[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18260-18261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7504]
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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Draft 2011 Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of
Federal Regulations
AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the
President.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requests comments on
its Draft 2011 Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of Federal
Regulations. The Draft Report is divided into four chapters. Chapter I
examines the benefits and costs of major Federal regulations issued in
fiscal year 2010 and summarizes the benefits and costs of major
regulations issued between October 2000 and September 2010. It also
discusses regulatory impacts on State, local, and Tribal governments,
small business, wages, and economic growth. Chapter II offers
recommendations for regulatory reform. Chapter III provides an update
on implementation of the Information Quality Act. Chapter IV summarizes
agency compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
DATES: To ensure consideration of comments as OMB prepares the final
version of this draft Report for submission to Congress, comments must
be in writing and received by May 16, 2011. Comments on retrospective
analysis studies are particularly appreciated by May 2, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by one of the following methods:
E-mail:
[cir] For comments on the Draft 2011 Report to Congress on the
Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations: [email protected].
[cir] For comments on retrospective analysis studies: [email protected]. Suggestions about particular rules that should be
reevaluated, as well as studies of particular rules, should be directed
to the agencies themselves.
Fax: (202) 395-7285.
Mail: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office
of Management and Budget, NEOB, Room 10102, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20038. We are still experiencing delays in the regular
mail, including first class and express mail. To ensure that your
comments are received, we recommend that comments on this draft report
be electronically submitted.
[[Page 18261]]
All comments and recommendations submitted in response to this
notice will be made available to the public, including by posting them
on OMB's Web site. For this reason, please do not include in your
comments information of a confidential nature, such as sensitive
personal information or proprietary information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, NEOB, Room 10102, 725 17th
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503. Telephone: (202) 395-3741.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Congress directed the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) to prepare an annual Report to Congress on the Costs
and Benefits of Federal Regulations. Specifically, Section 624 of the
FY 2001 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, also known
as the ``Regulatory Right-to-Know Act,'' (the Act) requires OMB to
submit a report on the costs and benefits of Federal regulations
together with recommendation for reform. The Act states that the report
should contain estimates of the costs and benefits of regulations in
the aggregate, by agency and agency program, and by major rule, as well
as an analysis of impacts of Federal regulation on State, local, and
Tribal governments, small businesses, wages, and economic growth. The
Act also states that the report should be subject to notice and comment
and peer review.
In this draft Report, available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_regpol_reports_congress/, OMB offers the following
recommendations:
1. Consistent with Executive Order 13563, regulatory decisions
and priority-setting should be made in a way that is attentive to
the importance of promoting economic growth, innovation, job
creation, and competitiveness.
2. Agencies should accompany all economically significant
regulations with (1) a tabular presentation, placed prominently and
offering a clear statement of qualitative and quantitative benefits
and costs of the proposed or planned action, together with (2) a
presentation of uncertainties and (3) similar information for
reasonable alternatives to the proposed or planned action.
3. Agencies should continue to use ``breakeven analysis'' when
quantification is not possible, with such analysis defined as the
specification of how high the unquantified or unmonetized benefits
would have to be in order for the benefits to justify the costs.
4. Consistent with OMB Circular A-4, for regulations intended to
reduce mortality risks, agencies should consider the use of cost-
effectiveness analysis and, specifically, the development of
estimates for the ``net cost per life saved.''
5. Consistent with Executive Order 13563, and in particular the
emphasis on ``the open exchange of information and perspectives
among state, local, and tribal officials, experts in relevant
disciplines, affected stakeholders in the private sector, and the
public as a whole,'' agencies should promote public participation
and transparency through the use of regulations.gov and other
technological means.
6. In order to promote trade and exports, agencies should
promote regulatory cooperation initiatives alongside key trading
partners.
Consistent with Executive Order 13563, OMB is especially interested
in how to improve retrospective analysis of existing rules. OMB
requests information about published and unpublished studies,
conceptual and empirical, involving such retrospective analysis. OMB
also requests suggestions about how to improve understanding of the
accuracy of prospective analyses of rules and how to undertake
retrospective analysis. Methodological suggestions are particularly
welcome. Suggestions about particular rules that should be reevaluated,
as well as studies of particular rules, should be directed to the
agencies themselves.
Cass R. Sunstein,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2011-7504 Filed 3-29-11; 4:15 pm]
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