Regulatory Transactions

From: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Committee and Subcommittee Chairmen tell Obama Administration OIRA is Duty-bound to Return Rule for Further Consideration

(WASHINGTON)—Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending Subcommittee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) today wrote to the Obama Administration’s top regulatory review official saying the agency is obligated to further review the rules and the transparency of enactment.  They said the consequences of the Administration’s rulemaking will be reduced consumer choice—with higher costs—and serious concerns about vehicle and passenger safety in order to meet the new requirements.

CRE’s comments to OIRA on CMS’ Information Collection Request for their Durable Medical Equipment bidding program is attached here.

Key conclusions in CRE’s comments are:

• Practical Utility. The ICR does meet the Paperwork Reduction Act’s practical utility requirements since it does not meet the MMA’s goal of obtaining home medical equipment and services at competitive prices.

• Utility and Transparency.  The ICR does not meet the Data (Information) Quality Act’s utility and influential information requirements because it does not use accepted models and a transparent methodology.

From: Inside EPA

EPA and other agencies will have to test their data collection forms before releasing them to the public, according to a new requirement from the White House Office of Information & Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which cites testing of EPA’s fuel economy label as a good example of pre-release review.

One source says the new requirement is “restating and reemphasizing” the original goal of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), which was designed to reduce paperwork burdens on regulated industries.