Agencies are Rescinding Guidance Regulations at a Rapid Pace
To implement President Biden’s Executive Order 13992, executive branch agencies have begun to rescind the thirty-two regulations promulgated in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 13891 on agency guidance documents. The fast withdrawal rate suggests that soon all guidance regulations will be reversed.
This comment offers two specific suggestions in response to issues that OMB sought comment on: Area 2 (Barrier and Burden Reduction) and Area 5 (Stakeholder and Community Engagement).
DEA Lifts Moratorium on Methadone Vans
DEA released a final rule that lifts a ban on new methadone vans. The rule is expected to increase access to methadone in rural and underserved urban areas.
Congress recently passed three bills targeting Trump administration regulations for elimination. President Biden is expected to sign them, marking another historic “first” for use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA). To date, Democrats have yet to successfully use the oversight tool to strike regulations from the books.
Sentiment and Uncertainty about Regulation
Regulatory policy can create economic and social benefits, but poorly designed or excessive regulation may generate substantial adverse effects on the economy.
Bot-Generated Comments on Government Proposals Could Be Useful Someday
When the Federal Communication Commission asked the public what it thought about its net neutrality rules in 2017, the comments flooded in—including millions submitted under fake names by bot-comment-generators. These missives added no value and raised concerns that people’s identities were being stolen. Now everyone from Congressional Republicans to the New York State Attorney General have their sights set on shutting down the bots.
The U.S. and Europe Are Embarking On Dramatically Different Paths To Better Regulation
Better regulation is a priority on both sides of the Atlantic, but recent directives from Europe and the U.S. reveal very different strategies for achieving it.
The Biden Administration’s First Unified Agenda
OIRA released its semiannual Unified Agenda, marking the first comprehensive look at the regulatory actions agencies are planning under President Biden.
Milestones in the Evolution of the Administrative State
The modern administrative state, as measured by several metrics, has grown significantly over the last hundred years.
Bridget Dooling & Rachel Potter to Study Use of Contracts in Rulemaking
Bridget C.E. Dooling, Research Professor at the GW Regulatory Studies Center, and Dr. Rachel A. Potter, Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, have been selected to serve as consultants to the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). They will study the use of contractors in the rulemaking process.
