Procedures and Practices for
Legal Decisions and Opinions
the matter is rendered moot by subsequent events, the request is timely withdrawn, or, for reasons discussed below, the matter is determined not susceptible to a legal review. Where the matter presented raises issues that OGC deems to be in the public interest or which implicate GAO’s statutory responsibilities, even if the requestor withdraws the request for a decision or opinion, GAO may still issue a decision or opinion on the matter on its own initiative.
- Development Letters
In developing its decision or opinion, OGC typically solicits agency views of the facts and the law through development letters.[1] The development letter will specify a response date, typically from 2 to 4 weeks, depending on a variety of factors such as the urgency of the matter or the complexity of the issues. On request, and for good cause, OGC may extend the response date; however, failure to respond to a development letter will not preclude issuance of a decision or opinion. Where OGC is unable to solicit the agency’s views because of unavoidable time constraints or where an agency declines or fails to respond to GAO’s request for information and its views in a timely fashion, OGC will so note in the decision or opinion.
- Informal Meetings and Conferences
Either on its own initiative or at the request of the requestor(s) or other interested person(s) or entity(ies), whether governmental or not, OGC may hold informal meetings or conferences to discuss and clarify the facts and issues presented by a request. Informal meetings are ex parte and typically neither
- ↑ OGC also may solicit views of nonfederal entities, public and private, where they have a particular stake or interest in the matter under consideration.
