OMB Releases Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions

The Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, in conjunction with the U.S. General Services Administration’s Regulatory Information Service Center and the 60 Cabinet, Executive, and Independent agencies across the Federal Government, released yesterday the Trump Administration’s semi-annual Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.

The report provides an update on actions administrative agencies will take in both the near and long term. The agenda represents what the administration is calling a “fundamental regulatory reform and reorientation toward reducing unnecessary regulatory burden on the American people,” as they work to “promote economic growth and innovation and protect individual liberty.”

These efforts are in line with President Trump’s Executive Orders 13771 and 13777, which require agencies to reduce regulatory burdens and enforce regulatory reform initiatives. Given the Administration’s focus on deregulatory efforts, the Regulatory Agenda includes withdrawing and reconsidering numerous regulatory actions, focusing on the costs and benefits of each rule, while “prioritizing the maximization of net benefits of regulations.”

The most notable developments include:

  • Agencies withdrew 469 actions proposed in the Fall 2016 Regulatory Agenda;

  • Agencies reconsidered 282 active actions by reclassifying them as long-term, allowing further review;

  • Agencies reconsidered 109 active actions by reclassifying them as inactive, allowing further review;

  • Economically significant regulations fell to 58, about 50 percent less than the Fall 2016 Regulatory Agenda;

  • Agencies must post and make public their lists of inactive rules for the first time

President Trump has promised to eliminate 80 percent of all federal regulations, as well as two regulations for every new one they propose, while ensuring that they do not add to the federal deficit. While this will be very difficult to achieve since many regulations are written to enforce congressionally authorized laws, the Regulatory Agenda demonstrates that the Trump Administration is taking the steps necessary to halt or slow many pending regulations.

Claire Washburnlitke, leiter, spanjich, regulatory agenda, deregulation, omb, President Trump, Trump Administration, Unified Agenda, Executive Order