What’s a Major Rule? White House OMB Seeks to Clarify
From: EHS Daily Advisor
By William C. Schillaci
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which is part of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), recently issued a memo clarifying how it determines if a proposed federal rule is a major rule and the level of cooperation the OIRA expects from federal agencies to assist in that determination. The memo applies to all federal agencies and departments and is particularly relevant to the EPA, which leads all its sister agencies by a wide margin in both the value of benefits from major rules and the associated cost of compliance.
The memo specifically sets forth a process for the OIRA to make major rule determinations; provides guidance for the type of analysis required for these determinations; and informs agencies about the level of cooperation the OIRA expects from agencies regarding determinations.
