CFR > Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries > CHAPTER VI—FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE > PART 600—MAGNUSON-STEVENS ACT PROVISIONS > SUBPART B—Regional Fishery Management Councils (§600.105 to §600.155) > 600.115—Statement of organization, practices, and procedures (SOPP).

600.115—Statement of organization, practices, and procedures (SOPP).

(a) Councils are required to publish and make available to the public a SOPP in accordance with such uniform standards as are prescribed by the Secretary ( section 302(f)(6)) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The purpose of the SOPP is to inform the public how the Council operates within the framework of the Secretary's uniform standards.
(b) Amendments to current SOPPs must be consistent with the guidelines in this section and the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement, the statutory requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable law. Upon approval of a Council's SOPP amendment by the Secretary, a Notice of Availability will be published in the Federal Register, including an address where the public may write to request copies.
(c) Councils may deviate, where lawful, from the guidelines with appropriate supporting rationale, and Secretarial approval of each amendment to a SOPP would constitute approval of any such deviations for that particular Council.
[61 FR 32540, June 24, 1996, as amended at 63 FR 7075, Feb. 12, 1998]

Code of Federal Regulations

Effective Date Note: At 75 FR 59149, Sept. 27, 2010, § 600.115 was revising paragraph (b), effective October 27, 2010. For the convenience of the user, the revised text is set forth as follows: § 600.115 Statement of organization, practices, and procedures (SOPP). (b) Amendments to current SOPPs must be consistent with the guidelines in this section, subpart C of this part, the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement (the funding agreement between the Council and NOAA that establishes Council funding and mandates specific requirements regarding the use of those funds), the statutory requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law. Upon approval of a Council's SOPP amendment by the Secretary, a notice of availability must be published in the Federal Register that includes an Internet address from which the amended SOPP may be read and downloaded and a mailing address to which the public may write to request copies.
Code of Federal Regulations 18