52 U.S.C. § 20962 — Process for adoption

**(a) General requirement for notice and comment** Consistent with the requirements of this section, the final adoption of the voluntary voting system guidelines (or modification of such a guideline) shall be carried out by the Commission in a manner that provides for each of the following: (1) Publication of notice of the proposed guidelines in the Federal Register. (2) An opportunity for public comment on the proposed guidelines. (3) An opportunity for a public hearing on the record. (4) Publication of the final guidelines in the Federal Register. **(b) Consideration of recommendations of Development Committee; submission of proposed guidelines to Board of Advisors and Standards Board** (1) **Consideration of recommendations of Development Committee** — In developing the voluntary voting system guidelines and modifications of such guidelines under this section, the Executive Director of the Commission shall take into consideration the recommendations provided by the Technical Guidelines Development Committee under [section 20961 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20961&num=0&edition=prelim). (2) **Board of Advisors** — The Executive Director of the Commission shall submit the guidelines proposed to be adopted under this subpart (or any modifications to such guidelines) to the Board of Advisors. (3) **Standards Board** — The Executive Director of the Commission shall submit the guidelines proposed to be adopted under this subpart (or any modifications to such guidelines) to the Executive Board of the Standards Board, which shall review the guidelines (or modifications) and forward its recommendations to the Standards Board. **(c) Review** Upon receipt of voluntary voting system guidelines described in subsection (b) (or a modification of such guidelines) from the Executive Director of the Commission, the Board of Advisors and the Standards Board shall each review and submit comments and recommendations regarding the guideline (or modification) to the Commission. **(d) Final adoption** (1) **In general** — A voluntary voting system guideline described in subsection (b) (or modification of such a guideline) shall not be considered to be finally adopted by the Commission unless the Commission votes to approve the final adoption of the guideline (or modification), taking into consideration the comments and recommendations submitted by the Board of Advisors and the Standards Board under subsection (c). (2) **Minimum period for consideration of comments and recommendations** — The Commission may not vote on the final adoption of a guideline described in subsection (b) (or modification of such a guideline) until the expiration of the 90-day period which begins on the date the Executive Director of the Commission submits the proposed guideline (or modification) to the Board of Advisors and the Standards Board under subsection (b). **(e) Special rule for initial set of guidelines** Notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart, the most recent set of voting system standards adopted by the Federal Election Commission prior to October 29, 2002, shall be deemed to have been adopted by the Commission as of October 29, 2002, as the first set of voluntary voting system guidelines adopted under this subpart.