§ 102-3.140 - What policies apply to advisory committee meetings?

§ 102-3.140 What policies apply to advisory committee meetings?

(a) The agency head for a discretionary or non-discretionary advisory committee established or utilized by that agency, or the chairperson

of

for an independent Presidential advisory committee, must ensure that:

(

a

1) Each advisory committee meeting is held at a reasonable time and in a manner or place

reasonably

accessible to the public

, to include facilities

and includes consideration of affected communities, as appropriate, as well as facilities or technology that are readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, consistent with the

goals of section 504 of

requirements set forth in relevant sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 794;

(

b

2) The physical meeting room

or other forum selected

is sufficient to accommodate advisory committee members, advisory committee or agency staff, and a reasonable number of interested members of the public

;(c

. If electronic forums are used, agencies should opt for technology features that are compliant with relevant sections of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 794, accommodate advisory committee members, advisory committee or agency staff, and allow for maximum participation by members of the public, as appropriate;

(3) Any member of the public is permitted to file a written statement with the advisory committee, whether or not the statement is related to a specific meeting;

(

d

4) Any member of the public may speak to or otherwise address the advisory committee if the agency's guidelines so permit; and

(

e

5) Any advisory committee meeting conducted in whole or part

by

through any electronic medium (such as a teleconference

, videoconference, the Internet, or other electronic medium

or through a virtual platform) meets the requirements of this subpart.

(b) The Federal Register notices, agendas, and supporting materials should be posted on the agency advisory committee website (if one exists) as soon as they are available or at the time they are provided to the advisory committee members.