*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 4216.doc*
 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  contact::  October  12,  2000  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 PROCEDURES  ESTABLISHED  TO  DEAL  WITH  IMPROPER  RELEASE  OF 
 NONPUBLIC  INFORMATION 


 Washington,  DC  --  In  order  to  safeguard  the  integrity  of  its  deliberative  processes,  the  FCC  has  amended  its  rules  to  establish  a  procedure  to  be  followed  by 
 persons  regulated  by  or  practicing  before  the  Commission  who  obtain  written  nonpublic  information  under  circumstances  where  it  appears  that  the  release  was  either 
 inadvertent  or  otherwise  unauthorized. 
 In  the  item  adopted  today  the  Commission  recognized  that  its  rules  restrict  its  personnel  from  releasing  nonpublic  information  and  expressed  its  commitment  to 
 enforce  those  rules  vigorously. 
 However,  while  the  current  rules  prohibit  the  unauthorized  release  of  nonpublic  information  by  Commission  officials,  they  do  not  address  the  steps  that  are  to  be  taken 
 by  persons  regulated  by  or  practicing  before  the  Commission  who  receive  such  documents.  The  revised  rules  add  language  requiring  persons  regulated  by  or 
 practicing  before  the  Commission  who  receive  written  nonpublic  information  to  return  it  to  the  Commission's  Office  of  the  Inspector  General  without  further  distribution  or  use  of 
 the  material. 
 The  amended  rules  also  highlight  the  sanctions  available  to  the  Commission  to  address  willful  violation  of  the  rules,  either  by  employees  of  the  Commission  who 
 release  such  nonpublic  information  without  proper  authorization  or  by  individuals  regulated  by  or  practicing  before  the  Commission  who  come  into  possession  of  such 
 nonpublic  information  and  fail  to  return  it. 


 Action  by  the  Commission  October  12,  2000,  by  Order  (FCC  00-  365).  Chairman  Kennard,  Commissioners  Ness,  Powell  and  Tristani,  with  Commissioner  Furchtgott-Roth 
 dissenting  and  Commissioners  Furchtgott-  Roth  and  Powell  issuing  separate  statements. 


 --  FCC  -- 
 Office  of  General  Counsel  contact:  Patrick  Carney  at  (202)  418-  1720. 
1

2