Improving Online Public Participation in Agency Rulemaking

Every member of the public is touched by federal rules and regulations that have a real impact on such things as the drinking water quality; food inspection; and automobile safety. Since 2003 Regulations.gov has been the primary resource for citizens to access, view and comment on the regulations that affect their lives. Regulations.gov is managed by the eRulemaking Program - an interagency program comprised of more than 30 federal departments and agencies and led by the Environmental Protection Agency. The mission of the eRulemaking Program is to increase public access to, participation in, and understanding of federal rulemaking and improve agencies' efficiency and effectiveness in developing rules. As a next step in improving public access and participation in the rulemaking process, the Administration launched the Regulations.gov Exchange on May 21, 2009. With the Exchange, the Administration presented proposed features and functions for the Regulations.gov web site and solicited public opinions and suggestions on possible improvements. The Regulations.gov Exchange is open until July 21, 2009 and the Administration encourages users to support our efforts to improve Regulations.gov by joining the dialogue. The Administration is also expanding the discussion on how to improve online public participation in agency rulemaking. In the spirit of President Obama's Open Government Initiative, the Administration is looking for better ways to engage members of the public, provide them with the information they need and improve the ways its meet our goals.