Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.  Here at the Administrative Conference we are currently studying two of our nation's seminal transparency laws, the Government in the Sunshine Act and the Freedom of Information Act. 

• Government in the Sunshine Act. Attorney Advisor Reeve Bull is conducting in-house research on the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552b, which generally requires multi-member federal agencies (e.g., FCC, SEC) to hold their meetings in public and to give advance public notice of their meetings.  The Conference's Committee on Regulation met on March 20th, 2014 to discuss a draft report and recommendation.  The Conference is accepting public comments on the draft report and draft recommendation and the Committee will meet on April 22, 2014 to consider a revised draft recommendation before our June 2014 Plenary Session.  Submit comments through the project page at: www.acus.gov/SunshineAct.
• Resolving FOIA Disputes through Targeted ADR Strategies.  Professor Mark H. Grunewald, of Washington and Lee University, has studied federal court litigation under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, with the goal of determining how alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures might help to reduce FOIA disputes.  The Committee on Collaborative Governence is currently considering, and accepting public comment on, Professor Grunewald's draft report and a revised draft recommendation and will meet on April 7, 2014 to consider the project before our June 2014 Plenary Session.  Submit comments through the project page at: www.acus.gov/FOIAadr.

For more information on the Conference's project process, and how you can get involved, please watch our video at: http://acus.gov/projects-by-stage.