Rules Committee Procedures

Procedures for the
            Judicial Conference’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure
                             and Its Advisory Rules Committees
                   (as codified in Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 1, § 440)

§ 440 Procedures for Committees on Rules of Practice and Procedure

This section contains the "Procedures for the Judicial Conference's Committee on Rules of
Practice and Procedure and Its Advisory Rules Committees," last amended in September 2011.
JCUS-SEP 2011, p. 35.

§ 440.10 Overview

The Rules Enabling Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2071–2077, authorizes the Supreme Court to prescribe
general rules of practice and procedure and rules of evidence for the federal courts. Under the
Act, the Judicial Conference must appoint a standing committee, and may appoint advisory
committees to recommend new and amended rules. Section 2073 requires the Judicial
Conference to publish the procedures that govern the work of the Committee on Rules of
Practice and Procedure (the "Standing Committee") and its advisory committees on the Rules of
Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, and Criminal Procedure and on the Evidence Rules. See 28 U.S.C.
§ 2073(a)(1). These procedures do not limit the rules committees' authority. Failure to comply
with them does not invalidate any rules committee action. Cf. 28 U.S.C. § 2073(e).

§ 440.20 Advisory Committees

§ 440.20.10 Functions

Each advisory committee must engage in "a continuous study of the operation and effect of the
general rules of practice and procedure now or hereafter in use" in its field, taking into
consideration suggestions and recommendations received from any source, new statutes and
court decisions affecting the rules, and legal commentary. See 28 U.S.C. § 331.

§ 440.20.20 Suggestions and Recommendations

Suggestions and recommendations on the rules are submitted to the Secretary of the Standing
Committee at the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Washington, D.C. The
Secretary will acknowledge the suggestions or recommendations and refer them to the
appropriate advisory committee. If the Standing Committee takes formal action on them, that
action will be reflected in the Standing Committee's minutes, which are posted on the judiciary's
rulemaking website.

§ 440.20.30 Drafting Rule Changes

(a)    Meetings

Each advisory committee meets at the times and places that the chair designates. Advisory
committee meetings must be open to the public, except when the committee — in open session
and with a majority present — determines that it is in the public interest to have all or part of the
                                     Procedures for the
            Judicial Conference’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure
                             and Its Advisory Rules Committees
                   (as codified in Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 1, § 440)

meeting closed and states the reason. Each meeting must be preceded by notice of the time and
place, published in the Federal Register and on the judiciary's rulemaking website, sufficiently in
advance to permit interested persons to attend.

(b)    Preparing Draft Changes

The reporter assigned to each advisory committee should prepare for the committee, under the
direction of the committee or its chair, draft rule changes, committee notes explaining their
purpose, and copies or summaries of written recommendations and suggestions received by the
committee.

(c)    Considering Draft Changes

The advisory committee studies the rules' operation and effect. It meets to consider proposed
new and amended rules (together with committee notes), whether changes should be made, and
whether they should be submitted to the Standing Committee with a recommendation to approve
for publication. The submission must be accompanied by a written report explaining the advisory
committee's action and its evaluation of competing considerations.

§ 440.20.40 Publication and Public Hearings

(a)    Publication

Before any proposed rule change is published, the Standing Committee must approve
publication. The Secretary then arranges for printing and circulating the proposed change to the
bench, bar, and public. Publication should be as wide as possible. The proposed change must be
published in the Federal Register and on the judiciary's rulemaking website. The Secretary must:

       (1)     notify members of Congress, federal judges, and the chief justice of each state's
highest court of the proposed change, with a link to the judiciary's rulemaking website; and

        (2)    provide copies of the proposed change to legal-publishing firms with a request to
timely include it in publications.

(b)    Public Comment Period

A public comment period on the proposed change must extend for at least six months after notice
is published in the Federal Register, unless a shorter period is approved under paragraph (d) of
this section.
                                      Procedures for the
             Judicial Conference’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure
                              and Its Advisory Rules Committees
                    (as codified in Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 1, § 440)

(c)    Hearings

The advisory committee must conduct public hearings on the proposed change unless eliminating
them is approved under paragraph (d) of this section or not enough witnesses ask to testify at a
particular hearing. The hearings are held at the times and places that the advisory committee's
chair determines. Notice of the times and places must be published in the Federal Register and
on the judiciary's rulemaking website. The hearings must be transcribed. Whenever possible, a
transcript should be produced by a qualified court reporter.

(d)    Expedited Procedures

The Standing Committee may shorten the public comment period or eliminate public hearings if
it determines that the administration of justice requires a proposed rule change to be expedited
and that appropriate notice to the public can still be provided and public comment obtained. The
Standing Committee may also eliminate public notice and comment for a technical or
conforming amendment if the Committee determines that they are unnecessary. When an
exception is made, the chair must advise the Judicial Conference and provide the reasons.

§ 440.20.50 Procedures After the Comment Period

(a)    Summary of Comments

When the public comment period ends, the reporter must prepare a summary of the written
comments received and of the testimony presented at public hearings. If the number of
comments is very large, the reporter may summarize and aggregate similar individual comments,
identifying the source of each one.

(b)    Advisory Committee Review; Republication

The advisory committee reviews the proposed change in light of any comments and testimony. If
the advisory committee makes substantial changes, the proposed rule should be republished for
an additional period of public comment unless the advisory committee determines that
republication would not be necessary to achieve adequate public comment and would not assist
the work of the rules committees.

(c)    Submission to the Standing Committee

The advisory committee submits to the Standing Committee the proposed change and committee
note that it recommends for approval. Each submission must:

       (1)     be accompanied by a separate report of the comments received;

       (2)     explain the changes made after the original publication; and
                                       Procedures for the
              Judicial Conference’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure
                               and Its Advisory Rules Committees
                     (as codified in Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 1, § 440)


      (3)        include an explanation of competing considerations examined by the advisory
committee.

§ 440.20.60 Preparing Minutes and Maintaining Records

(a)       Minutes of Meetings

The advisory committee's chair arranges for preparing the minutes of the committee meetings.
(b)    Records

The advisory committee's records consist of:

      •   written suggestions received from the public;
      •   written comments received from the public on drafts of proposed rules;
      •   the committee's responses to public suggestions and comments;
      •   other correspondence with the public about proposed rule changes;
      •   electronic recordings and transcripts of public hearings (when prepared);
      •   the reporter's summaries of public comments and of testimony from public hearings;
      •   agenda books and materials prepared for committee meetings;
      •   minutes of committee meetings;
      •   approved drafts of rule changes; and
      •   reports to the Standing Committee.

(c)       Public Access to Records

The records must be posted on the judiciary's rulemaking website, except for general public
correspondence about proposed rule changes and electronic recordings of hearings when
transcripts are prepared. This correspondence and archived records are maintained by the AO
and are available for public inspection. Minutes of a closed meeting may be made available to
the public but with any deletions necessary to avoid frustrating the purpose of closing the
meeting under § 440.20.30(a).

§ 440.30 Standing Committee

§ 440.30.10 Functions

The Standing Committee's functions include:

(a)       coordinating the work of the advisory committees;

(b)       suggesting proposals for them to study;
                                     Procedures for the
            Judicial Conference’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure
                             and Its Advisory Rules Committees
                   (as codified in Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 1, § 440)


(c)    considering proposals they recommend for publication for public comment; and

(d)      for proposed rule changes that have completed that process, deciding whether to accept or
modify the proposals and transmit them with its own recommendation to the Judicial
Conference, recommit them to the advisory committee for further study and consideration, or
reject them.

§ 440.30.20 Procedures

(a)    Meetings

The Standing Committee meets at the times and places that the chair designates. Committee
meetings must be open to the public, except when the Committee — in open session and with a
majority present — determines that it is in the public interest to have all or part of the meeting
closed and states the reason. Each meeting must be preceded by notice of the time and place,
published in the Federal Register and on the judiciary's rulemaking website, sufficiently in
advance to permit interested persons to attend.

(b)    Attendance by the Advisory Committee Chairs and Reporters

The advisory committees' chairs and reporters should attend the Standing Committee meetings to
present their committees' proposed rule changes and committee notes, to inform the Standing
Committee about ongoing work, and to participate in the discussions.

(c)    Action on Proposed Rule Changes or Committee Notes

The Standing Committee may accept, reject, or modify a proposed change or committee note, or
may return the proposal to the advisory committee with instructions or recommendations.

(d)    Transmission to the Judicial Conference

The Standing Committee must transmit to the Judicial Conference the proposed rule changes and
committee notes that it approves, together with the advisory committee report. The Standing
Committee's report includes its own recommendations and explains any changes that it made.

§ 440.30.30 Preparing Minutes and Maintaining Records

(a)    Minutes of Meetings

The Secretary prepares minutes of Standing Committee meetings.
                                       Procedures for the
              Judicial Conference’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure
                               and Its Advisory Rules Committees
                     (as codified in Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 1, § 440)

(b)       Records

The Standing Committee's records consist of:

      •   the minutes of Standing Committee and advisory committee meetings;
      •   agenda books and materials prepared for Standing Committee meetings;
      •   reports to the Judicial Conference; and
      •   official correspondence about rule changes, including correspondence with advisory
          committee chairs.

(c)       Public Access to Records

The records must be posted on the judiciary's rulemaking website, except for official
correspondence about rule changes. This correspondence and archived records are maintained by
the AO and are available for public inspection. Minutes of a closed meeting may be made
available to the public but with any deletions necessary to avoid frustrating the purpose of
closing the meeting under § 440.30.20(a).

Last revised (Transmittal 01-026) May 27, 2022