Comments on the Federal Register announcement are due on or before May 5. (Willowpix/Getty Images)
Keying off previous presidential executive orders regarding streamlining regulations, the Department of Transportation is reaching out to truckers, trade organizations and small businesses for ideas on how to “ensure lawful regulations, reduce regulations and control regulatory costs.”
President Donald Trump’s executive orders since he took office Jan. 20 have set goals for agencies to cut regulations where possible. For example, Trump’s Jan. 31 executive order requires agencies to identify at least 10 existing regulations for repeal when proposing a new regulation. This “10 for 1” trade-off goes well beyond the “2 for 1” order issued during the first Trump administration.
DOT said stakeholder comments will help the agency “ensure it acts in a lawful, prudent and financially responsible manner in the expenditure of funds, from both public and private sources, and manages appropriately the costs associated with private expenditures required for compliance with DOT regulations.”
“The DOT seeks comments and information to assist DOT in identifying existing regulations, guidance, paperwork requirements and other regulatory obligations that can be modified or repealed, consistent with law, to ensure that DOT administrative actions do not undermine the national interest and that DOT achieves meaningful burden reduction while continuing to meet statutory obligations and ensure the safety of the U.S. transportation system.”
Some salient general comment categories:
- Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that are illogical or have become unnecessary, ineffective or ill-advised?
- How can the agency best obtain and consider accurate, objective information and data about the costs, burdens and benefits of existing regulations, guidance and reporting requirements?
- Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that have become outdated and, if so, how can they be modernized to better accomplish their objectives?
- Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that are still necessary, but have not operated as well as expected such that a modified or slightly different approach at lower cost is justified?
- Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that have been overtaken by technological developments?
- Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that unnecessarily obstruct, delay, curtail or otherwise impose significant costs on the siting, permitting or delivery of transportation projects?
- Does DOT currently collect information that it does not need or use effectively?
Executive orders 14219 and 14192 pertain to the Department of Government Efficiency’s deregulatory agenda and also prosperity through deregulation, respectively. DOT seeks comments and information to assist the agency in identifying existing regulations, guidance, paperwork requirements and other regulatory obligations that can be modified or repealed, consistent with law. The goal is to ensure that DOT administrative actions do not undermine the national interest and that DOT achieves meaningful burden reduction while continuing to meet statutory obligations and ensure the safety of the U.S. transportation system.
Comments on the Federal Register announcement are due on or before May 5.
However, DOT has created an email inbox at , which parties can use to identify to DOT — on a continuing basis — existing regulations, guidance, reporting requirements and other regulatory obligations that they believe can be modified or repealed, consistent with law. Any comments received will be placed in the docket for this RFI at regulations.gov.
