Opening the Federal Regulatory Process to More Voices: OIRA to Hold Open Government Engagement Session This Month

Every day, agencies across the Federal government work on policies that touch the lives of millions of Americans—from protecting the air we breathe, to keeping workers safe on the job, to making sure companies properly disclose fees to their customers. One of the key ways that Federal agencies advance this work is through regulations—rules and requirements that implement our nation’s statutes. And we know that the regulatory process works best when we hear directly from members of the public, including traditionally underserved communities, and they have a say and a stake in their government.

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing equity for underserved communities and making government more open and accountable, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs—the White House office that coordinates the regulatory review process—will hold an engagement session on November 17, 2022 from 12 to 1 PM ET to hear directly from the public about ways we might improve participation in the regulatory process.

This session will inform the development of the United States’ Open Government National Action Plan—a set of public commitments the Federal government is drafting with input from civil society to support a more equitable, transparent, and accountable government. The plan will include commitments related to public engagement in the work of government.

In prior engagement sessions related to development of this National Action Plan, we’ve heard ideas for increasing public participation in the rulemaking process. These included providing information on rules across a broader range of media like infographics and videos; improving guidance on the use of listening sessions and other participatory methods; and providing greater information to communities on opportunities to participate in rulemakings.

Government works better with strong public engagement—especially engagement that meets people where they are, builds local community capacity for further engagement over time, and makes government more accessible to more people. We are excited to hear from you about how the Federal government can support a more inclusive regulatory process.

RSVP for the November 17, 2022 from 12 to 1 PM ET engagement session here: https://gsa.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIsf-CrrTwvGxruUTAkcqjjNOLVTnQYKj0. Or share written ideas by emailing opengov@ostp.eop.gov.