New York, Connecticut, Delaware, et al Cite Data Quality Act in Complaint Against the Bureau of the Census
Apr 4th
Editor’s Note: The Complaint filed by the various states, cities and the US Conference of Mayors is attached here.
From: The New York Times
Cities and States Mount Court Challenge to Census Question on Citizenship
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The filing also claims that by skirting requirements to test the citizenship question, and offering no valid reason for its addition, the Commerce Department violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Information Quality Act, also known as the Data Quality Act.
OMB Review of IRS Regulations
Mar 30th
From: The Federal Financial Forum
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
Mar 26th
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
Mar 23rd
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.
Groups sue over decision to end Obama-era pay data collection rule
Mar 22nd
Editor’s Note: See also OMB & OIRA Sued for Rejecting an Information Collection Request.
From: The Hill
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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.
OIRA Seeks to Hire Policy Analyst
Mar 16th
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
Court tosses challenge to Trump’s two-for-one regulatory order
Feb 27th
From: The Hill
By Lydia Wheeler
A federal district court judge on Monday dismissed a challenge to President Trump’s executive order directing federal agency heads to eliminate two rules for every new rule proposed.
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Randolph Moss said Public Citizen, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO failed to prove their members will be harmed by the president’s orders, which is a burden of proof required to bring a lawsuit.
Regulatory Scorecard: A Federalist Society Conversation with Administrator Neomi Rao
Feb 16th
From: Federalist Society/Regulatory Transparency Project
In 2017, the U.S. experienced a dramatic shift in regulatory policy at the federal level. This shift is attributable to a new presidential administration that has made regulatory reform a priority. This priority is evidenced by numerous regulatory initiatives including Executive Order 13771 that directs agencies, among other things, to repeal two regulations for every new regulation promulgated. The Administration recently reported that it had far exceeded this goal by instead, repealing twenty-two regulations for every new regulation created. However, debate remains over how the new administration’s regulatory efforts, in its totality, should be scored thus far. We are pleased to have OIRA Administrator Neomi Rao as our Free Lunch podcast guest to share her perspective on that question.
Good Government through Good Governance: Developing a cross-sector, “national constituency” in support of OIRA
Feb 14th
Editor’s Note: See, Inside Washington on Reinventing Governance.
From: Inside Washington Publishers | Special Report: Reinventing Governance
Former OMB official sees broader support for OIRA flowing from Trump’s regulatory budget
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“[C]entralized regulatory review would not have survived for nearly a half century without a cadre, however small, of individuals who were willing to place their career on the line because the mere existence of centralized regulatory review was at that time repugnant to a number of the leaders of the administrative state who frequently advocated retaliatory measures,” Tozzi writes.
Trump proposes funding hike for regulatory shop
Feb 13th
From: Greenwire
Maxine Joselow, E&E News reporter
Amid a push for deregulation, President Trump is seeking a funding increase for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
The administration’s full fiscal 2019 budget proposes $11 million for OIRA, up $1 million from a White House estimate of recent funding levels but consistent with the administration’s fiscal 2018 budget proposal.
Read Complete Article [paywall]