Category: Uncategorized

  • Bill restructuring the way small business regulations are considered introduced in the Senate

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    A new bill restructuring the way small business regulations are considered was introduced in the Senate on May 7, 2019. The Prove It Act (PIA), introduced by U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), would allow the Small Business Administration (SBA) to require agencies to reconsider findings claiming new regulations would not affect…

  • Final rule to require drug price disclosure in TV ads

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    A new rule requires pharmaceutical companies to include the list price of some prescription drugs in television advertisements. The requirement applies to medicines covered by Medicare or Medicaid dollars, according to a final rule published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on May 10, 2019.   The agency intends for the rule…

  • Deadline passes for Idaho state agencies to submit administrative rules for approval

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    Idaho state agencies had to submit thousands of administrative rules for approval by the state’s Division of Financial Management by May 10.   The Idaho State Legislature failed to pass legislation on April 11 that would have reauthorized administrative rules in the state. As a result, Governor Brad Little (R) directed state agencies to submit…

  • Federal Register weekly update; 2019 Federal Register passes 20,000-page threshold

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    The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity.   During the week of May 6 to May 10, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,082 pages, bringing…

  • Federal Register weekly update; highest weekly page total since February

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    The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity.   During the week of April 29 to May 3, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,752 pages, bringing…

  • Lawmakers propose legislation to return ALJs to competitive service

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    A group of congressmen introduced the ALJ Competitive Service Restoration Act on May 1, which aims to restore administrative law judges (ALJs) to the competitive service.   President Donald Trump (R) moved ALJs from the competitive service to the excepted service—two subsets of the larger civil service—through Executive Order 13843 in July 2018. Trump issued…

  • President Trump seeks stricter asylum procedures in new memo

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    President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum directing the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security to propose regulations to, according to the President, “strengthen asylum procedures to safeguard our system against rampant abuse of our asylum process.”   The memo, issued on April 29, 2019, gives the Department of Justice and the Department…

  • Three states have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact so far in 2019

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    As of May 1, 2019, an additional three states have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) in 2019. Colorado, Delaware, and New Mexico—all Democratic trifectas—joined the compact earlier this year.   The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an interstate compact to award member state’s presidential electors to the winner of the…

  • Second federal judge blocks Trump administration restrictions on abortion access

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    U.S. District Judge Michael McShane issued a nationwide preliminary injunction to block a rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aimed at keeping Title X fund recipients from engaging in abortion-related activities. McShane’s ruling follows a similar decision made by Judge Stanley Bastian in the Eastern District of Washington, who…

  • April 2019 OIRA review count; highest monthly review count of Trump administration to-date

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    In April 2019, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed 44 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies—the highest monthly review count of the Trump administration to-date. The agency approved one rule without changes and approved the intent of 39 rules while recommending changes to their content. Agencies withdrew four rules…