Deadline nears for agencies’ review of regulations

Agencies should make available to the public by June 1 their initial plans for streamlining and possibly repealing federal regulations, says a memo from the Office of Management and Budget.

The April 25 memo from Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein reminds agencies that the preliminary reviews of their regulations are due to OIRA by May 18, and that agencies should publish their plans "within a reasonable period," not to exceed two weeks, after the deadline. "Publication of plans should be in an open format that enables the public to download, analyze and visualize any information and data," the memo advised.

In January, President Obama ordered a governmentwide review of federal regulations in an effort to improve or repeal outdated, burdensome and inefficient rules that could be stifling private sector job growth. The order instructed agencies to develop a plan within the 120 days to periodically review their significant regulations to determine whether any should be modified or withdrawn.

When establishing future regulations, agencies must first determine whether the benefits justify the potential costs and whether they impose the least possible burden on the public at large. Proposed rules must be open for public comment for 60 days as well as coordinated and harmonized with other similar regulations and driven by objective scientific evidence. Agencies also should consider factors that are difficult to quantify, such as human dignity, fairness and equity.

The memo encourages agencies to finalize their plans no later than 80 days after they publicly release their proposals.

The Small Business Administration is on track to submit its initial report to OIRA by May 18, said agency Press Secretary Hayley Meadvin. "SBA is very active on this," she said.

The agency in February launched an eight-city tour in which senior administration officials participate in discussions with entrepreneurs, who are providing feedback on the impact of small business regulations and the best way to improve them. The last stop is Silicon Valley on May 12, Meadvin said. She said the recommendations from entrepreneurs involved in the Startup America initiative will be compiled into a report to OIRA and the president.

Some ideas that have been discussed so far during the tour include student loan relief for entrepreneurs, simplified tax reporting and a more streamlined application process for prospective government contractors.

In March, SBA also published a notice in the Federal Register asking for input on its regulations.