Executive Order Requires Federal Agencies to Have Regulatory Reform Task Forces

President Donald Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13777 requiring federal agencies like HUD to establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force and designate a Regulatory Reform Officer (RRO) to oversee the Task Force. The RRO and Task Force must carry out EO 13771 issued on February 3, requiring federal agencies to repeal at least two existing regulations if a new regulation is proposed and to ensure that the total cost of a new regulation combined with the cost savings from repealing two or more regulations is no greater than zero (see Memo, 2/6 and 2/13).

Each Regulatory Reform Task Force must evaluate existing regulations and make recommendations regarding which to repeal, replace, or modify. EO 13777 directs Task Forces to identify regulations that are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective; that impose costs exceeding benefits; that eliminate jobs or inhibit job creation; or that derive from EOs or other Presidential directives that have been subsequently rescinded or substantially modified. NLIHC notes that these four issues could be addressed by earlier EOs that remain in force, EO 12866 and EO 13563. The new EO also requires Task Forces to identify regulations that create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with regulatory reform, or that rely on data, information, or methods that are not publicly available or that are insufficiently transparent to meet the standard of reproducibility.

Regulatory Reform Task Forces must seek input from entities significantly affected, including consumers and non-governmental organizations.

Executive Order 13777, issued February 24, 2017, is at: http://bit.ly/2lTZPIQ