Further Expand Public Participation in the Development of Regulations (US0045)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: United States Second Action Plan 2013-2015
Action Plan Cycle: 2013
Status:
Institutions
Lead Institution: Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Support Institution(s): NA
Policy Areas
Capacity Building, Democratizing Decision-Making, Public Participation, Regulatory GovernanceIRM Review
IRM Report: United States End-of-Term Report 2013-2015, United States Progress Report 2013-2015
Early Results: Marginal
Design i
Verifiable: No
Relevant to OGP Values: Yes
Ambition (see definition): Low
Implementation i
Description
The Administration continues to promote public participation in rulemaking, which covers such diverse subjects as energy, education, homeland security, agriculture, food safety, environmental protection, health care, and airline and automobile safety. Regulations.gov and a related underlying electronic Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) support the rulemaking processes at most Administration and many independent regulatory agencies, and are designed to make it easier for the public to comment on proposed regulations and for government agencies to post those proposed rules online. The online platform currently allows the public to view and comment on proposed rules, and includes associated data in the docket that can be searched and downloaded. The Administration will:
-Make Commenting on Proposed Rulemakings Easier. The eRulemaking Program Management Office (PMO), which leads Regulations.gov and the FDMS, will explore launching an API to allow the public to comment on proposed regulations using third-party websites.
-Continue Proactive Outreach with Stakeholders. To be responsive to non-government users of Regulations.gov, the PMO will continue to proactively engage and meet with outside stakeholder groups to obtain input on how best to improve the website. Make Regulations Easier to Read. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau launched an open source pilot to make regulations easier to read and understand. Based on the performance of the pilot, the model will be considered for potential expansion to other agencies.