907.14—Meetings of the Board of Directors to consider Petitions.
(a) Full and fair opportunity to be heard.
Any meeting of the Board of Directors to consider a Petition shall be conducted in a manner that provides the parties a full and fair opportunity to be heard on the issues accepted for consideration. Any such meeting shall be conducted so as to permit an expeditious presentation of such issues.
(b) Participation in meeting.
(1)
The presence of a quorum of the Board if Directors is required to conduct a meeting under this section. Members of the Board of Directors are deemed present if they appear in person or by telephone.
(2)
An act of the Board of Directors requires the vote of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors voting at a meeting at which a quorum of the Board of Directors is present.
(3)
A Final Decision may be reached by a vote of the Board of Directors after the meeting at which the Petition has been considered. Only those members of the Board of Directors present at the meeting at which the Petition was considered may vote on issues presented in the Petition and accepted for consideration. A vote of the majority of the members of the Board of Directors eligible to vote and voting shall be an act of the Board of Directors.
(c) Chairperson—
(1) Presiding officer.
The Chairperson, or a member of the Board of Directors designated by the Chairperson, shall preside over a meeting of the Board of Directors convened under this section.
(2) Authority of the Chairperson.
The Chairperson shall have all powers and discretion necessary to conduct the meeting in a fair and impartial manner, to avoid unnecessary delay, to regulate the course of the meeting and the conduct of the parties and their counsel, and to discharge the duties of a presiding officer.
(3) Board of Directors may overrule the Chairperson.
Any member of the Board of Directors may, by motion, challenge any action, finding, or determination made by the Chairperson in the course of the meeting, and the Board of Directors, by majority vote, may overrule any action, finding or determination of the Chairperson.
(d) Meeting may be closed.
A party may request that the meeting, or portion thereof, be closed to public observation. A request to close a meeting shall be processed in accordance with the requirements of the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b) and the Finance Board's implementing regulation ( 12 CFR part 912 ).
(e) Location of meeting.
Unless otherwise specified, all meetings of the Board of Directors will be held in the Board Room of the Finance Board at 1777 F Street, NW., Washington, DC, at the time specified in the notice of meeting issued pursuant to 12 CFR 912.6.
(f) Presentation of issues—
(1) Stipulations.
Subject to the Chairperson's discretion, the parties may agree to stipulations of law or fact, including stipulations as to the admissibility of exhibits, and present such stipulations at the meeting. Stipulations shall be made a part of the record of the proceeding.
(2) Order of presentation.
The Chairperson shall determine the order of presentation of the issues, testimony of any witnesses, presentation of any other information or document, and all other procedural matters at the meeting.
(g) Record.
The meeting shall be recorded and transcribed. Transcripts of the proceedings shall be governed by 12 CFR 912.5(c). The Petition and all supporting documentation shall be made a part of the record, unless otherwise determined by the Chairperson. The Chairperson may order the record corrected, upon motion to correct, upon stipulation of the parties, or at the Chairperson's discretion.
(h) Admissibility of documents and testimony.
(1)
The Chairperson has discretion to admit and make a part of the record documents and testimony that are relevant, material, and reliable, and may elect not to admit documents and testimony that are privileged, unduly repetitious, or of little probative value.
(2)
The Board of Directors shall give such weight to documents and testimony admitted and made part of the record as it may deem reasonable and appropriate.
(3)
The Chairperson may admit and make a part of the record, in lieu of oral testimony, statements of fact or opinion prepared by a witness. The admissibility of the information contained in the statement shall be subject to the same rules as if the testimony were provided orally.
(j) Exhibits and documents—
(1) Copies.
A legible duplicate copy of a document shall be admissible to the same extent as the original.
(2) Exhibits.
Witnesses may use existing or newly created charts, exhibits, calendars, calculations, outlines, or other graphic materials to summarize, illustrate, or simplify the presentation of testimony. Subject to the Chairperson's discretion, such materials may be used with or without being admitted into the record.
(3) Identification.
All exhibits offered into the record shall be numbered sequentially and marked with a designation identifying the sponsor. The original of each exhibit offered into the record or marked for identification shall be retained in the record of the meeting, unless the Chairperson permits substitution of a copy for the original.
(4) Exchange of Exhibits.
One copy of each exhibit offered into the record shall be furnished to each of the parties and to each member of the Board of Directors. If the Chairperson does not fix a time for the exchange of exhibits, the parties shall exchange copies of proposed exhibits at the earliest practicable time before the commencement of the meeting to consider the Petition. Parties are not required to exchange exhibits submitted as rebuttal information before the meeting commences if submission of the exhibits is not reasonably certain at that time.
(5) Authenticity.
The authenticity of all documents submitted or exchanged as proposed exhibits prior to the meeting shall be admitted unless written objection is filed before the commencement of the meeting, or unless good cause is shown for failing to file such a written objection.
(k) Sanction for obstruction of the proceedings.
The Board of Directors may impose sanctions it deems appropriate for violation of any applicable provision of this subpart or any applicable law, rule, regulation, or order, or any dilatory, frivolous, or obstructionist conduct by any witness or counsel during the course of a meeting.