The Committee on the Status and Future of Federal e-Rulemaking recently issued a report to the President and Congress on the current state and future potential of federal e-rulemaking – the systems and processes that support the dialog and decisions that surround federal regulations. Sponsored by the Section of Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice of the American Bar Association, the non-partisan Committee was chaired by Sally Katzen, former Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and Deputy Director for Management at OMB. Members included more than 20 experts, researchers and practitioners, including CTG senior fellow Sharon Dawes. The report was prepared by Cynthia Farina, Professor of Law at Cornell University.
According to the report Achieving the Potential: The Future of Federal e-Rulemaking, A Report to Congress and the President, “E-rulemaking has transformative potential to increase the comprehensibility, transparency and accountability of the regulatory process. Specifically, e-rulemaking – effectively implemented – can open the rulemaking process to a broader range of participants, offer easier access to rulemaking and implementation materials, facilitate dialogue among interested parties about policy and enforcement, enhance regulatory coordination, and help produce better decisions that lead to more effective, accepted and enforceable rules.”
The report recommends that the federal government:
The report has been endorsed by 14 organizations including the National Academy of Public Administration, the Information Technology Association of America, and the Center for Democracy and Technology.