Archive for November, 2018

HHS/ONC rule still at OMB

From: Politico | Morning eHealth

By ARTHUR ALLEN

With help from Darius Tahir

WHITE HOUSE HOLDS ONC’S [Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology] INFO BLOCKING RULE: Some of us thought ONC’s annual conference later this week would be an occasion for the release of its proposal defining what kind of health care information blocking is acceptable. Doesn’t seem likely now, because Sunday night the rule was still at OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. . . .

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AEI Events Podcast: Assessing the administrative state with Neomi Rao

From: American Enterprise Institute

On this episode of the AEI Events Podcast, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator Neomi Rao visits AEI to discuss her office’s role in a centralized approach to deregulation and the administration’s regulatory reform agenda.

AEI’s John Yoo joins Administrator Rao in a conversation about how the president’s emphasis on deregulation has helped her office become more effective, and what the possible benefits may be of applying the centralized review process to independent agencies.

This event took place on June 19, 2018.  

Watch the full event here.

Regulating the Regulators

From: The National Review

By

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Rao is simply a fantastic choice for the DC Circuit spot. A former Clarence Thomas clerk and a brilliant legal scholar, she has the right mix of experience and training to be a superb judge (and at 45 years old, she could be a superb judge for a very long time). She also has the temperament every American should want in a senior federal judge—calm and thoughtful, but thoroughly independent-minded and unafraid of thorny controversies.

Trump nominates regs chief for D.C. Circuit

From: E&E News

Niina Heikkinen, E&E News reporter

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At OIRA, Rao has been central to the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back regulations. Last month, she touted federal agencies for rolling back four regulations for every new regulation added.

Prior to joining the White House regulatory shop in July 2017, Rao taught as an associate law professor at George Mason University, where she also founded and directed the Center for the Study of the Administrative State.

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Trump admin looks to overhaul Paperwork Reduction Act to ease customer service overhaul

Editor’s Note: Listen to the complete Federal Drive with Tom Temin podcast: Trump admin looks to overhaul Paperwork Reduction Act to ease customer service overhaul.

From: Federal News Network

By Jory Heckman

Despite the momentum gathering around the Trump administration’s priority of transforming customer service in government, agencies still face challenges getting feedback from the public under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).

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Lee Becker, the chief of staff at the VA’s Veterans Experience Office, said Thursday that under the customer experience CAP goal, VA, together with the Office of Management and Budget, the General Services Administration and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs are looking at workarounds to some of the hurdles caused by the PRA.

OIRA extends comment period on US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council Request for Information

Editor’s Note: See also OIRA Seeks Comment on How to Reduce Regulatory Differences between the U.S. and Canada.

From: OIRA

Comment period extended: OIRA Request for Information and 2018 RCC Stakeholder Forum

As you may be aware, on Tuesday, October 9th, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget published in the Federal Register a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting public input on how the Federal Government, under the auspices of the United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC), may reduce or eliminate unnecessary regulatory differences between the United States and Canada. You can find that notice here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/10/09/2018-21765/request-for-information. We are writing to let you know that the deadline to submit comments in response to that RFI has been extended by 30 days until December 10th. Please refer to the RFI for instructions on how to submit comments.

OIRA Seeks Comment on How to Reduce Regulatory Differences between the U.S. and Canada

From: The National Law Review

OIRA Seeks Comment on How to Reduce Regulatory Differences between the U.S. and Canada, Including for Emerging Technologies Not Yet Regulated

Article By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) published a request for information (RFI) on October 9, 2018, seeking comment on how the federal government, under the auspices of the Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC), may reduce or eliminate unnecessary regulatory differences between the U.S. and Canada.  According to the RFI, this information may inform agencies’ development of regulatory reform proposals to modify or repeal existing agency requirements to increase efficiency related to economic activity with Canada, reduce or eliminate unnecessary or unjustified regulatory burdens, or simplify regulatory compliance, while continuing to meet agency missions and statutory requirements….