Archive for March, 2018

OMB Review of IRS Regulations

From: The Federal Financial Forum

Jim Tozzi

It is likely that OMB will begin the review of Treasury tax regulations, an exemption that should never occurred in the first place.

Having worked for more than a half century to vest OMB with the authority to review regulations I doubt whether there are any new arguments against OMB’s likely new role.

The traditional arguments include the lack of OMB expertise in the particular subject matter at hand. I heard this argument many times over when OMB (OIRA and its predecessor organizations) began to review EPA regulations under the Nixon Administration.

One forgotten agency can curb alarming growth of regulation

Editor’s Note: Read the real history of centralized regulatory review, OIRA’s Formative Years: The Historical Record of Centralized Review Preceding OIRA’s Founding.

From: The Hill

BY TIMOTHY DOYLE

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Reagan’s idea of expanding centralized review should be considered again, but to effectively do so, Congress must expand the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) — the one agency empowered to oversee significant regulations.

With currently just over 45 people working for OIRA, the size of the regulatory state is surpassing its ability to efficaciously review all significant regulations. Ironically, as the volume of regulations has exponentially grown since President Reagan first proposed expanding centralized review, the size of OIRA has been cut in half.

Trump officials overrule regulatory czar in releasing tip pooling rule

From: The Hill

BY LYDIA WHEELER

Labor Secretary Alex Acosta convinced Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney to overrule the nation’s regulatory czar and release a controversial tip pooling rule despite data showing workers could lose billions in gratuities, according to a new report.

Bloomberg Law, citing three current and former executive branch officials, reported that Mulvaney sided with Acosta over the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which is led by Administrator Neomi Rao.

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Groups sue over decision to end Obama-era pay data collection rule

Editor’s Note:  See also OMB & OIRA Sued for Rejecting an Information Collection Request.

From: The Hill

BY LYDIA WHEELER

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The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) filed a lawsuit against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The 15-page complaint alleges OMB violated the Freedom of Information Act when it failed to respond to five requests the groups sent in September for records on the agency’s decision to shut down the pay data collection rule.

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OIRA Seeks to Hire Policy Analyst

From: USA Jobs

Open & closing dates:  03/15/2018 to 03/29/2018
Pay scale & grade: GS 12 – 13

Duties

Summary

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is seeking candidates for a policy analyst position in OIRA’s Transportation and Security (TS) Branch. OIRA is responsible for regulatory, information and statistical policy within OMB and the Federal government generally. The TS branch is responsible for the review of draft federal regulations and information collection requests from the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Homeland Security, and State; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and the Access Board, as well as information collection requests from a few independent agencies with related missions. These reviews include the evaluation of the economic, scientific, and legal aspects of rules submitted to OIRA under Executive Order 12866 and related authorities.
To learn more about the Office of Management and Budget please visit: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/OMB