The Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Legislation, Regulation and Energy Efficiency (GC-33) provides legal support and advice on legislative matters throughout the Department. It participates in the development of DOE views on pending legislation, drafts DOE legislative proposals and supporting documents, obtains interagency clearances from the Office of Management and Budget, and prepares, coordinates, and reviews bill comments to Congressional committees. The office also provides legal counsel and rulemaking support to programs throughout DOE on administrative requirements for developing DOE rules, directives, and other generally applicable policies. The Office additionally provides legal support to the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and for other DOE energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and activities. This legal support consists of analysis and advice in areas pertaining to rulemaking, documents published in the Federal Register, regulatory reform, regulatory oversight, and EERE programmatic activities which include the appliance program, weatherization assistance program, building standards program, and the Federal Energy Management Program.
Authorities Affecting Rulemaking
- Administrative Procedure Act
- Regulatory Flexibility Act
- Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
- Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
- Congressional Review Act
- Negotiated Rulemaking Act
- Federal Register Act
- Treasury and Government Appropriations Act, 1999 (Sec. 654, P.L. 105-277)
- Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review
- Executive Order 13132, Federalism
- Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform
- Executive Order 13211, Statement of Energy Effects
