80 FR 11334 - Retrospective Review and Regulatory Flexibility

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 41 (March 3, 2015)

On February 3, 2015, the Department of Labor (DOL or the Department) published a Request for Information (RFI) in response to Executive Order 13563 on improving regulation and regulatory review, and Executive Order 13610 on identifying and reducing regulatory burden. The RFI invited public comment on how the Department can improve any of its significant regulations by modifying, streamlining, expanding, or repealing them, and the comment period ended on February 25, 2015. This extension reopens and extends the date to comment on the RFI.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 3, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 11334]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04362]


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Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 11334]]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

5 CFR Chapter XLII

20 CFR Chapters IV, V, VI, VII, and IX

29 CFR Subtitle A and Chapters II, IV, V, XVII, and XXV

30 CFR Chapter I

41 CFR Chapters 50, 60, and 61

48 CFR Chapter 29


Retrospective Review and Regulatory Flexibility

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Labor.

ACTION: Request for information; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On February 3, 2015, the Department of Labor (DOL or the 
Department) published a Request for Information (RFI) in response to 
Executive Order 13563 on improving regulation and regulatory review, 
and Executive Order 13610 on identifying and reducing regulatory 
burden. The RFI invited public comment on how the Department can 
improve any of its significant regulations by modifying, streamlining, 
expanding, or repealing them, and the comment period ended on February 
25, 2015. This extension reopens and extends the date to comment on the 
RFI.

DATES: The comment period for the Request for Information published on 
February 3, 2015, at 80 FR 5715, is extended. The comment period ended 
on February 25, 2015. Comments must be received on or before March 18, 
2015. The Department is accepting all comments.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments through the Department's Regulations 
Portal at http://www.dol.gov/regulations/regreview.
    All comments will be available for public inspection at http://www.dol.gov/regulations/regreview.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Peters, Program Analyst, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW., Room S-2312, Washington, DC 20210, 
[email protected] (202) 693-5959 (this is not a toll-free number). 
Individuals with hearing impairments may call 1-800-877-8339 (TTY/TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 18, 2011, President Obama issued 
Executive Order 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.'' 
The Order explains the Administration's goal of creating a regulatory 
system that protects ``public health, welfare, safety, and our 
environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, 
competitiveness, and job creation'' while using ``the best, most 
innovative, and least burdensome tools to achieve regulatory ends.'' 
After receipt and consideration of comments, the Department issued its 
Plan for Retrospective Analysis of Existing Rules in August 2011. On 
May 12, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order 13610, 
``Identifying and Reducing Regulatory Burdens.'' This Order explained 
that ``it is particularly important for agencies to conduct 
retrospective analyses of existing rules to examine whether they remain 
justified and whether they should be modified or streamlined in light 
of changed circumstances, including the rise of new technologies.''

Request for Comments

    The Department recognizes the importance of conducting 
retrospective review of regulations and is once again seeking public 
comment on how the Department can increase the effectiveness of its 
significant regulations while minimizing the burden on regulated 
entities. The Department recognizes that the regulated community, 
academia, and the public at large have an understanding of its programs 
and their implementing regulations, and therefore is requesting public 
comment on how the Department can prepare workers for better jobs, 
improve workplace safety and health, promote fair and high-quality work 
environments, and secure a wide range of benefits for employees and 
those who are seeking work, all in ways that are more effective and 
least burdensome.
    This request for public input will inform development of the 
Department's future plans to review its existing significant 
regulations. To facilitate receipt of the information, the Department 
has created an Internet portal specifically designed to capture your 
input and suggestions, http://www.dol.gov/regulations/regreview/. The 
portal contains a series of questions to gather information on how DOL 
can best meet the requirements of the Executive Order. The portal will 
be open to receive comments until March 18, 2015.
    Please note that these questions do not pertain to DOL rulemakings 
currently open for public comment. To comment on an open rulemaking, 
please visit regulations.gov and submit comments by the deadline 
indicated in that rulemaking. Comments that pertain to rulemakings 
currently open for public comment will not be addressed by the 
Department in this venue, which focuses on retrospective review.
    The Department will consider public comments as we update our plan 
to review the Department's significant rules. The Department is issuing 
this request solely to seek useful information as we update our review 
plan. While responses to this request do not bind the Department to any 
further actions related to the response, all submissions will be made 
available to the public on http://www.dol.gov/regulations/regreview/.

    Authority: E.O. 13653, 76 FR 3821, Jan. 21, 2011; E.O. 12866, 58 
FR 51735, Oct. 4, 1993.

    Dated: February 25, 2015.
Mary Beth Maxwell,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-04362 Filed 3-2-15; 8:45 am]
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