Editor’s Note: See also Expanding the Scope of OIRA Review and A Blueprint for OMB Review of Independent Agency Regulations (March 1, 2002).
From: American Action Forum
Dan Bosch, Dan Goldbeck, Philip Rossetti
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The Trump Administration is considering expanding the White House’s review of regulations to include reviewing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) rules.
- The NRC is a good candidate for review because its incentive to regulate is misaligned with the safety risks of newer technologies.
- The benefits of expanding regulatory review to the NRC markedly outweigh the costs.
INTRODUCTION
After tax reform, the Trump Administration’s initiative with the largest economic impact is likely its deregulatory push in the executive agencies, and it appears that the administration is looking to expand that effort. In public remarks earlier this year, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator Neomi Rao indicated the administration is considering expanding regulatory review to independent agencies. OIRA, an office within the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, is currently responsible for reviewing significant proposed and final regulations from executive agencies. It reviews regulations to ensure they have met the analytical steps of the regulatory process required by either statute or executive order.