AFP Leads Coalition Calling for Agencies to Post Guidance Documents in Online Portal

Aug 6, 2020 by AFP

Arlington, Va. – Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and a coalition of 24 partner organizations issued a letter to Administrator Paul Ray, the head of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, urging him to continue to hold agencies accountable for the implementation of Executive Order 13891, “Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents.” Agency compliance with Executive Order 13891 will improve regulatory transparency, decrease the cost of compliance for regulated parties, and promote good government.

As a first step to implementing the Order, executive branch agencies were to have published all guidance they have in effect in a single, searchable database on their respective websites by February 28, 2020. Now, more than five months past the deadline, not all agencies have met this simple objective for improving the transparency of agency guidance.

Although independent regulatory agencies are not required to publish their guidance like those in the executive branch departments, some have chosen to do so, and the letter asks Administrator Ray to encourage all independent agencies to follow their lead.

Read the full letter.

In the letter, the coalition writes:

“Regulatory reform without implementation is a missed opportunity. Agency adoption and implementation of Executive Order 13891 will improve regulatory transparency and promote good government. We stand ready to work with you in these regulatory reform efforts as we seek to break down economic barriers for thousands, if not millions, of American businesses and individuals.”

Background:

Americans for Prosperity previously called on agencies to implement the initiative following the deadline set forth by the executive order.

In addition, AFP has issued recommendations for Congress to ensure long-lasting reforms for federal regulations and burdensome red tape.

AFP also recently released, Recover Stronger: A Starting Point to Build An Economy that Works for All, a set of principles and recommendations that offers lawmakers a starting point to build a stronger economy as the country recovers from COVID-19. As Congress considers additional massive spending bills, the guidance is intended to present better alternatives to help the economy recover – and ultimately create a new, stronger economy.