(a) Statutory authority to adopt expedited closing procedure. The Government in the Sunshine Act provides, at 5 U.S.C. 552b(d)(4), that qualified agencies may establish by regulation expedited procedures for announcing and closing certain meetings. Specifically, “[a]ny agency, a majority of whose meetings may properly be closed to the public pursuant to paragraph (4), (8), (9)(A), or (10) of subsection (c) [of the statute], or any combination thereof, may provide by regulation for the closing of such meetings or portions thereof [through the expedited closing procedure].” See § 2203.3(b)(4), (8), (9)(i) and (10), which are equivalent to the referenced paragraphs of the statute. The Commission had determined, for the reasons stated in paragraph (b) of this section, that it is qualified to adopt implementing regulations under 5 U.S.C. 552b(d)(4). It hereby announces that it will follow the expedited closing procedure authorized under that statutory provision in conducting its regularly-scheduled meetings.

(b) Commission qualification to adopt expedited closing procedure. The Commission has determined that a majority of its meetings may be closed to the public under 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(10). See § 2203.3(b)(10). The Commission is an adjudicatory agency that has no regulatory functions. It was established to resolve disputes arising out of enforcement actions brought by the Secretary of Labor under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 651-678. See 29 U.S.C. 659(c). The Commission's experience under the Government in the Sunshine Act has been that almost all of its meetings have been closed, in whole or in part, under 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(10) because they involved only formal agency adjudication of specific cases.

(c) Announcements. Regularly-scheduled meetings of the Commission will be held at 10:30 a.m. every Thursday, except for legal holidays, in the Hearing Room (Suite 965) of the Commission's national office at One Lafayette Centre, 1120-20th Street NW., Washington, DC 20036-3457. If a regularly-scheduled meeting is scheduled, public announcement of the time, date and place of the meeting will be made at the earliest practicable time by posting a notice in a prominent place at the Commission's national office. If a regularly-scheduled meeting is cancelled, a notice of cancellation will be posted in the same manner. Information about the subject of each regularly-scheduled meeting will be made available in the Office of the General Counsel, telephone number (202) 606-5410, at the earliest practicable time. However, no information that may be withheld under § 2203.3(b) will be made available, and individual items may be added to or deleted from the agenda at any time. Inquiries from the public regarding any regularly-scheduled meeting will be directed to the Office of the General Counsel.

(d) Voting. At the beginning of each regularly-scheduled meeting, the Commission will vote on whether to close the meeting. No proxy vote will be permitted and the vote of each Commissioner will be recorded. This record of each Commissioner's vote will be made available to the public at the Commission's national office immediately after the meeting.