The Assistant Secretary may promulgate, modify, or revoke a standard applicable to employments in construction work, as defined in § 1910.12(b) of this chapter, in the following manner:

(a) The Assistant Secretary shall consult with the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, established pursuant to section 107 of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, in the formulation of a rule to promulgate, modify, or revoke a standard. The Assistant Secretary shall provide the committee with any proposal of his own or the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, together with all pertinent factual information available to him, including the results of research, demonstrations, and experiments. The committee shall submit to the Assistant Secretary its recommendations regarding the rule to be promulgated within the period prescribed by the Assistant Secretary, which in no event shall be longer than 270 days from the date of initial consultation.

(b) Within 60 days after the submission of the committee's recommendations or after the expiration of the period prescribed for such submissions, whichever date is earlier, the Assistant Secretary, if he determines that a rule should be issued, shall publish in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking. The notice shall include:

(1) The terms of the proposed rule;

(2) A reference to section 6(b) of the Act and to section 107 of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act;

(3) An invitation to interested persons to submit within 30 days after publication of the notice written data, views, and arguments, which shall be available for public inspection and copying, except as to matters the disclosure of which is prohibited by law;

(4) The time and place for an informal hearing to be commenced not earlier than 10 days following the end of the period for written comments;

(5) A requirement for the filing of an intention to appear at the hearing, together with a statement of the position to be taken with regard to the proposed rule and of the evidence to be adduced in support of the position;

(6) Designation of a presiding officer to conduct the hearing; and

(7) Any other appropriate provisions pertinent to the proceeding.

(c) Any interested person who files an intention to appear in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section shall have a right to participate at the informal hearing.

(d) In lieu of the procedure prescribed in paragraph (b) of this section, the Assistant Secretary may follow the procedure prescribed in paragraph (b) of § 1911.11 providing an opportunity for informal hearing.