tion to the Commission at its electronic mail address: info@cpsc.gov.

(d) The Commission also provides a fax-on-demand service from which the public can request Commission documents by calling 1-301-504-0051 from the handset of a facsimile machine.

[56 FR 30496, July 3, 1991, as amended at 59 FR 66673, Dec. 28, 1994]

§ 1000.4 Commission address.

(a) The principal Offices of the Commission are at 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland. All U.S. Postal Service mail communications with the Commission should be addressed to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207-0001, unless otherwise specifically directed. Materials sent by private express services or by messenger should be addressed to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4408.

(b) The Commission has 3 Regional Centers which are located at the following addresses and which serve the states and territories indicated:

230

(1) Central Regional Center, South Dearborn St., room 2944, Chicago, Illinois 60604-1601; Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

(2) Eastern Regional Center, 6 World Trade Center, Vesey Street, room 350, New York, New York 10048-0950; Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Virgin Islands.

(3) Western Regional Center, 600 Harrison St., room 245, San Francisco, California 94107-1370; Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Mexicao, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

[56 FR 30496, July 3, 1991; 56 FR 67174, Dec. 30, 1991, as amended at 58 FR 64120, Dec. 6, 1993; 59 FR 66673, Dec. 28, 1994]

§ 1000.5 Petitions.

Any interested person may petition the Commission to issue, amend, or revoke a rule or regulation by submitting a written request to the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207.

§ 1000.6 Commission decisions and records.

(a) Each decision of the Commission, acting in an official capacity as a collegial body, is recorded in Minutes of Commission meetings or as a separate Record of Commission Action. Copies of Minutes or of a Record of Commission Action may be obtained upon written request from the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207, or may be examined in the public reading room at Commission headquarters. Requests should identify the subject matter of the Commission action and the approximate date of the Commission action, if known.

(b) Other records in the custody of the Commission may be requested in writing from the Office of the Secretary pursuant to the Commission's Procedures for Disclosure or Production of Information under the Freedom of Information Act (16 CFR part 1015).

§ 1000.7 Advisory opinions and interpretations of regulations.

(a) Advisory opinions. Upon written request, the General Counsel provides written advisory opinions interpreting the acts the Commission administers. Advisory opinions represent the legal opinions of the General Counsel and may be changed or superseded by the Commission. Requests for issuance of advisory opinions should be sent to the General Counsel, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207. Requests for copies of particular previously issued advisory opinions or a copy of an index of such opinions should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207.

(b) Interpretations of regulations. Upon written request, the Assistant Executive Director for Compliance will issue written interpretations of Commission regulations pertaining to the safety standards and the enforcement of those

standards. Interpretations of regulations represent the interpretations of the staff and may be changed or superseded by the Commission. Requests for such interpretations should be sent to the Assistant Executive Director for Compliance, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207. Requests for interpretations of administrative regulations (e.g., Freedom of Information Act regulations) should be sent to the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207.

[56 FR 30496, July 3, 1991, as amended at 60 FR 26825, May 19, 1995]

§ 1000.8 Meetings and hearings; public notice.

(a) The Commission may meet and exercise all its powers in any place.

(b) Meetings of the Commission are held as ordered by the Commission and, unless otherwise ordered, are held at the principal office of the Commission at 5401 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. Meetings of the Commission for the purpose of jointly conducting the formal business of the agency, including the rendering of official decisions, are generally announced in advanced and open to the public, as provided by the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b) and the Commission's Meetings Policy (16 CFR part 1012).

(c) The Commission may conduct any hearing or other inquiry necessary or appropriate to its functions anywhere in the United States. It will publish a notice of any proposed hearing in the FEDERAL REGISTER and will afford a reasonable opportunity for interested persons to present relevant testimony and data.

(d) Notices of Commission meetings, Commission hearings, and other Commission activities are published in a Public Calendar, as provided in the Commission's Meetings Policy (16 CFR part 1012).

§1000.9 Quorum.

Three members of the Commission constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If there are only three members serving on the Commission because of vacancies, two members constitute a quorum. If there are

only two members serving on the Commission because of vacancies, two members constitute a quorum, but only for six months from the time the number of members was reduced to two.

$1000.10 The Chairman and Vice Chairman.

(a) The Chairman is the principal executive officer of the Commission and, subject to the general policies of the Commission and to such regulatory decisions, findings, and determinations as the Commission is by law authorized to make, he or she exercises all of the executive and administrative functions of the Commission.

(b) The Commission annually elects a Vice Chairman to act in the absence or disability of the Chairman or in case of a vacancy in the Office of the Chair

man.

§ 1000.11 Delegation of functions.

Section 27(b)(9) of the Consumer Product Safety Act X15 U.S.C. 2076(b)(9)) authorizes the Commission to delegate any of its functions and powers, other than the power to issue subpoenas, to any officer or employee of the Commission. Delegations are published in the Commission's Directives System.

§ 1000.12 Organizational structure.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is composed of the principal units listed in this section.

(a) The following units report directly to the Chairman of the Commission:

(1) Office of the General Counsel; (2) Office of Congressional Relations; (3) Office of the Secretary;

(4) Office of the Inspector General; (5) Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Enterprise; (6) Office of the Executive Director. (b) The following units report directly to the Executive Director of the Commission:

(1) Office of the Budget;

(2) Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction;

(3) Office of Information and Public Affairs;

(4) Office of Compliance;

(5) Office of Planning and Evaluation;

(6) Office of Human Resources Management;

(7) Office of Information Services; (8) Directorate for Administration; (9) Directorate for Field Operations. (c) The following units report directly to the Assistant Executive Director for Hazard Identification and Reduction:

(1) Directorate for Epidemiology;

(2) Directorate for Economic Analysis;

(3) Directorate for Health Sciences; (4) Directorate for Engineering Sciences;

(5) Directorate for Laboratory Sciences.

[60 FR 26825, May 19, 1995]

$1000.13 Directives system.

The Commission maintains a Directives System which contains delegations of authority and descriptions of Commission programs, policies, and procedures. A complete set of directives is available for inspection in the public reading room at Commission headquarters.

$1000.14 Office of the General Counsel.

The Office of the General Counsel provides advice and counsel to the Commissioners

and organizational components of the Commission on matters of law arising from operations of the Commission. It prepares the Commission's legislative program and comments on relevant legislative proposals originating elsewhere. The Office, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, is responsible for the conduct of all Federal court litigation to which the Commission is a party. The Office also advises the Commission on administrative litigation matters. The Office provides final legal review of and makes recommendations to the Commission on proposed product safety standards, rules, regulations, petition actions, and substantial hazard actions. It also provides legal review of certain procurement, personnel, and administrative actions and drafts documents for publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

§ 1000.15 Office of Congressional Relations.

The Office of Congressional Relations is the principal contact with the committees and members of Congress. It performs liaison duties for the Commission, provides information and assistance to Congress on matters of Commission policy, and coordinates testimony and appearances by Commissioners and agency personnel before Congress.

$1000.16 Office of the Secretary.

The Office of the Secretary prepares the Commission's agenda, schedules and coordinates Commission business at official meetings, and records, issues, and stores the official records of Commission actions. The Office prepares and publishes the Public Calendar under the Commission's Meetings Policy. The Office exercises joint responsibility with the Office of the General Counsel for the interpretation and application of the Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, and the Government in the Sunshine Act, and prepares reports required by these acts. It issues Commission decisions, orders, rules, and other official documents, including FEDERAL REGISTER notices, for and on behalf of the Commission and controls the use of the Commission seal. The Secretary of the Commission also serves as the agency's Advisory Committee Management Officer, and is responsible for managing the establishment, procedures, and accomplishments of all advisory committees utilized by the Commission. The Office supervises and administers the dockets of adjudicative proceedings before the Commission. The Office maintains the records of continuing guaranties of compliance with applicable standards of flammability issued under the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) which are filed with the Commission in accordance with provisions of section 8(a) of the FFA (15 U.S.C. 1197(a)). Upon request, the Office of the Secretary provides appropriate forms to persons and firms desiring to execute continuing guaranties under the FFA. The Office also supervises and administers the public reading room.

$1000.17 Office of the Inspector General.

The Office of the Inspector General is an independent office established under the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978, 5 U.S.C. appendix, as amended by the Inspector General Act Amendments of 1988. This Office independently initiates, conducts, supervises, and coordinates audits, operations reviews, and investigations of Commission programs, activities, and operations. Reporting only to the Chairman, and under his or her general supervision, the Office also makes recommendations to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within the Commission's programs and operations. The Office receives and investigates complaints or information concerning possible violations of law, rules, or regulations, mismanagement, abuse of authority, and waste of funds. It reviews existing and proposed legislation concerning the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of such legislation on Commission operations.

$1000.18 Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Enterprise.

The Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Enterprise assures compliance with all laws and regulations relating to equal employment opportunity in accordance with the Equal Employment Act of 1972, 29 CFR part 1613, and section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. The Office reports directly to the Chairman and provides advice to the Chairman and Commission staff on EEO matters and the agency Procurement Preference Program. The Office manages the discrimination complaint process, the Upward Mobility Program, the stay-in-school program, and other special emphasis activities having to do with affirmative action employment practices. The Office makes recommendations to the Chairman on ways to promote equal opportunity in order to enhance the Commission's EEO posture.

§ 1000.19 Office of Executive Director.

The Executive Director with the assistance of the Deputy Executive Director, under the broad direction of the Chairman and in accordance with Com

mission policy, acts as the chief operating manager of the agency, supporting the development of the agency's budget and operating plan before and after Commission approval, and managing the execution of those plans. The Executive Director has direct line authority over the following directorates and offices: the Directorate for Administration, the Directorate for Field Operations, the Office of the Budget, the Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction, the Office of Information and Public Affairs, the Office of Compliance, the Office of Planning and Evaluation, the Office of Human Resources Management, and the Office of Information Services.

[59 FR 66673, Dec. 28, 1994, as amended at 60 FR 26825, May 19, 1995]

$1000.20 Office of the Budget.

The Office of the Budget is responsible for overseeing the development of the Commission's budget. The Office, in consultation with other offices and directorates, prepares, for the Commission's approval, the annual budget requests to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget and the operating plans for each fiscal year. It manages the execution of the Commission's budget. The Office recommends to the Office of the Executive Director actions to enhance effectiveness of the Commission's programs and activities.

$1000.21 Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction.

The Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction, under the direction of the Assistant Executive Director for Hazard Identification and Reduction, is responsible for managing the Commission's Hazard Identification and Analysis Program and its Hazard Assessment and Reduction Program. The Office reports to the Executive Director, and has line authority over the Directorates for Epidemiology, Economic Analysis, Engineering Sciences, and Health Sciences. The Office develops strategies for and implements the agency's operating plans for these two hazard programs. This includes the collection and analysis of data to identify hazards and hazard patterns, the implementation of the Commission's safety standards development projects, the

coordination of voluntary standards activities and international liaison activities related to consumer product safety, and providing overall direction and evaluation of projects involving hazard analysis, data collection, emerging hazards, mandatory and voluntary standards, petitions, and labeling rules. The Office assures that relevant technical, environmental, economic, and social impacts of projects are comprehensively and objectively presented to the Commission for decision.

§ 1000.22 Office of Planning and Evaluation.

The Office of Planning and Evaluation reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for the Commission's planning and evaluation activities. It develops integrated short and long range plans for achieving the Commission's goals and objectives. The office is responsible for the development and analysis of both major policy and operational issues. Evaluation studies are conducted to determine how well the Commission fulfills its mission. These studies include impact and process evaluations of Commission programs, projects, functions, and activities. Recommendations are made to the Executive Director for changes to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. Management analyses and special studies are also conducted. These cover, but are not limited to, internal controls, organizational performance, structure, and productivity measurement. Recommendations are made to the Executive Director for improving management efficiency and effectiveness. The Office also coordinates, develops, and issues agencywide directives and manages the Commission's information collection budget and obtains Office of Management and Budget clearance for information collections.

$1000.23 Office of Information and Public Affairs.

The Office of Information and Public Affairs, which is managed by the Director of the Office, is responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive national information and public affairs program designed to promote product safety.

consumer

This includes responsibility for developing and maintaining relations with a wide range of national groups such as organizations; business groups; trade associations; state and local government entities; labor organizations; medical, legal, scientific and other professional associations; and other Federal health, safety and consumer agencies. The Office also is responsible for implementing the Commission's media relations program nationwide. The Office serves as the Commission's spokesperson to the national print and broadcast media, develops and disseminates the Commission's news releases, and organizes Commission news conferences.

[59 FR 66673, Dec. 28, 1994]

§ 1000.24 Office of Compliance.

The Office of Compliance, which is managed by the Assistant Executive Director for Compliance, conducts or supervises the conduct of compliance and administrative enforcement activity under all administered acts, provides advice and guidance to regulated industries on complying with all administered acts and reviews proposed standards and rules with respect to their enforceability. The Office's responsibility also includes identifying and acting on safety hazards in consumer products already in distribution, promoting industry compliance with existing safety rules, and conducting litigation before an administrative law judge relative to administrative complaints. It directs the enforcement efforts of the field offices and provides program guidance, advice, and case guidance to field offices and participates in the development of standards before their promulgation to assure enforceability of the final product. It enforces the Consumer Product Safety Act requirement that firms identify and report product defects which could present possible substantial hazards, violations of consumer product safety rules, violations of standards relied upon by the Commission, or unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, and the requirement that firms report certain lawsuit information. It reviews consumer complaints, in-depth investigations, and other data to identify those consumer products containing