Notice and Comment
Legislation Would Delay Important Safeguards and Limit Citizens' Access to Courts
Apr 23, 2013
Earlier this month, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) introduced companion legislation in the House and Senate, entitled the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act (S. 714 and H.R. 1493). Disguised as an effort to increase transparency, this legislation aims to bog down the regulatory process with time-consuming and costly procedural hurdles that would limit the lawsuits brought to challenge unreasonable delays by regulatory agencies.
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President Obama’s Budget Proposal Assumes Flawed Poultry Inspection Rule Will Be Finalized
Apr 11, 2013 by Katie Greenhaw
Yesterday, the president released the proposed budget for funding the federal government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. The budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) assumes savings from finalizing a controversial proposed rule to change the way chickens and other poultry are inspected in processing plants.
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New Web Tool Provides Easy Tracking of Rulemaking Comments
Feb 6, 2013 by Katie Greenhaw
A new online tool allows users to better follow the rulemaking process and monitor the public comments agencies receive on proposed rules. Docket Wrench, launched by the Sunlight Foundation, provides access to more than 3.5 million regulatory documents. The tool is intended to help the public follow the influence of special interests in the rulemaking process by tracking and grouping their comments.
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Will New House Website Bring Real Small Business Voices to Regulatory Debates?
Feb 1, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
Congratulations to Republicans on the House Small Business Committee for launching a new website that purportedly will alert small business owners to regulatory issues affecting them and make it easier for them to comment on pending rules. It would be a significant improvement to the regulatory process if small businesses actually weighed in themselves on the impacts of rules and also commented on the new markets that may be created for small business products and services as a result of standards and safeguards.
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UPDATED: Rushing To a Full Stop: Obama Gets It Right When He Talks About the Keystone Pipeline
Jan 18, 2012 by Jessica Randall
Anti-Regulatory Attacks Coming in Both the House and Senate
Nov 8, 2011
While most Congress watchers have been focusing on the work of the Super Committee, anti-regulatory activists in both the House and the Senate have been working hard to undercut some of the most important safeguards that protect Americans.
read in fullAgencies’ Regulatory Review Plans To Be Released Soon
Aug 1, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
Today is the deadline for federal agencies to submit their final plans for reviewing existing regulations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The plans are the second step in a process outlined by the Obama Administration to get rid of redundant, needlessly burdensome and outdated rules.
read in fullFDA Cracking Down on Dangerous Food Imports
May 6, 2011 by Matthew Madia
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two new standards May 4 intended to protect Americans from potentially contaminated foreign food.
read in fullEPA Again Refuses to Prevent Massive Fish Kills
Mar 30, 2011 by Matthew Madia
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week proposed standards for facilities that use natural waters to cool equipment, but the proposal does not require technology that would prevent millions of fish from being sucked in with the water.
read in fullLabor Department Takes Comments on Regulatory Review
Mar 22, 2011 by Matthew Madia
The Department of Labor announced March 16 that it will accept public comments on its plan to review existing regulations and their impact. Labor, like all agencies, is conducting the review in accordance with an executive order President Obama signed Jan. 18.
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