
(2) A process whereby the public shall be given
timely notice of public hearings.
(3) A process in accordance with which public
hearings shall be conducted. Such a process shall in-
clude an opportunity during the hearings for mem-
bers of the public to ask the Federal agency con-
ducting the hearings questions regarding the subject
matter of the hearings.
(4) A process to ensure that the public shall
have a reasonable expectation of meaningful and
timely answers to questions posed at public hearings.
(5) The proceedings of a public hearing shall
become part of the official record of the agency ac-
tion in regard to which the hearing is held.
SEC. 4. EFFECT OF OTHER LAWS.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit, re-
place, or interfere with other opportunities for public com-
ment on, participation in, or influence on agency decision-
making pursuant to the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, the Administrative Procedure Act, or any
other law or policy which provides for such opportunities.
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