Advisory committees shall, as a general rule, meet four times per year, except that, as provided by statute, the Toxicological Advisory Board shall meet not less than two times each year. No advisory committee shall hold a meeting without advance approval of the Chairman or the Commission official designated under § 1018.23(a). Before giving such advance approval, the Chairman or Commission official shall notify the Commission of the date of the proposed meeting.

(a) Meetings shall be called by written and/or oral notice to all members of the advisory committee.

(b) Notice of each advisory committee meeting shall be published in the Federal Register as well as other means to give widespread public notice, at least 15 calendar days before the date of the meeting, except that shorter notice may be provided in emergency situations. Reasons for such emergency exceptions shall be made part of the meeting notice.

(c) A meeting notice shall include:

(1) The official designation of the committee;

(2) The address and site of the meeting;

(3) The time of the meeting;

(4) The purpose of the meeting, including where appropriate, a summary of the agenda;

(5) Whether, or the extent to which, the public will be permitted to attend or participate;

(6) An explanation of how any person who wishes to do so may file a written statement with the committee before, during, or after the meeting; and

(7) The procedure by which a public attendee may present an oral statement or question to members of the committee.

(a) The Chairman shall designate a member of the Commission or other Commission officer or employee to chair or attend each meeting of each advisory committee.

(b) Unless otherwise provided in the statute creating a statutory advisory committee, the committee normally will be chaired, on a rotating basis, by a member of the Commission.

(c) No advisory committee shall conduct any meeting in the absence of the officer or employee designated under paragraph (a) of this section.

(d) The officer or employee designated under paragraph (a) of this section is authorized to adjourn any advisory committee meeting whenever he or she determines adjournment to be in the public interest.

Prior to each advisory committee meeting, the Advisory Committee Management Officer shall prepare and, after approval by the officer or employee designated under § 1018.23 (a), shall distribute to each committee member the agenda for that meeting. The agenda for a meeting shall list the matters to be discussed at the meeting and shall indicate whether and when any part of the meeting will concern matters which are exempt from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b) or section 6(a)(2) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2045(a)(2)).

(a) The Advisory Committee Management Officer shall be responsible for the preparation of detailed minutes of each meeting of each advisory committee. The minutes shall include at least the following:

(1) The time and place of the meeting;

(2) A list of advisory committee members and staff and Commission employees present at the meeting;

(3) A complete summary of all matters discussed and conclusions reached;

(4) Copies of all reports received, issued, or approved by the advisory committee; and

(5) A description of public participation, including a list of members of the public who presented oral or written statements and an estimate of the number of members of the public who attended the meeting.

(b) The chairman of the advisory committee shall certify the accuracy of the minutes.

(c) Whenever a non-Commission established committee convenes and, at the request of the Commission, a portion of the session is allocated to the rendering of advisory services to the Commission, the Advisory Committee Management Officer shall attend and prepare minutes for that portion of the meeting in accordance with this section.

(d) In addition to the information required by subsection (a) of this section, the minutes of the Toxicological Advisory Board shall specify the reasons for all conclusions reached and, where conclusions are not unanimous, the Board is encouraged to submit minority or dissenting opinions.

(a) Unless otherwise specifically provided by statute, advisory committees shall be utilized solely for advisory functions.

(b) The Commission shall ensure that the advice and recommendations of advisory committees shall not be in-appropriately influenced by the Commission, its staff, or by any special interest, but will be the result of the advisory committee's independent judgment.

(a) The Commission is committed to a policy of encouraging public participation in its activities and will hold all advisory committee meetings open to the public.

(b) The guidelines in section 8(c) of OMB Circular A-63 shall be followed in providing public access to advisory committee meetings.

(a) Subject to section 552 of title 5, United States Code (Freedom of Information Act) and 16 CFR part 1015 (Commission's Procedures for Disclosure or Production of Information under the Freedom of Information Act), the records, reports, transcripts, minutes, appendices, working papers, drafts, studies, agendas or other documents which were made available to or prepared for or by an advisory committee shall be made available for public inspection and copying in the Commission's Office of the Secretary.

(b) Advisory Committee documents shall be made available until the advisory committee ceases to exist. Disposition of the advisory committee documents shall be determined by the Secretary of the Commission at that time.

Appeals from the denial of access to advisory committee documents shall be considered in accordance with the Commission's Procedures for Disclosure or Production of Information under the Freedom of Information Act (16 CFR part 1015).