WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi has announced the creation of the Office of Regulation Policy and Management (ORPM).
Retired Major General William A. Moorman, former Judge Advocate General of the Air Force, who has led the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation and pension regulations rewrite effort for the past eight months, will lead this new office.
"The current process frequently takes too long and brings important policy issues to senior levels too late," Principi said. "This new office will be more efficient and will provide better, clearer regulations for veterans, employees and other stakeholders."
This new office will replace VA’s current rulemaking process with a centrally managed system designed to foster department-wide collaboration in rule development. ORPM staff will serve as liaisons for rulemaking activities with the Office of Management and Budget and the Federal Register.
ORPM will not write most of VA’s regulations, but it will be responsible for assuring that those who do the writing have the resources, training and oversight to write coherent and timely rules.
In keeping with the president's "eGovernment" goals, ORPM will be tasked to create electronic tools to track regulation development throughout the process, bringing accountability to VA’s rulemaking efforts.
