Government in the Sunshine Act

Summary

Government in the Sunshine Act - Provides that all meetings of Government agencies at which official action is considered or discussed shall be open to the public. Excludes from this requirement any portion of an agency meeting where the agency determines by vote of a majority of its entire membership that the meeting: (1) will probably disclose matters necessary to be kept secret in the interests of national defense or the confidential conduct of the foreign relations of the United States; (2) will relate solely to individual agency personnel or to internal agency office management and procedures or financial auditing; (3) will tend to charge with crime or misconduct, or to disgrace, any individual, or will represent a clearly unwarranted invasion of the privacy of any individual; (4) will disclose information pertaining to any investigation conducted for law enforcement purposes; (5) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets or financial or commercial information pertaining specifically to a given person; or (6) will relate to the conduct or disposition of a case or adjudication governed by specified sections of the United States Code. Requires each agency to make a public announcement of the date, place, subject matter of each meeting, and whether open or closed to the public, at least one week before each meeting. Requires that a transcript or electronic recording of each such meeting, together with any official minutes of such meeting be made available to the public for inspection. Permits an agency by majority vote to delete from the transcripts or recordings made available to the public specified materials. Directs each agency to promulgate regulations to implement this Act. Grants jurisdiction to the district courts of the United States to enforce the requirements fo this Act. Prohibits ex parte communication between interested persons and members of the agency in question, or an administrative judge, or an employee who is or may be involved in the decisional process of the proceeding. Requires each agency subject to such prohibition to promulgate regulations to implement the requirements of this Act. Grants to the district courts of the United States the jurisdiction to enforce such prohibitions by declaratory judgement, injunctive relief, or otherwise. Defines "ex parte communication" as meaning a communication relevant to an on-the-record agency proceeding where such communication is not made openly or on the record.

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1 official file

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 19 May 1975

  Open at official source

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