OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act

OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act

This bill codifies and revises the centralized regulatory review process, currently required under executive order, to require the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget to: (1) review each agency's significant regulatory actions for compliance with procedures for cost-benefit determinations, assessments of alternatives, avoidance of conflicts with other regulations, consideration of risks and enforcement costs, and coordination with state, local, and tribal governments; (2) circulate agency regulatory plans to other agencies to determine whether an agency's actions will conflict with actions taken or planned by other agencies; and (3) chair the Regulatory Working Group that assists agencies with regulatory issues.

OIRA's review is expanded to include independent regulatory agencies.

By March 15 and September 15 of each year, OIRA must publish the unified agenda of each agency's regulations under development or review. The agenda must explain why any regulation included in the immediately previous agenda is no longer included. OIRA must provide a standard definition for each stage of review to assist the public in understanding the different terms used by agencies.

OIRA's review period may be extended for any number of additional 30-day periods upon mutual agreement of OIRA and the agency. For each extension, OIRA shall make publicly available online a written explanation and an estimate of the expected conclusion date.

As soon as practicable and before publication in the Federal Register of a significant regulatory action for which OIRA concluded review, the submitting agency shall make available to OIRA a redline of any changes the agency made to the regulatory action during the review period. OIRA must make the redline available to the public online.

Agencies must publish on their websites: (1) a list of each active regulatory action, including an indication of the status or a link to its entry on the unified agenda; (2) their most recent regulatory plan; and (3) a link to each record disclosed by OIRA about the regulatory review.

OIRA must ensure that records associated with each significant regulatory action: (1) are easily accessible for a period of time consistent with approved agency records disposition schedules, and (2) can be promptly submitted to Congress upon request.