[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1281-1282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-582]



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NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

29 CFR Part 102


Modifications to Role of National Labor Relations Board's 
Administrative Law Judges Including: Assignment of Administrative Law 
Judges as Settlement Judges; Discretion of Administrative Law Judges To 
Dispense With Briefs, To Hear Oral Argument in Lieu of Briefs, and To 
Issue Bench Decisions

AGENCY: National Labor Relations Board.

ACTION: Notice of Extension of Experimental Modifications.

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SUMMARY: In light of the most recent shutdown of Agency operations due 
to the lack of appropriated funds, the National Labor Relations Board 
(NLRB) is extending, from January 31, 1996, until March 1, 1996, the 
one-year experiment it commenced on February 1, 1995, authorizing the 
use of settlement judges and providing administrative law judges (ALJs) 
with the discretion to dispense with briefs, to hear oral argument in 
lieu of briefs, and to issue bench decisions. In a related document 
published elsewhere in today's Federal Register, the NLRB is also 
extending, from December 29, 1995, until January 25, 1996, the deadline 
for filing comments in response to its recent proposal to make 
permanent, following expiration of the experimental period, the 
experimental modifications.

DATES: Effective January 16, 1996, the experimental modifications to 
the Board's rules are extended from January 31, 1996, until March 1, 
1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John J. Toner, Acting Executive Secretary, Office of the Executive 
Secretary, National Labor Relations Board, 1099 14th Street, N.W., Room 
11600, Washington, D.C. 20570. Telephone: (202) 273-1940.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 8, 1994, the Board issued a 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) which proposed certain 
modifications to the Board's rules to permit the assignment of ALJs to 
serve as settlement judges, and to provide ALJs with the discretion to 
dispense with briefs, to hear oral argument in lieu of briefs, and to 
issue bench decisions (59 FR 46375). The NPR provided for a comment 
period ending October 7, 1994.
    On December 22, 1994, following consideration of the comments 
received to the NPR, the Board issued a notice implementing, on a one-
year 

[[Page 1282]]
experimental basis, the proposed modifications (59 FR 65942). The 
notice provided that the modifications would become effective on 
February 1, 1995, and would expire at the end of the one-year 
experimental period on January 31, 1996, absent renewal by the Board.
    On December 1, 1995, following a review of the experience to date 
with the modifications and the views of the NLRB's Advisory Committee 
on Agency Procedure, the Board issued a notice proposing to make the 
modifications permanent upon expiration of the one-year experimental 
period on January 31, 1996 (60 FR 61679). The notice provided for a 
period of public comment on this proposal, until December 29, 1995.
    Beginning December 18, 1995, during the comment period, and 
continuing through January 5, 1996, the Agency's offices were closed 
due to the lack of appropriated funds. As a result, both the experiment 
and the comment period were interrupted.
    Accordingly, in a related notice published elsewhere in today's 
Federal Register, the Board has extended from December 29, 1995, until 
January 25, 1996, the deadline for filing comments. In order to allow 
the Board time to consider the comments, the Board has decided to also 
extend the experimental period from January 31, 1996, until March 1, 
1996.

    Dated, Washington, D.C., January 16, 1996.

    By direction of the Board.
John J. Toner,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-582 Filed 1-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7545-01-M