[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 1314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-581]
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NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
29 CFR Part 102
Modifications to Role of National Labor Relations Board's
Administrative Law Judges Including: Assignment of Administrative Law
Judges as Settlement Judges; Discretion of Administrative Law Judges to
Dispense With Briefs, to Hear Oral Argument in Lieu of Briefs, and to
Issue Bench Decisions
AGENCY: National Labor Relations Board.
ACTION: Notice of Extension of Comment Period.
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SUMMARY: In light of the most recent shutdown of Agency operations due
to the lack of appropriated funds, the National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB) is extending from December 29, 1995, until January 25, 1996, the
deadline for filing comments in response to its recent proposal to make
permanent, following expiration of the experimental period, the
experimental modifications to its rules authorizing the use of
settlement judges and providing administrative law judges (ALJs) with
the discretion to dispense with briefs, to hear oral argument in lieu
of briefs, and to issue bench decisions (see 60 FR 61679). In a related
document published elsewhere in today's Federal Register, the NLRB is
also extending the experimental period from January 31, 1996, until
March 1, 1996, to allow the Board time to consider the comments.
DATES: The deadline for filing comments on the Board's proposal to make
the experimental modifications to the NLRB's rules permanent upon
expiration of the experimental period is extended from December 29,
1995, until January 25, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John J. Toner, Acting Executive Secretary, Office of the Executive
Secretary, National Labor Relations Board, 1099 14th Street, N.W., Room
11600, Washington, D.C. 20570. Telephone: (202) 273-1940.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 8, 1994, the Board issued a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) which proposed certain
modifications to the Board's rules to permit the assignment of ALJs to
serve as settlement judges, and to provide ALJs with the discretion to
dispense with briefs, to hear oral argument in lieu of briefs, and to
issue bench decisions (59 FR 46375). The NPR provided for a comment
period ending October 7, 1994.
On December 22, 1994, following consideration of the comments
received to the NPR, the Board issued a notice implementing, on a one-
year experimental basis, the proposed modifications (59 FR 65942). The
notice provided that the modifications would become effective on
February 1, 1995, and would expire at the end of the one-year
experimental period on January 31, 1996, absent renewal by the Board.
On December 1, 1995, following a review of the experience to date
with the modifications and the views of the NLRB's Advisory Committee
on Agency Procedure, the Board issued a notice proposing to make the
modifications permanent upon expiration of the one-year experimental
period on January 31, 1996 (60 FR 61679). The notice provided for a
period of public comment on this proposal, until December 29, 1995.
Beginning December 18, 1995, during the comment period, and
continuing until January 5, 1996, the Agency's offices were closed due
to the lack of appropriated funds. As a result, both the experiment and
the comment period were interrupted.
Accordingly, consistent with the Agency's recently announced
shutdown procedures (60 FR 50648), the Board has decided to extend from
December 29, 1995, until January 25, 1996, the deadline for filing
comments on its proposal to make the experimental modifications to the
NLRB's rules permanent upon expiration of the experimental period. In a
related document published elsewhere in today's Federal Register, the
Board is also extending the experimental period from January 31, 1996,
until March 1, 1996, to allow the Board time to consider the comments.
Dated, Washington, D.C., January 16, 1996.
By direction of the Board.
John J. Toner,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-581 Filed 1-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7545-01-M
