Broadening Public Engagement in the Federal Regulatory Process
Regulations set the rules of the road that affect our lives in myriad ways—whether it is by providing access to affordable medicine, setting standards to keep workers safe on the job, making markets fairer and more competitive, or reducing children’s exposure to harmful toxins. A critical part of designing regulations that work is hearing from those who would be affected by them—the American people. Greater public participation leads to a more responsive—and effective—government that better addresses people’s needs.
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is taking new steps to work with Federal agencies to make it easier for interested members of the public to voice their views in the regulatory process. Read more about these activities below:
Strengthening Agency Engagement with the Public
OIRA is working with agencies to continue to strengthen their engagement with the public during the regulatory process.
Guidance
OIRA invited public comments in Spring 2023 on strategies OIRA should consider in developing tools and guidance on public participation and community engagement in the regulatory process. You can read the public comments we received here. OIRA also held listening sessions throughout Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
Informed by those comments and listening sessions, on July 19, 2023, OIRA released guidance to Federal agencies on how agencies can better engage members of the public when developing regulations.
- Guidance Memorandum, “Broadening Public Participation and Community Engagement in the Regulatory Process”
- Blog Post, “Making Voices Heard in the Regulatory Process,” by Sam Berger, OIRA Associate Administrator
In the summer of 2024, OIRA held two listening sessions to hear from members of the public about implementation of this guidance and opportunities for continued improvement.
Report
Building on OIRA’s guidance memorandum, on August 14, 2024, OIRA released a report on agency efforts to strengthen public participation in the regulatory process. The report includes case studies from across the Federal government that illustrate best practices in public participation.
- Report, “With the People, For the People: Strengthening Public Participation in the Regulatory Process”
- Blog Post, “Strengthening Public Participation in the Regulatory Process,” by Sam Berger, OIRA Associate Administrator
Unified Agenda
Consistent with OIRA guidance, agencies are discussing their efforts to increase public involvement in the development of regulations in their regulatory agendas. OIRA highlighted notable examples from the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Agendas in a series of blog posts.
- Blog Post, “The 2023 Fall Regulatory Agenda,” by Sam Berger, OIRA Associate Administrator
- Blog Post, “The 2024 Spring Regulatory Agenda,” by Sam Berger, OIRA Associate Administrator
Broadening OIRA’s Engagement with the Public
OIRA is working to make its engagements with the public through E.O. 12866 meetings during OIRA regulatory review more transparent and inclusive.
Guidance on E.O. 12866 Meetings
In an effort to clarify OIRA’s process for E.O. 12866 meetings, OIRA released guidance on E.O. 12866 meetings:
Before drafting the Guidance, OIRA held listening sessions and received public input. You can find an explanation and response to public input here.
How to Request an E.O. 12866 Meeting
OIRA is working to make it easier for members of the public to request E.O. 12866 meetings.
- To learn how to request a meeting, please watch this how-to video. A transcript is also available.
- Para aprender cómo solicitar una reunión con OIRA, por favor vea este video en español. Una transcripción del video también está disponible aquí.
Effective Participation in E.O. 12866 Meetings
In the summer of 2024, OIRA offered two training sessions on effective participation in E.O. 12866 meetings, followed by another training session in Spanish.
OIRA anticipates holding more training sessions in the future. You can find information about future training sessions on this website and the Federal Register.