[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 33 (Friday, February 20, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7843-7844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3671]


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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

29 CFR Part 1612


Government in the Sunshine Act Regulations

AGENCY: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is proposing to 
revise the method of public announcement of agency meetings subject to 
the Government in the Sunshine Act.

DATES: The agency must receive comments on or before April 21, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to Stephen Llewellyn, 
Executive Officer, Executive Secretariat, Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission, Room 6NE03F, 131 M Street, NE., Washington, DC 20507. As a 
convenience to commentators, the Executive Secretariat will accept 
comments totaling six or fewer pages by facsimile (``FAX'') machine. 
This limitation is necessary to assure access to the equipment. The 
telephone number of the FAX receiver is (202) 663-4114. (This is not a 
toll-free number.) Receipt of FAX transmittals will not be 
acknowledged, except that the sender may request confirmation of 
receipt by calling the Executive Secretariat staff at (202) 663-4070 
(voice) or (202) 663-4074 (TTD). (These are not toll-free telephone 
numbers.) You may also submit comments and attachments electronically 
at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. 
Follow the instructions online for submitting comments. Copies of 
comments submitted by the public can be reviewed at http://www.regulations.gov or by appointment at the Commission's library, 131 
M Street, NE., Washington, DC 20507 between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 
5 p.m. (call 202-663-4630

[[Page 7844]]

(voice) or 202-663-4641 (TTY) to schedule an appointment).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas J. Schlageter, Assistant Legal 
Counsel, or Mona Papillon, Senior General Attorney, at (202) 663-4640 
(voice) or (202) 663-7026 (TTY). Copies of this NPRM are also available 
in the following alternate formats: large print, braille, audiotape and 
electronic file on computer disk. Requests for this NPRM in an 
alternative format should be made to EEOC's Publication Center at 1-
800-669-3362 (voice) or 1-800-800-3302 (TTY).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 
U.S.C. 552b, the EEOC is required to give public announcement of 
Commission meetings. The Commission's Sunshine Act regulations specify 
that such announcements will be made by recorded telephone message and 
posting in the lobby of its headquarters. In November and December 
2008, the Commission's headquarters and the Washington Field Office 
(WFO) moved from 1801 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20507 to 131 M 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20507. Because the new location is a multi-
tenant building and the landlord prohibits the posting of tenant 
announcements in the lobby, the Commission is proposing to post 
announcements of public meetings on the agency's public Web site 
instead of posting them in the lobby. Thus, the regulation would 
require public announcement by recorded telephone message and posting 
on the EEOC's Web site instead of by recorded telephone message and 
posting in the EEOC's lobby.

Regulatory Procedures

Executive Order 12866

    This is not a ``significant regulatory action'' within the meaning 
of section 3 of Executive Order 12866.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This regulation contains no new information collection requirements 
subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Commission certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this rule will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities because the rule does not have any economic impact. The 
regulation affects only the means by which the EEOC will issue public 
notices of its meetings. Thus, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not 
required.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    This final rule will not result in the expenditure by State, local, 
or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of 
$100 million or more in any one year, and it will not significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no actions were deemed 
necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 
1995.

Congressional Review Act

    This action concerns agency organization, procedure or practice 
that does not substantially affect the rights or obligations of non-
agency parties and, accordingly, is not a ``rule'' as that term is used 
by the Congressional Review Act (Subtitle E of the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA)). Therefore, the 
reporting requirement of 5 U.S.C. 801 does not apply.

List of Subjects in 29 CFR Part 1612

    Government in the Sunshine Act, Equal Employment Opportunity.

    For the Commission.
Stuart J. Ishimaru,
Acting Chairman.

    Accordingly, for the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Equal 
Employment Opportunity Commission proposes to amend 29 CFR part 1612 as 
follows:

PART 1612--GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT REGULATIONS

    1. The authority citation for Part 1612 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552b, sec 713, 78 Stat. 265; 42 U.S.C. 
2000e-12.

    2. In Sec.  1612.7, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec.  1612.7  Public announcement of agency meetings.

    (a) Public announcement of each meeting by the agency shall be 
accomplished by recorded telephone message at telephone number 202-663-
7100 (between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. e.t.), and by posting such 
announcements on the Commission's public Web site located at http://www.eeoc.gov not later than one week prior to commencement of a meeting 
or the commencement of the first meeting in a series of meetings, 
except as otherwise provided in this section, and shall disclose:
    (1) The time of the meeting.
    (2) The place of the meeting.
    (3) The subject matter of each portion of the meeting or series of 
meetings.
    (4) Whether any portion(s) of a meeting will be open or closed to 
public observation.
    (5) The name and telephone number of an official designated to 
respond to requests for information about the meeting.
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[FR Doc. E9-3671 Filed 2-19-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6570-01-P