[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65347-65348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25777]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 229 / Wednesday, November 27, 2019 / 
Notices  

[[Page 65347]]



ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED STATES


Notice of Public Meeting of the Assembly of the Administrative 
Conference of the United States

AGENCY: Administrative Conference of the United States.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
App.), the Assembly of the Administrative Conference of the United 
States will hold a meeting to consider five proposed recommendations 
and to conduct other business. This meeting will be open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will take place on Thursday, December 12, 2019, 9:30 
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The meeting may adjourn early if all business is 
finished.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at The George Washington University 
Law School (GW Law), 2000 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20052 (Jacob 
Burns Moot Court Room).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shawne McGibbon, General Counsel 
(Designated Federal Officer), Administrative Conference of the United 
States, Suite 706 South, 1120 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; 
Telephone 202-480-2088; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Administrative Conference of the United 
States makes recommendations to federal agencies, the President, 
Congress, and the Judicial Conference of the United States regarding 
the improvement of administrative procedures (5 U.S.C. 594). The 
membership of the Conference, when meeting in plenary session, 
constitutes the Assembly of the Conference (5 U.S.C. 595).
    Agenda: The Assembly will consider five proposed recommendations as 
described below:
    Agency Economists. This proposed recommendation addresses the 
placement of economists within rule-writing agencies (e.g., centralized 
v. dispersed throughout the agency) and explores methods for promoting 
high-quality economic analysis within each of the possible 
organizational structures. Each possible structure has strengths and 
weaknesses that can affect the flow of information between economists 
and decision-makers. The proposed recommendation does not endorse any 
one organizational structure over another but identifies steps agencies 
can take to remove structural barriers that can impede the 
communication of objective, consistent, and high-quality economic 
analysis during the rulemaking process.
    Internet Evidence in Agency Adjudication. This proposed 
recommendation addresses agency adjudicators' increasing reliance on 
their own factual research--especially internet research--when 
conducting hearings and deciding cases. Though such independent 
research can be an efficient means to acquire facts, it can also raise 
concerns regarding the accuracy of information uncovered and fairness 
to the litigants. The proposed recommendation urges agencies to develop 
publicly available policies on independent research that, among other 
things, identify sources of information that are reliable in all cases, 
set forth standards for adjudicators to apply when assessing the 
reliability of other sources, and ensure that litigants have ready 
access to all sources.
    Acting Agency Officials and Delegations of Authority. This proposed 
recommendation offers agencies best practices for promoting greater 
transparency and compliance with the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 
1998 when a Senate-confirmed position sits vacant. It also addresses 
the use of delegations of authority in the face of staffing vacancies. 
It urges agencies to determine whether the agency is subject to the 
Vacancies Act and, if so, establish compliance processes; improve 
transparency by disclosing on their websites information about acting 
officials and delegations of authority; and provide additional support 
and training to agency officials responsible for Vacancies Act 
compliance.
    Listing Agency Officials. This proposed recommendation promotes the 
public availability of real-time information about high-level officials 
leading federal agencies. It encourages agencies to publish on their 
websites basic information about high-level agency leaders and identify 
vacant leadership positions and acting officials. It also recommends 
that the Office of Personnel Management publish on its website a 
monthly list of high-level agency leaders, as well as an archival list 
of former Senate-confirmed presidential appointees.
    Recruiting and Hiring Agency Attorneys. This proposed 
recommendation offers best practices for agencies to recruit and hire 
attorneys. First, it notes that agencies are not bound by certain 
procedural requirements that apply to the hiring of other kinds of 
employees. Then, among other suggestions, it advises agencies to post 
and disseminate announcements widely when they seek broad applicant 
pools; write announcements clearly and concisely; communicate to 
applicants any limitations on the number of applicants the agency will 
consider; establish policies for reviewing applications and 
interviewing candidates; and decide, in the period before an attorney's 
adverse action rights accrue, whether to retain the attorney after the 
period elapses.
    Additional information about the proposed recommendations and the 
order of the agenda, as well as other materials related to the meeting, 
can be found at the 72nd Plenary Session page on the Conference's 
website: https://www.acus.gov/meetings-and-events/plenary-meeting/72nd-plenary-session.
    Public Participation: The Conference welcomes the attendance of the 
public at the meeting, subject to space limitations, and will make 
every effort to accommodate persons with disabilities or special needs. 
Members of the public who wish to attend in person are asked to RSVP 
online at the 72nd Plenary Session web page shown above, no later than 
two days before the meeting, in order to facilitate entry and to ensure 
adequate seating. Members of the public who attend the meeting may be 
permitted to speak only with the consent of the Chairman and the 
unanimous approval of the members of

[[Page 65348]]

the Assembly. If you need special accommodations due to disability, 
please inform the Designated Federal Officer noted above at least seven 
days in advance of the meeting. The public may also view the meeting on 
GW Law's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/user/gwlawschool. 
Alternatively, an archived video recording of the meeting will be 
available on the Conference's website shortly after the conclusion of 
the event: https://livestream.com/ACUS.
    Written Comments: Persons who wish to comment on any of the 
proposed recommendations may do so by submitting a written statement 
either online by clicking ``Submit a comment'' on the 72nd Plenary 
Session web page shown above or by mail addressed to: December 2019 
Plenary Session Comments, Administrative Conference of the United 
States, Suite 706 South, 1120 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. 
Written submissions must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. (EDT), 
Thursday, December 5, 2019, to ensure consideration by the Assembly.

    Dated: November 22, 2019.
Shawne McGibbon,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2019-25777 Filed 11-26-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6110-01-P