[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 9]
[Revised as of October 1, 2006]

[CITE: 46CFR503.75]

[Page 114-115]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
                 CHAPTER IV--FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION
 
PART 503_PUBLIC INFORMATION--Table of Contents
 
Subpart H_Public Observation of Federal Maritime Commission Meetings and 
     Public Access to Information Pertaining to Commission Meetings
 
Sec.  503.75  Procedures for closing a portion of a meeting on request
initiated by an interested person.

    (a) Any person as defined in Sec.  503.71, whose interests may be 
directly affected by a portion of a meeting of the agency, may request 
that the agency close that portion of a meeting for the reason that 
matters in deliberation at that portion of the meeting are such that 
public disclosure of that portion of a meeting is likely to:
    (1) Involve accusing any person of a crime, or formally censuring 
any person;
    (2) Disclose information of a personal nature where disclosure would 
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; or
    (3) Disclose investigatory records compiled for law enforcement 
purposes, or information which if written would be contained in such 
records, but only to the extent that the production of such records or 
information would:
    (i) Interfere with enforcement proceedings;
    (ii) Deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial 
adjudication;
    (iii) Constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

[[Page 115]]

    (iv) Disclose the identity of a confidential source and, in the case 
of a record compiled by a criminal law enforcement authority in the 
course of a criminal investigation, or by an agency conducting a lawful 
national security intelligence investigation, confidential information 
furnished only by the confidential source;
    (v) Disclose investigative techniques and procedures; or
    (vi) Endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement 
personnel.
    (b) Any person described in paragraph (a) of this section who 
submits a request that a portion of a meeting be closed shall submit an 
original and 15 copies of that request to the Secretary, Federal 
Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, and shall state with 
particularity that portion of a meeting sought to be closed and the 
reasons therefor as described in paragraph (a) of this section.
    (c) Upon receipt of any request made under paragraphs (a) and (b) of 
this section, the Secretary of the agency shall:
    (1) Furnish a copy of the request to each member of the agency; and
    (2) Furnish a copy of the request to the General Counsel of the 
agency.
    (d) Upon receipt of a request made under paragraphs (a) and (b) of 
this section, any member of the agency may request agency action upon 
the request to close a portion of a meeting by notifying the Secretary 
of the agency of that request for agency action.
    (e) Upon receipt of a request for agency action under paragraph (d) 
of this section, the Secretary of the agency shall schedule a time for 
an agency vote upon the request of the person whose interests may be 
directly affected by a portion of a meeting, which vote shall take place 
prior to the scheduled meeting of the agency.
    (f) At the time the Secretary receives a request for agency action 
and schedules a time for an agency vote as described in paragraph (e) of 
this section, the request of the person whose interests may be directly 
affected by a portion of a meeting shall be forwarded to the General 
Counsel of the agency who shall act upon such request as provided in 
Sec.  503.77.
    (g) At the time scheduled by the Secretary, as provided in paragraph 
(e) of this section, the members of the agency, upon consideration of 
the request of the person whose interests may be directly affected by a 
portion of a meeting submitted under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this 
section, and consideration of the certified opinion of the General 
Counsel of the agency provided to the members under Sec.  503.77, shall 
vote upon that request. That vote shall determine whether or not any 
portion or portions of a meeting or portion or portions of a series of 
meetings may be closed to public observation for any of the reasons 
provided in paragraph (a) of this section, and whether or not the public 
interest requires that the portion or portions of the meeting or 
meetings remain open, notwithstanding the applicability of any of the 
reasons provided in paragraph (a) of this section permitting the closing 
of any portion of any meeting to public observation.
    (h) In the case of a vote on a request under this section to close 
to public observation a portion of a meeting, no such portion of a 
meeting may be closed unless, by a vote on the issues described in 
paragraph (g) of this section, a majority of the entire membership of 
the agency shall vote to close such portion of a meeting by a recorded 
vote.

[49 FR 44401, Nov. 6, 1984; 49 FR 47395, Dec. 4, 1984]