Making Voices Heard in the Regulatory Process (US OMB)

Today, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is releasing guidance detailing new steps that Federal agencies should take to make it easier for interested members of the public to voice their views in the regulatory process.

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New directions to Federal agencies in the guidance include: Calling on Federal agencies to use public engagement—such as working with a local organization to hold listening sessions to hear directly from impacted communities—to help set regulatory priorities, and to describe how public engagement informed those priorities in the Unified Agenda of Regulatory Actions compiled by OIRA each Fall and Spring. (The Unified Agenda is a public document, published twice a year, cataloging regulatory actions underway across the Federal government.) Encouraging Federal agencies to review their policies on communication during the regulatory process to facilitate more proactive engagement—for instance, when Federal agencies actively reach out to communities that might be affected by a regulation but might not otherwise participate because of barriers such as lack of time, knowledge, accessibility, or trust in government. Encouraging Federal agencies to adopt leading practices for public participation and community engagement, such as holding regular public listening sessions; using a variety of channels to share information with the public; and building on relationships that local, regional, or district agency offices might have with trusted community intermediaries.