Notice2024-13730
Notice of Listening Sessions: Broadening Public Participation and Community Engagement in the Regulatory Process
Primary source
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Published
June 27, 2024
Issuing agencies
Management and Budget Office
Abstract
On July 19, 2023, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a Memorandum, Broadening Public Participation and Community Engagement in the Regulatory Process, providing guidance to agencies on how to promote equitable and meaningful participation by a range of interested and affected parties, including members of underserved communities, during the regulatory process. The Memorandum also established guidance for agencies to implement the Executive Order on Modernizing Regulatory Review's call for proactive engagement to inform the development of regulatory actions and plans, with a focus on early engagement in agency priority-setting. In developing the Memorandum, OIRA drew on extensive engagement with the public, including four listening sessions and two public comment periods. In the Memorandum, OIRA anticipated organizing a follow-up listening session approximately twelve months from its issuance, to hear from members of the public about implementation of this guidance and opportunities for improvement. OIRA will hold three listening sessions to receive public input on the public's experience engaging with agency's rulemaking processes since the Memorandum's release.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53657-53658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13730]
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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Notice of Listening Sessions: Broadening Public Participation and
Community Engagement in the Regulatory Process
AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the
President.
ACTION: Notice of listening sessions.
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SUMMARY: On July 19, 2023, the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a
Memorandum, Broadening Public Participation and Community Engagement in
the Regulatory Process, providing guidance to agencies on how to
promote equitable and meaningful participation by a range of interested
and affected parties, including members of underserved communities,
during the regulatory process. The Memorandum also established guidance
for agencies to implement the Executive Order on Modernizing Regulatory
Review's call for proactive engagement to inform the development of
regulatory actions and plans, with a focus on early engagement in
agency priority-setting. In developing the Memorandum, OIRA drew on
extensive engagement with the public, including four listening sessions
and two public comment periods. In the Memorandum, OIRA anticipated
organizing a follow-up listening session approximately twelve months
from its issuance, to hear from members of the public about
implementation of this guidance and opportunities for improvement. OIRA
will hold three listening sessions to receive public input on the
public's experience engaging with agency's rulemaking processes since
the Memorandum's release.
DATES: The listening sessions will be held on July 10, 2024, at 3 to 4
p.m., Eastern Time, and July 17, 2024, at 1 to 1:30 p.m., Eastern Time.
Members of the public who cannot attend the listening sessions and wish
to submit written comments should do so by sending comments to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a9d9dccbc5c0cad9c8dbddc0cac0d9c8ddc0c6c7e9c6c4cb87ccc6d987cec6df"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ff8f8a9d93969c8f9e8d8b969c968f9e8b969091bf90929dd19a908fd1989089">[email protected]</span></a> before July 17, 2024.
ADDRESSES:
Listening Sessions: Information to access the virtual listening
sessions will be provided upon registration. Members of the public may
register by sending an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b3b3e292722283b2a393f2228223b2a3f2224250b242629652e243b652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d2a2a7b0bebbb1a2b3a0a6bbb1bba2b3a6bbbdbc92bdbfb0fcb7bda2fcb5bda4">[email protected]</span></a>, noting
the session they would like to attend.
Written Comments: In an effort to improve accessibility, OMB is
offering multiple options to provide feedback. Responses can be
submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>). Alternatively, public comments can be submitted
via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7d7d2c5cbcec4d7c6d5d3cec4ced7c6d3cec8c9e7c8cac589c2c8d789c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="74040116181d17041506001d171d0415001d1b1a341b19165a111b045a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please email the Office of Management
and Budget at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#205055424c494350415254494349504154494f4e604f4d420e454f500e474f56"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c1b1b4a3ada8a2b1a0b3b5a8a2a8b1a0b5a8aeaf81aeaca3efa4aeb1efa6aeb7">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Public involvement in the development of regulations can lead to
more effective and equitable regulations, greater trust in government
and democratic accountability, and increased public understanding of
the regulatory process.
Recognizing the importance of public participation, Executive Order
14094 of
[[Page 53658]]
April 6, 2023, Modernizing Regulatory Review, encourages Federal
agencies, to the extent practicable and consistent with applicable law,
to inform their regulatory actions through meaningful and equitable
opportunities for public input from a range of interested or affected
parties, including underserved communities.
To assist agencies in implementing the public participation
provisions of Executive Order 14094, OIRA published a Memorandum,
Broadening Public Participation and Community Engagement in the
Regulatory Process.\1\ Among other things, the Memorandum offered a
review of actions agencies should take, where practicable and
appropriate, to support greater participation and engagement in the
regulatory process. In particular, it discussed: (1) ``[l]everaging the
release of the biannual Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory Actions .
. . to discuss agencies' past, ongoing, and upcoming participation and
engagement with the public, including underserved communities''; and
(2) ``[e]nsuring that agency policies on communication during the
rulemaking process promote accessible, equitable, and meaningful
participation and engagement, especially early on in setting regulatory
priorities and in the early stages of rule development before a
proposed regulation is issued for comment.'' The Memorandum identified
leading practices for participation and engagement that agencies can
consider using, such as taking affirmative steps to promote engagement
where members of the public may face obstacles to participation; making
regulatory material more accessible, understandable, and usable by the
public; holding listening sessions, including online or technology-
enabled session, while agencies are still defining regulatory
priorities; or providing multiple means of submitting comments and
feedback.
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\1\ <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Broadening-Public-Participation-and-Community-Engagement-in-the-Regulatory-Process.pdf">https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Broadening-Public-Participation-and-Community-Engagement-in-the-Regulatory-Process.pdf</a>.
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Since releasing the Memorandum, OIRA has worked with agencies to
make effective use of the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory Actions
(Regulatory Agenda) to expand public awareness of the opportunities
agencies have provided, and potentially will provide, for public
participation and community engagement. The Fall 2023 Regulatory Agenda
included descriptions of agency efforts to engage with the public.
Notable instances of public participation include the following:
<bullet> The Small Business Administration conducted four Tribal
consultations and a listening session related to aspects of a proposed
rule that would change the Native community benefits-reporting
requirements in SBA's 8(a) Business Development program; that feedback
contributed to SBA's decision to remove these provisions from the final
rule.
<bullet> The Environmental Protection Agency held over forty
external meetings, including directly engaging with Tribes, small
businesses, and other entities, to inform its ongoing work to develop a
proposed rule addressing risks posed by the chemical 1-bromopropane.
<bullet> The Department of Transportation's proposal to ensure air
carriers and ticket agents provide prompt ticket refunds (including
ancillary fees) to passengers when a flight is cancelled or
significantly changed was informed by four public meetings, including a
public hearing.
<bullet> The Office of Management and Budget's revision to
Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining,
Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, was
informed by more than 20,000 comments, 94 listening sessions hosted by
the Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity
Standards, 3 public virtual townhalls, and a Tribal consultation.
II. Topics and Key Questions
OMB particularly seeks feedback on the following three topic areas:
(1) the Regulatory Agenda as a platform for highlighting past and
future opportunities for public participation; (2) experience with
effective opportunities for public engagement in the regulatory
process; and (3) opportunities for strengthening public participation
and community engagement in the regulatory process.
1. The Regulatory Agenda as a Platform for Public Participation
<bullet> Are there entries in the Regulatory Agenda that you think
have been particularly helpful in describing how public participation
informed an agency's regulatory process?
<bullet> Are there entries in the Regulatory Agenda that you think
have been particularly helpful in offering information regarding
forthcoming opportunities for public participation and engagement?
<bullet> What further improvements would you like to see regarding
how public participation is discussed in the Regulatory Agenda?
2. Effective Opportunities for Public Engagement
<bullet> Did you find any agency actions that were particularly
helpful in facilitating participation in an agency's regulatory
process? Please include any specific examples.
[cir] Did you attend an online or technology-enabled session, and,
if so, did you find this an effective way of engaging with the agency?
[cir] Did the agency provide multiple means of submitting comments
and feedback in multiple formats, and were any especially effective?
[cir] Did the agency offer plain language summaries, infographics,
or short videos regarding the relevant issue, that sufficiently
prepared you to provide effective input?
<bullet> Did you find the agency was asking for your input at the
right time, such that feedback could be effectively incorporated?
3. Opportunities for Strengthening Public Participation and Community
Engagement
<bullet> Are there any actions agencies could take to make it
easier to participate in opportunities for public engagement? Please
include any specific examples.
[cir] Could an agency better inform the public of opportunities for
public engagement?
[cir] Could an agency make opportunities for public engagement more
accessible?
[cir] Are there any resources that would better prepare members of
the public to provide effective feedback?
<bullet> Are there any actions agencies could take to better engage
with members of affected and underserved communities?
<bullet> Are there any changes to OMB guidance that would help
strengthen public participation in agency regulatory processes?
Richard L. Revesz,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-13730 Filed 6-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P
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