1. The Sunshine Act, codified at 5 U.S.C.  522b, requires agencies to give notice of their meetings to the public and to hold open meetings unless the agency decides a meeting should be closed under one of the exemptions defined by the act.

2. The act applies only to executive department agencies or to their subdivisions. It is narrowed further to apply only when a quorum of the agency body is present and when that body has the power to and is conducting or deciding official agency business. Practically, only formal, policy- or decision-making meetings are covered, and an informal or advisory group meeting need not be open.

3. Notice of meetings must be published at least one week in advance in the Federal Register. This may be of some help if you read the Register every day, but you would be better advised to contact the agency information officer or other relevant personnel to keep apprised of meetings that are important to you.

Always check to see if you will need a particular document for reference at the meeting and move to obtain the document informally and quickly. Otherwise, some meetings will be meaningless. See PART III: SECTION D (Appeal From an Agency Refusal) on FOIA for procedures to obtain documents if the agency resists.)