Meeting Policies and Procedures

The Administrative Conference of the United States adheres to the following policies and procedures regarding the operation and security of committee meetings open to the public.  Download PDF version of: Public Meeting Policies and Procedures ().

Public Notice of Committee Meetings

The Administrative Conference will publish notice of its public committee meetings in the Federal Register. Barring exceptional circumstances, such notices will be published 15 days before the meeting in question. Notice of meetings will also be posted on the Conference website, www.acus.gov.

In-Person Public Attendance

If members of the public are invited to attend a meeting in person, the invitation is subject to space limitations. Anyone who wishes to attend a meeting in person is asked to RSVP to Comments@acus.gov. If the meeting space cannot accommodate all those who wish to attend in person, access will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the order in which RSVPs are received.

Remote Public Access

The Conference will make every effort to provide remote public access (i.e., live webcast) to all meetings and to provide access to archived video of meetings on its website. If applicable, the Conference will make every effort to post remote access information on its website no later than four days before a meeting. Once posted on the website, remote access information can also be obtained by using the contact information provided in the Federal Register notice.

Disability or Special Needs Accommodations

The Conference will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If a public attendee needs special accommodations due to a disability, he or she should inform the Designated Federal Officer (“DFO”) no later than seven days in advance of the meeting using the contact information provided in the Federal Register notice.

Written Public Comments

To facilitate public participation in committee deliberations, the Conference typically invites public comment on the report or recommendation to be considered at a meeting. Public comments must be in writing and must be received at Comments@acus.gov or at the mailing 2

address provided in the Federal Register notice by the date specified in the Federal Register notice. All comments will be delivered to the DFO listed in the Federal Register notice. The DFO will post all comments that relate to the relevant report or recommendation on the Conference’s website as they are received.

Public Participation in Meeting

Members of the public who attend the Committee’s meeting may be permitted to speak only at the discretion of the Committee Chair, with unanimous approval of the Committee.

Disruption of Meetings

The Conference expects that public attendees will be respectful of the Conference’s staff, committee members, and other members of the public. Disruption of committee meetings will not be tolerated. Any public attendee who speaks without permission or who refuses to cease speaking when asked by the Chair will be considered disruptive. Any public attendee who threatens other attendees at the meeting, acts belligerently, or otherwise appears to pose a threat to the safety of the Conference’s staff, committee members, or other members of the public will be considered disruptive.

Removal of Disruptive Persons

Any person who disrupts a public committee meeting will be asked by the Committee Chair or the DFO to cease his or her disruptive conduct immediately. If such person does not comply with this request, he or she will be asked to leave. If the person continues to disrupt the meeting or does not comply with a request to leave, the DFO may call building security, the Metropolitan Police, or Federal Protective Services to enforce the request and may take any other action deemed necessary to protect the safety of the Conference’s staff, committee members, and public attendees. In addition, the DFO may terminate the meeting if he or she determines that the public interest so requires.