Purpose and scope of meetings

This part applies to all meetings of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, as stated in 2203.1.

• The rule language is broad: it does not limit covered meetings by format, topic, or location.
• For the full part reference, see Part 2203.

The primary purpose is to implement the Government in the Sunshine Act and to make Commission meetings open to public observation to the extent practicable, as stated in 2203.1.

• The provision balances openness with the Commission’s need to carry out its adjudicatory role and to protect individuals’ rights.
• See the overall part at Part 2203.

This part implements the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b, as noted in 2203.1.

• The rule explicitly ties the purpose of opening meetings to that statutory requirement.

No; meetings should be open to public observation only "to the extent practicable," while preserving the Commission's ability to fulfill its adjudicatory responsibilities and protecting individuals' rights, as explained in 2203.1.

• The text creates a practical balance rather than an absolute rule of openness.
• For the overall part context, see Part 2203.

The phrase means meetings should be opened for public observation as much as is reasonably possible, consistent with preserving the Commission's adjudicatory functions and protecting individuals' rights, according to 2203.1.

• The text does not provide a detailed test; it establishes a flexible standard tied to adjudicatory and rights-protection concerns.

The Commission must balance public observation against its need to carry out adjudicatory responsibilities and to protect individuals' rights, per 2203.1.

• Openness is the presumption, but it is limited where necessary to preserve adjudication and protect rights.

No; this part specifically applies to meetings of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, as stated in 2203.1.

• Other agencies are governed by their own rules implementing the Government in the Sunshine Act or related statutes.

The stated goal is to protect the rights of individuals while the Commission opens its meetings to public observation, as set out in 2203.1.

• The provision makes clear that openness must not come at the expense of individual rights tied to the Commission’s adjudicatory work.

This part requires opening meetings to the public only insofar as doing so does not interfere with the Commission’s ability to perform its adjudicatory responsibilities, as described in 2203.1.

• The rule explicitly preserves the Commission’s capacity to decide cases and carry out its adjudicative functions.

No; while transparency is an explicit objective, the rules also aim to preserve adjudicatory effectiveness and protect individuals’ rights, according to 2203.1.

• The part frames openness as one of several objectives that must be balanced.

The official statement of purpose and scope is contained in 2203.1, which explains that the part implements the Government in the Sunshine Act and applies to Commission meetings.

• The broader part is available at Part 2203.

No; 2203.1 sets the objective of protecting individuals' rights but does not prescribe detailed procedures for how those protections must be implemented, as seen in 2203.1.

• The provision establishes a principle; operational details would come from implementing rules, guidance, or practice.

Not by 2203.1 alone; the part requires opening meetings to public observation "to the extent practicable," and closure must be justified by the need to preserve adjudicatory responsibilities or protect individuals' rights, per 2203.1.

• The text sets a presumption of openness constrained only by these specific considerations.

This part implements the Government in the Sunshine Act rather than replacing it, as explicitly stated in 2203.1.

• The regulation ties its purpose directly to carrying out the statute's requirements.

The balance is important because the part aims to make meetings observable by the public while ensuring the Commission can still perform its adjudicatory duties and protect individuals' rights, as explained in 2203.1.

• The provision recognizes that absolute openness could undermine necessary legal processes or individual protections.