[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 105 (Thursday, June 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29737-29738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11627]


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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 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 105 / Thursday, June 3, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 29737]]



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: The Assembly of the Administrative Conference of the United 
States will meet during a one-day virtual plenary session to consider 
proposed recommendations and to conduct other business. Written 
comments may be submitted in advance, and the meeting will be 
accessible to the public.

DATES: The meeting will take place on Thursday, June 17, 2021, from 
9:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m. The meeting may adjourn early if all business is 
finished.

ADDRESSES: To facilitate participation during the ongoing COVID-19 
pandemic, the meeting will be conducted virtually. Information on how 
to access the meeting will be available on the agency's website prior 
to the meeting at https://www.acus.gov/meetings-and-events/plenary-meeting/74th-plenary-session-virtual.

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 202-480-2080; 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 receive updates on past, current, and 
pending Conference initiatives. In addition, pending final action by 
the Conference's the Council, five proposed recommendations will be 
considered. Summaries of the recommendations appear below:
    Clarifying Statutory Access to Judicial Review of Agency Action. 
This proposed recommendation urges Congress to enact a cross-cutting 
statute that addresses certain recurring technical problems in 
statutory provisions governing judicial review of agency action that 
may cause unfairness, inefficiency, or unnecessary litigation. It also 
offers a set of drafting principles for Congress when it writes new or 
amended judicial review statutes. It draws in large part on ACUS's 
forthcoming Sourcebook of Federal Judicial Review Statutes, which 
analyzes the provisions in the U.S. Code governing judicial review of 
rules and adjudicative orders and identifies recurring drafting 
problems in them.
    Early Input on Regulatory Alternatives. This proposed 
recommendation addresses when and how agencies should solicit input on 
alternatives to rules under consideration before issuing notices of 
proposed rulemaking. Among other things, it provides targeted measures 
for agencies to obtain input from knowledgeable persons in ways that 
are cost-effective and equitable and that maximize the likelihood of 
obtaining diverse, useful responses.
    Mass, Computer-Generated, and Fraudulent Comments. This proposed 
recommendation offers best practices for managing mass and computer-
generated comments, as well as a type of fraudulent comments referred 
to as ``malattributed comments,'' in agency rulemakings. Among other 
things, it offers best practices for agencies to consider with respect 
to using technology to process such comments, managing their public 
rulemaking dockets in response to such comments, and ensuring 
transparency with respect to any such actions they undertake.
    Periodic Retrospective Review. This proposed recommendation 
identifies best practices for agencies as they conduct retrospective 
review of their regulations on a periodic basis. It provides guidance 
for agencies on identifying the types of regulations that are strong 
candidates for review, determining the optimal frequency of review, 
soliciting public feedback to enhance their review efforts, identifying 
staff to participate in review, and coordinating review efforts with 
other agencies.
    Virtual Hearings in Agency Adjudication. This proposed 
recommendation addresses the use of virtual hearings, in which one or 
more participants attend remotely using a personal computer or mobile 
device, in agency adjudications. Virtual hearings have become 
increasingly common in agency adjudications, especially during the 
COVID-19 pandemic, but they can pose unique logistical challenges and 
raise questions of accessibility, transparency, privacy, and data 
security. The proposed recommendation identifies best practices for 
improving existing virtual-hearing programs and establishing new ones 
when appropriate.
    Additional information about the proposals and the agenda, as well 
as any changes or updates to the same, can be found at the 74th Plenary 
Session page on the Conference's website prior to the start of the 
meeting: https://www.acus.gov/meetings-and-events/plenary-meeting/74th-plenary-session-virtual.
    Public Participation: The Conference welcomes the virtual 
attendance of the public at the meeting, subject to bandwidth 
limitations. Members of the public who wish to view the meeting are 
asked to RSVP online at the 74th Plenary Session web page shown above, 
no later than two days before the meeting, in order to ensure adequate 
bandwidth. For anyone who is unable to view the live event, an archived 
video recording of the meeting will be available on the Conference's 
website shortly after the conclusion of the event: https://youtube.com/channel/UC1Gu44Jq1U7XsGdC9Tfl_zA.
    Written Comments: Persons who wish to comment on any of the 
proposed recommendations or official statement may do so by submitting 
a written statement either online by clicking ``Submit a comment'' on 
the 74th Plenary Session web page shown above or by mail addressed to: 
June 2021 Plenary Session Comments, Administrative Conference of the

[[Page 29738]]

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), Friday, June 11, 2021, to ensure consideration by the Assembly.

    Dated: May 27, 2021.
Shawne McGibbon,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-11627 Filed 6-2-21; 8:45 am]
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