[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] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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