Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?mc=true&node=pt16.2.1012&rgn=div5
Timestamp: 2020-07-13 12:34:05
Document Index: 70385012

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1012', '§1012', '§1012', '§1012', '§1012', '§1012', 'art 1012', '§1011', 'art 1013', '§1012', '§1012']

Title 16 → Chapter II → Subchapter A → Part 1012
§1012.2 Definitions.
§1012.3 Advance public notice of agency meetings.
§1012.4 Public attendance at agency meetings.
§1012.5 Recordkeeping for agency meetings.
§1012.6 The news media.
Authority: Pub. L. 92-573, 86 Stat. 1207 (15 U.S.C. 2051-81) as amended by Pub. L. 94-284, 90 Stat. 503, Pub. L. 95-319, 92 Stat. 386, Pub. L. 95-631, 92 Stat. 3742; Pub. L. 90-189, 81 Stat. 568 (15 U.S.C. 1191-1204); Pub. L. 86-613, 74 Stat. 372, as amended by Pub. L. 89-756, 80 Stat. 1303, and Pub. L. 91-113, 83 Stat. 187 (15 U.S.C. 1261-74); Pub. L. 91-601, 84 Stat. 1670 (15 U.S.C. 1471-76) and the Act of Aug. 7, 1956, 70 Stat. 953 (15 U.S.C. 1211-14).
Source: 46 FR 38323, July 24, 1981, unless otherwise noted.
(a) As used in this part 1012, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth in paragraphs (a)-(d) of §1011.2 of this subchapter: “Agency,” “Agency staff,” “Commissioner,” “Commission.”
(b) Agency meeting. Any face-to-face encounter, other than a Commission meeting subject to the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b, and part 1013, in which one or more employees, including Commissioners, discusses with an outside party any subject relating to the Agency or any subject under its jurisdiction. The term Agency meeting does not include telephone conversations, but see §1012.8 which relates to telephone conversations.
(c) Outside party. Any person not an employee, not under contract to do work for the Agency, or not acting in an official capacity as a consultant to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, such as advisory committee members or offeror personnel. Examples of persons falling within this definition are representatives from industry and consumer groups. Members of the news media when acting in a newsgathering capacity are not outside parties. (See also §1012.7.) Officers and employees of the Federal Government when acting in their official capacities (except when advocating a particular course of action on behalf of an outside party) are not outside parties.
(d) Substantial interest matter. Any matter, other than that of a trivial nature, that pertains in whole or in part to any issue that is likely to be the subject of a regulatory or policy decision by the Commission. Pending matters, i.e., matters before the Agency in which the Agency is legally obligated to make a decision, automatically constitute substantial interest matters. Examples of pending matters are: Scheduled administrative hearings; matters published for public comments; petitions under consideration; and mandatory standard development activities. The following are some examples of matters that do not constitute substantial interest matters: Inquiries concerning the status of a pending matter; discussions relative to general interpretations of existing laws, rules, and regulations; inspection of nonconfidential CPSC documents by the public; negotiations for contractual services; and routine CPSC activities such as recruitment, training, meetings involving consumer deputies, or meetings with hospital staff and other personnel involved in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
(a) Commissioners and Agency employees are responsible for reporting meeting arrangements for Agency meetings to the Office of the Secretary so that they may be published in the Public Calendar or entered on the Master Calendar at least seven days before a meeting, except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section. These reports shall include the following information:
(1) Probable participants and their affiliations;
(2) Date, time and place of the meeting;
(3) Subject of the meeting (as fully and precisely described as possible);
(4) Who requested the meeting;
(5) Whether the meeting involves matters of substantial interest;
(6) Notice that the meeting is open or reason why the meeting or any portion of the meeting is closed (e.g., discussion of trade secrets); and
(7) Names and telephone number of the CPSC host or CPSC contact person.
(b) Once a report has been made to the Office of the Secretary, Agency employees subsequently desiring to attend the meeting need not notify the Office of the Secretary.
(c) When there is no opportunity to give seven days advance notice of a meeting, Agency employees (other than the Commissioners or their personal staff) who desire to hold or attend such a meeting must obtain the approval of the General Counsel or his or her designee. Requests for waiver of the seven-day advance notice requirement by members of the staff who report to the Executive Director may only be submitted to the General Counsel or his or her designee in writing by the Executive Director or his or her designee. Personal staff of Commissioners must obtain the approval of their respective Commissioners. If the short notice is approved, the Agency employee must notify the Office of the Secretary in advance of the meeting to record the meeting on the Master Calendar. The Office of the Secretary shall publish notice of the meeting as an addendum to the next Public Calendar.
(d) Exceptions. The notice requirement shall not apply to:
(1) Meetings with outside parties not involving substantial interest matters (although such meetings should be limited where the public interest would be served);
(2) Meetings with outside parties held during the normal course of surveillance, inspection, or investigation under any of the Acts administered by the Commission, including informal citation hearings under the Federal Hazardous Substance Act or the Poison Prevention Packaging Act;
(3) Meetings with outside parties concerning the settlement or negotiation of an individual case, including proposed remedial action, or meetings concerning any administrative or judicial action in which the outside party is a participant, party, or amicus curiae;
(4) Routine speeches given by CPSC personnel before outside parties. However, for information purposes, personnel are encouraged to submit advance notice of these speeches to the Office of the Secretary for inclusion in the Public Calendar;
(5) Meetings with other Federal personnel that are also attended by outside parties except where a specific matter to be discussed is also pending before the Commission or its staff;
(7) Meetings or discussions with or at the request of either members of Congress and their staffs relating to legislation, appropriation or oversight matters, or Management and Budget personnel relating to legislation or appropriation matters;
(8) Pre-proposal conferences involving confidential contracts made pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 252(c)(12) in connection with potential litigation matters.
(7)(i) Meetings between Agency staff (other than Commissioners and their personal staff) and an outside party when the General Counsel or his or her designee determines that extraordinary circumstances require that the meeting be closed. Requests for exemption by members of the staff who report to the Executive Director may be submitted to the General Counsel or his or her designee in writing only by the Executive Director or his or her designee. In such a case, the reasons for closing the meeting or a portion of the meeting shall be stated in the Public Calendar notice announcing the meeting;
(a) This section describes and establishes requirements for the two types of records maintained for Agency meetings, Agency meeting summaries and transcripts.
(b) Agency meeting summaries. Agency meeting summaries are written records settling forth the issues discussed at all Agency meetings with outside parties involving substantial interest matters. Any Commission employee who holds or attends an Agency meeting involving a substantial interest matter must prepare a meeting summary. However, only one agency meeting summary is required for each meeting even if more than one CPSC employee holds or attends the meeting. Agency meeting summaries are generally available to the public in the Agency's Public Reading Room in the Office of the Secretary as described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
(1) An agency meeting summary should state the essence of all substantive matters relevant to the Agency, especially any matter discussed which was not listed on the Public Calendar, and should describe any decisions made or conclusions reached regarding substantial interest matters. An agency meeting summary should also indicate the date of the meeting and the identity of persons who attended.
(2) An agency meeting summary or a notice of cancellation of the meeting must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary within twenty (20) calendar days after the meeting for which the summary is required. The Office of the Secretary shall maintain a file of the meeting summaries in chronological order, which shall be available to the public to the extent permitted by law.
(c) Transcripts. Transcripts are generally taken at public hearings and certain Agency meetings when complex subjects indicate verbatim records are desirable. The transcript may also include exhibits submitted to be part of the formal record of an Agency meeting. Copies of such transcripts are placed on file for public inspection in the Office of the Secretary.
The Agency recognizes that the news media occupy a unique position in informing the public of the Agency's activities. The Commission believes that the inherently public nature of the news media allows their activities to be exempt from the requirements of this part whenever Agency meetings are held with the news media for the purpose of informing them about Agency activities. Such Agency meetings are not exempt in the event that any representative of the news media attempts to influence any Agency employee on a substantial interest matter.