Federal Rulemaking: Agencies Included Key Elements of Cost Benefit Analysis, but Explanations of Regulations' Significance Could Be More Transparent
Abstract
GAO was asked to review agencies compliance with broadly applicable directives and guidance related to significant federal rulemaking. This report addresses (1) how often and to what extent significant, economically significant, and major rules include key elements for assessing or analyzing benefits and costs; and (2) how and to what extent agencies assess the quality of the scientific, technical, and other types of data they use to consider benefits and costs. To answer these objectives, GAO reviewed a generalizable sample of 109 significant and 57 economically significant rules issued by executive agencies and all 37 major rules issued by independent agencies and published in the Federal Register from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2013. GAO also conducted round table discussions with the 17 executive and independent agencies with the largest number of rules in GAOs sample.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1180280
Entities
People
- Alan Rozzi
- Andrea Levine
- Danielle Novak
- Joseph Fread
- Mark Ramage
- Michelle Sager
- Robert Gebhart
- Robert Robinson
- Sara Daleski
- Shirley Hwang
- Tara Carter
- Tim Bober
- Tim Guinane
- Tom Beall
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office