251.14—Procedure for closed meetings.
(a)
Meetings may be closed, or information withheld from the public, only by a recorded vote of a majority of arbitrators of a Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel. Each question, either to close a meeting or to withhold information, must be voted on separately, unless a series of meetings is involved, in which case the CARP may vote to keep the discussions closed for 30 days, starting from the first meetings. If the CARP feels that information about a closed meeting must be withheld, the decision to do so must also be the subject of a recorded vote.
(b)
Before a discussion to close a meeting or withhold information, the chairperson of a CARP must certify that such an action is permissible, and the chairperson shall cite the appropriate exemption under § 251.13. This certification shall be included in the announcement of the meeting and be maintained as part of the record of proceedings of that CARP.
(c)
Following such a vote, the following information shall be published in the Federal Register as soon as possible:
(d)
The procedure for closed meetings in this section and in § 251.15 shall not apply to the internal deliberations of arbitrators carried out in furtherance of their duties and obligations under this chapter.