EEOC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON MARCH 24

WASHINGTON -  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold its next meeting on Thursday, March 24, at 1 p.m., at agency headquarters in the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Conference Room (9th floor), 1801 L Street, N.W.  In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the meeting is open for public observation of the Commission's deliberations.  During the meeting, the following matters will be considered:

       
• Announcement of Notation Votes
       
• Proposed Regulatory Agenda for the Spring of 2005

The Regulatory Agenda lists all regulations expected to be under development or review in the next 12 months (through March 2006).  The proposed Agenda includes four items, only one of which is new: a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to increase fees charged people who ask the EEOC to provide documents under the Freedom of Information Act.  These fees have not increased since 1983, although the agency's costs have increased.

All federal agencies subject to Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, are required to publish a regulatory agenda twice each year, in the Spring and Fall.  These agendas are published as part of a single day's issue of the Federal Register, under the title "Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions."  The Spring Unified Agenda is typically published in the Federal Register by mid-May, under the supervision of GSA and OMB.

NOTE TO NEWS MEDIA: Any matter not discussed or concluded may be carried over to a later meeting.  The Commission agenda is subject to revision.  You may call (202) 663-7100 (voice) or (202) 663-4074 (TTY) on the day of the Commission Meeting to confirm the above schedule.

EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits discrimination against individuals 40 years of age or older; sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Equal Pay Act; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments; and the Rehabilitation Act's prohibitions against disability discrimination in the federal government.  Additional information about the Commission is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.