Labor Regulatory Reform Plan August 2011

Labor Regulatory Reform Plan August 2011

1. 1. United States Department of Labor PLAN FOR RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF EXISTING RULES August 2011I. Executive Summary of Plan and Compliance with Executive Order 13563The Department of Labor (Department) recognizes the importance of having a formalizedsystem for routine regulatory review and is committed to complying with ExecutiveOrder (E.O.) 13563, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review” (76 FR 3821). TheDepartment’s Plan for Retrospective Regulatory Review is designed to create aframework for the schedule and method for reviewing its significant rules anddetermining whether they are obsolete, unnecessary, unjustified, excessively burdensome,counterproductive or duplicative of other Federal regulations. With this plan theDepartment intends to facilitate the identification of rules that warrant repeal,modification, strengthening, or modernization. The Department intends for this plan towork in conjunction with its existing protocols for compliance with Section 610 of theRegulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 610), which requires Federal agencies to reviewregulations that have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of smallentities within 10 years of their adoption as final rules.The reforms discussed in this plan are designed to result in significant savings in terms ofdollars and burden-hours. For example: n The Standards Improvement Project III (SIP III) rulemaking achieved a 1.9 million burden hour reduction, and we anticipate that the SIP IV project will similarly yield significant savings for employers. n The Hazard Communication/ Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals proposal has estimated savings for employers ranging from $585 million to $798.4 million. n The Revising Electrical Product Approval Regulations proposal is estimated to reduce correspondence from applicants and returned submissions by 20 percent, resulting in $500,000 - $1.0 million in savings to equipment manufacturers. n The Amendment of Abandoned Plan Program may reduce costs by approximately $1.12 million. n Several rules for which savings are monetized would eliminate $586.6 to $800 million in annual regulatory burdens. 1
2. 2. Executive Order 13563 calls not for a single exercise, but for “periodic review of existingsignificant regulations,” with close reference to empirical evidence. It explicitly statesthat “retrospective analyses, including supporting data, should be released onlinewherever possible.” Consistent with the commitment to periodic review and to publicparticipation, the Department of Labor will continue to assess its existing significantregulations in accordance with the requirements of Executive Order 13563. TheDepartment welcomes public suggestions about appropriate reforms. If, at any time,members of the public identify possible reforms to streamline requirements and to reduceexisting burdens, the Department will give those suggestions careful consideration.II. Scope of PlanThis Plan describes activities of the following Department agencies, with respect to theirexisting regulations: Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Employmentand Training Administration (ETA), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA),Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS), Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA), Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), Wage and Hour Division(WHD), and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS).III. Public Access and Participation a. Pre-Publication Preliminary Plan DevelopmentOn March 16, 2011, the Department launched an interactive website(www.dol.gov/regulations/regreview.htm) to seek public input on the development of thePreliminary Plan. The website provided a forum in which the public could providesuggestions both on methods for conducting the Department’s retrospective review ofregulations and on candidate regulations. The Department intends to evaluate itsexperience gathering public input on regulatory review through the interactive website.The Department already has established a process for soliciting public comment on theSemiannual Regulatory Agenda through webchats with the regulatory agencies that occurduring the rollout of the regulatory agenda. The Department uses a variety of methods,including Federal Register publication, social networking sites and other targetedmessaging systems to inform the public of these opportunities to providerecommendations.On March 21, 2011, the Department published a Request for Information (RFI) in theFederal Register seeking public input to inform development of its Preliminary Plan andproviding an opportunity for the public to identify potential regulations to be reviewed(http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-03-21/pdf/2011-6576.pdf ). The noticerequested the public to provide input using the Department’s interactive website createdspecifically for this purpose. 2
3. 3. On April 1, 2011, the Department extended the comment period for the RFI to allow anadditional eight days for public comment.In addition to the Federal Register notice, the Department engaged in a variety ofactivities to reach out to the public. The Deputy Secretary of Labor (Deputy Secretary)announced the launch of the website at a meeting before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.In addition, the Department’s outreach offices, including the Office of PublicEngagement and Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, coordinatedefforts to ensure the full range of Department stakeholders were aware of the opportunityand mechanism for providing comments. Specifically, the Department reached out viacustomized emails and phone calls to leaders at national labor unions; industry andbusiness; national and regional worker centered organizations; and national and regionalfaith-based, community, and civil rights advocacy organizations to inform them of thewebsite and to provide brief instructions for how and when to use the site. The outreacheffort encouraged national organizations to publicize the opportunity for public commentwith their local affiliates, chapters, and networks, thus multiplying outreach capacity.Further outreach activities were conducted by the Department’s Office of Public Affairs,which publicized the opportunity to provide input by issuing a news release, using socialmedia tools and repeatedly highlighting the opportunity in the Department’s externalelectronic newsletter.The questions on the website were: · What process should be used to prioritize existing regulations for retrospective review? · What data or indicators suggest that the estimated costs and benefits of a regulation should be reviewed? · What strategies exist for increasing the flexibility of regulations? · How should the department capture changes in firm and market behavior in response to a regulation? · What regulations should be reviewed due to conflicts or inconsistencies among its agencies or with other federal agencies? · What regulations could achieve the intended result using less costly methods, technology, or innovative techniques? · How can DOL best assure that its regulations are guided by objective scientific evidence? · What DOL regulations, guidance, or interpretations should be considered for review, expansion or modification?The Department’s public engagement efforts resulted in over 940 users registering withthe website to provide input and view comments on the Department’s regulations. Atotal of 113 individual recommendations were submitted, and the public provided writtenfeedback on approximately 15% of these recommendations. Registered users cast over1,440 votes on the recommendations, with the overwhelming majority voting in favor oftheir peers’ submissions. 3
4. 4. Public input was primarily aimed at identifying Department regulations, guidance, orinterpretations that should be considered for review, expansion or modification.Commenters provided input on a range of Department regulatory activities, with EBSA,WHD, OSHA and ETA regulations receiving the most comments and votes.Among the popular EBSA topics were electronic disclosure of materials required by theEmployee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and revising/streamliningnotice requirements. Many of the industry commenters suggested that EBSA considerrevising its current electronic disclosure standards to facilitate electronic disclosure as aprimary mode of communication with plan participants and beneficiaries. Commentersalso expressed an interest in having ERISA statutory and regulatory notice requirementsstreamlined to allow for more consolidated dissemination of various required notices.WHD commenters were largely interested in Davis-Bacon and Family and MedicalLeave Act (FMLA) issues. Davis-Bacon commenters suggested that the Department givemore weight to input from contractors when setting the wage rates for contract employeesand consider more employer education in lieu of increased enforcement. FMLAcommenters expressed a desire to see the regulations amended to account for foreseeable,but unscheduled, intermittent absences.Commenters involved in OSHA issues discussed regulations and standards governingwhistleblower protections; employee training; recordkeeping; accident investigations andcoordination with EPA. The OSHA item that received the most votes related towhistleblower protections and recommended a series of enhancements to the existingprograms, including increasing the filing time, increasing enforcement and making thefiling process more user-friendly. Commenters also suggested that, as a result of newscientific research, OSHA should revisit the Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) set byits current standards.Finally, several commenters provided input and recommendations pertaining to the ETAforeign labor certification programs, including the basic labor certification process andthe L and H visa programs. Some of the recommendations included allowing amendmentof the certification forms for typographical errors; permitting re-advertisement of revisedvacancy announcements (after a noncompliance determination) without having to re-filethe application; revisiting the requirement for employers to post two Sundayadvertisements for vacancies; and expansion of the circumstances that constituteemergency processing.Some commenters used the website to submit petitions for rulemaking which, in someinstances, the Department had considered previously. For example, one organizationsubmitted a petition to make changes to existing regulations that address theadministration of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act(EEOICPA), administered by OWCP. This petition had been previously considered anddenied by the agency in 2010. 4
5. 5. The Department values the public input received as a result of this process andconsidered this feedback when finalizing its plans for ongoing regulatory review. b. Final Plan DevelopmentE.O. 13563 emphasizes the value of public participation in the rulemaking process. Topromote participation and transparency, the Department made its Preliminary Planavailable to the public within two weeks of its formal submission to the Office ofManagement and Budget (OMB). On May 26, 2011, as part of a government-wideresponse to E.O. 13563, the Department published its Preliminary Plan for RetrospectiveAnalysis of Existing Rules in the Federal Register and on the White House website(http://www.whitehouse.gov/21stcenturygov/actions/21st-century-regulatory-system).Because members of the public have useful information and perspectives, the Departmentsought public comment on the plan. On June 2, 2011, the Department launched a secondinteractive website to consult with the public concerning the plan and the rules listed forretrospective review.The website, which can also be accessed at http://dolregs.ideascale.com/, requestedpublic input on the following aspects of the Preliminary Plan: · Rules currently under consideration for retrospective analysis · Development of a strong, ongoing culture of retrospective analysis and strengthening internal review expertise · Factors and processes that will be used in setting priorities · Plans for retrospective analysis, revisiting and revising rules and coordinating with other federal agencies · Metrics used to evaluate regulations, ensuring availability of data and incorporation of experimental designAs of July 11, 2011, 1,314 users were registered with the site and 20 ideas had beenposted. A total of 420 votes were cast, with 387 of those votes cast in favor of anindustry comment supporting facilitating electronic disclosure as a primary mode offurnishing materials required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974(ERISA). Other topics raised by commenters include loans from ERISA-covered plansthat are tax sheltered annuity programs described in section 403(b) of the InternalRevenue Code; and lessening the cost of complying with OSHA standards byincorporating industry consensus standards.After reviewing public input, the Department revised the Preliminary Plan to incorporatea discussion of comments received as a result of the Department’s engagement with thepublic through the interactive website. The suggestions received by the public wereconsidered in the contexts of the Department’s current burden-reducing projects andexisting resources. These suggestions also may be considered by the Department indeveloping its regulatory priorities in subsequent Semiannual Regulatory Agenda. 5
6. 6. IV. Current Agency Efforts Already Underway Consistent with E.O. 13563 a. Summary of pre-existing agency efforts already underway to conduct retrospective analysis of existing rules:The Department continues to emphasize thoughtful review of its regulatory activities.Twice a year, as part of the development of the Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, theDepartment conducts an agency-by-agency review of its regulations. Part of this processseeks recommendations from staff in each regulatory agency to their respective agencyofficials identifying which regulations to include on the agenda, including those thatshould be reconsidered or revised. Agency officials, in consultation with the Office ofthe Solicitor and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP), forward theserecommendations to the Deputy Secretary. The Deputy Secretary then meets withleadership from each regulatory agency to discuss candidate regulations, including itemsrecommended for reconsideration or revision. Regulations are then added to theregulatory agenda for next action, or are withdrawn from the preexisting agenda. TheDepartment’s Spring 2011 Regulatory Agenda includes 20 regulatory actions whichconstitute revisions to existing regulations. Two regulatory actions were withdrawn afteranalysis of responses to RFIs revealed that no further action should be taken at this time.There have been extensive initiatives on the part of individual agencies within theDepartment to maintain a culture of retrospective review and to make deliberate efforts toreview the effectiveness of regulations. This Plan for Retrospective Analysis of ExistingRules formalizes the Department’s system for routine regulatory review and its efforts tocontinue to undertake similar reviews on a regular basis. For example, OSHA’s effort toimprove standards began in the 1970s, not long after it issued the first set of standards. In1973, OSHA issued proposals to clarify and update the rules that were initially adoptedon May 29, 1971 (36 FR 10466). In 1978, OSHA published a rulemaking titled,“Selected General and Special (Cooperage and Laundry Machinery, and BakeryEquipment) Industry Safety and Health Standards: Revocation” (43 FR 49726, October24, 1978). Commonly known as the “Standards Deletion Project,” this rule revokedhundreds of unnecessary and duplicative requirements in the general industry standards at29 CFR 1910. Another rulemaking in 1984 titled, “Revocation of Advisory andRepetitive Standards” (49 FR 5318, February 10, 1984) resulted in the removal of manyrepetitive and unenforceable requirements. These rulemaking actions primarily removedstandards that were: not relevant to worker safety (i.e., the standards addressed public-safety issues); duplicative of other standards found elsewhere in the general industrystandards; considered “nuisance” standards (i.e., having no merit or worker safety orhealth benefits); or legally unenforceable.In recent years, MSHA also engaged in a review, which assessed all of the agency’sregulations contained in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations. MSHA alsoconducted a review designed to eliminate the need for mine operators to submit petitions 6
7. 7. for modification. Both of these projects resulted in changes to regulations whichimproved regulations and eliminated some burdens for mine operators.Another example of existing retrospective review actions can be found within OFCCP.When creating its robust 2010 and 2011 regulatory agendas, OFCCP sought public inputon the effectiveness of its existing regulations. It also coordinated with variousstakeholders within the Department to reasonably ensure that their efforts wereappropriately managed, not duplicated, and minimized any burden created for theregulated community. For example, using a collaborative and cross-cutting process,OFCCP formed a departmental work group that included the Office of the Solicitor, theWomen’s Bureau, ETA’s Office of Apprenticeship and the Office of the AssistantSecretary for Policy. This group examined the existing construction regulations andidentified areas where the regulations are outdated, or should be clarified or strengthened.Public input on the usefulness of this and other existing OFCCP regulations was gatheredthrough the strategic use of public speaking engagements, Town Hall meetings, Webinarsand Web chats or Web Listening Sessions. In FY 2010, more than 2,600 peopleparticipated in OFCCP Web Listening Sessions on three existing regulations. Town Hallmeetings were held on the usefulness and burden of existing OFCCP regulations in threemajor U.S. cities: Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Through these outreachefforts, OFCCP gained insight into the need for regulatory action, including the extent towhich existing regulations are ineffective, insufficient, or overly burdensome. As aresult, three existing regulations are in various stages of the regulatory process, andOFCCP also has proposed to rescind its “Interpretive Standards for SystemicCompensation Discrimination (Compensation Standards) and Voluntary Guidelines forSelf-Evaluation of Compensation Practices (Voluntary Guidelines).”Another example is EBSA’s Regulatory Review Program under which EBSAperiodically reviews its regulations to determine whether they need to be modified orupdated to take into account technology, industry, economic, compliance and otherfactors that may adversely affect their continued usefulness, viewed with respect to eithercosts or benefits. b. Reducing burdens on small businessesIn conjunction with its semi-annual Regulatory Agenda, in accordance with Section 602of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602), the Department is also required topublish a semi-annual Regulatory Flexibility Agenda. Section 602 requires theDepartment to publish a brief description of any rules that are expected to have asignificant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This descriptionmust include the objectives and legal basis for the rule, a schedule for completing anyrulemakings for which a proposed rule has been published and contact information for anagency official knowledgeable about the rulemaking.As previously indicated, the Department is also required to comply with Section 610 ofthe Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 610), which mandates periodic review of all 7
8. 8. DOL rules that have or will have a significant economic impact upon a substantialnumber of small entities. These Section 610 reviews are designed to determine whetherrules should be continued without change; or amended or rescinded, consistent with thestated objectives of applicable statutes, to minimize any significant economic impact ofthe rules upon a substantial number of small entities.DOL has completed a number of Section 610 reviews in recent years, including reviewsof OSHA’s standards on Occupational Exposure to Ethylene Oxide, Grain HandlingFacilities, Excavations, and Presence Sense Device Initiation of Mechanical PowerPresses, Lead in Construction, Cotton Dust and Methylene Chloride; and EBSA’sregulations on Bonding Rules under ERISA, Enforcement Pursuant to ERISA Section502(b)(1), Civil Penalties under ERISA Section 502(c)(2), Prohibited TransactionExemption Procedures, Statutory Exemption for Loans to Plan Participants, and PlanAssets – Participant Contributions.The 610 Review of OSHA’s Cotton Dust standard led to the issuance of a direct final ruleto revise the standard. This change allows cotton textile mills, many of which are smallbusinesses pursuant to the Small Business Administration’s definition, to choose anoption that would reduce their costs to comply with the standard. Specifically, thisrevision adds one additional method of washing cotton to the methods the rule alreadypermits employers to use to achieve partial exemption from the cotton dust standard.After a review of EBSAs regulation on the Definition of "Plan Assets" – ParticipantContributions, EBSA amended the regulation to establish a safe harbor under whichemployers with plans with fewer than 100 participants are deemed to have made a timelydeposit to their plan if participant contributions are deposited within 7 business days.As explained in the preamble to the final rule, the safe harbor will provide employerswith increased certainty that their remittance practices, to the extent that they meet thesafe harbor time limits, will be deemed to comply with the regulatory requirement thatparticipant contributions be forwarded to the plan on the earliest date on which they canreasonably be segregated from the employers general assets. This increased certaintywill produce benefits to employers, participants, and beneficiaries by reducing disputesover compliance and allowing easier oversight of remittance practices.The majority of the Department’s recent Section 610 reviews have determined that theregulations do not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entitieswithin the meaning of Section 610; however, the Department has taken steps to addressissues raised by commenters, including revising compliance assistance materials andreconsidering issues raised that affect other regulations. The Department will continue tocomplete 610 reviews, as required and utilize the results of reviews to enhanceregulations, as appropriate. 8
9. 9. c. Rules currently or recently under consideration for retrospective analysis:Through the Department’s interactive website, commenters on the Department’sPreliminary Plan identified the following regulations as potential candidates for review:EBSA’s safe harbor for electronic dissemination of certain required disclosures by planadministrators, and the Wage and Hour Division’s regulations implementing the FairLabor Standards Act (FLSA). One commenter also suggested that the Departmentreconsider its plans to propose a rule that would update FLSA recordkeeping provisionsto enhance transparency and disclosure to workers (Right to Know under the FLSA).The Department will consider these suggestions as it develops its Fall 2011 RegulatoryAgenda. It should also be noted that EBSA published a Request for Information onelectronic disclosure in April 2011 and is currently reviewing the comments received.The Department identified a number of regulations for potential review. Revisions tothese regulations are expected to result in reduced burden to the regulated community.Among the items identified are: Administering Regulation Agency OSHA Standards Improvement Project III Standards Improvement Project IV Hazard Communication Safety-case for Oil and Gas MSHA Criteria and Procedures for Proposed Assessment of Civil Penalties Revising Electrical Product Approval Regulations EBSA Abandoned Plan Regulations OLMS Labor Organization Officer and Employee Report (Form LM-30) Signature Burden-Reducing Retrospective Review ProjectsOSHAStandards Improvement Project IIISince the publication of the Preliminary Plan, OSHA completed and published a finalrule (76 FR 33590) that continues its efforts to remove or revise duplicative, unnecessary,and inconsistent safety and health standards. The Standards Improvement Project (SIP)–Phase III rulemaking achieved a 1.9 million burden hour reduction mainly by removingthe requirement that employers develop and maintain employee training certificationrecords from several safety and health standards. SIP III also removed the requirementthat employers transfer employee medical and exposure-monitoring records to the 9
10. 10. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This effort builds upon thesuccess of the Standards Improvement Project (SIP) Phase I published on June 18, 1998and Phase II published on January 5, 2005. OSHA believes that such changes can reducecompliance costs and reduce the paperwork burden associated with a number of itsstandards.Standards Improvement Project IV - ConstructionOSHA plans to add a new item to its regulatory agenda, Phase IV of the StandardsImprovement Project (SIP), which will focus on removing or revising constructionindustry standards that are: outdated, duplicative, unnecessary, or inconsistent. PreviousGeneral Industry SIPs have addressed both safety and health topics. This is the first timethe Agency will address its construction standards through this popular project. As aninitial step, OSHA will issue a request for information to solicit stakeholder input.These rulemakings have been successful at reducing the burden to employers withoutdiluting existing protections for employees. To date OSHA estimates that the SIPsrulemakings have collectively saved employers $63.72 million per year (2010 dollars)(SIP I - $11.69MM; SIP II - $7.03MM; and SIP III - $45MM). In previous rulemakings,OSHA’s modifications included eliminating outdated record-storage and transferrequirements, removing redundant written training-certification requirements, andupdating acceptable consensus standard alternatives. OSHA anticipates that benefits togeneral industry will also be realized through updating construction standards. As SIP IVis a new project, it is impossible to project the estimated burden reduction at this time.Hazard Communication/Globally Harmonized System for Classification andLabeling of ChemicalsThe proposed modifications in its NPRM concerning the HCS are expected to benefitemployers in two primary ways. First, the harmonization of hazard classifications, safetydata sheet (SDSs) formats, and warning labels will also yield substantial savings tobusinesses. On the producer side, fewer different SDSs will have to be produced foraffected chemicals, and many SDSs will be able to be produced at lower cost due toharmonization and standardization. Second, for users, OSHA expects that they will seereductions in operating costs due to the decreased number of SDSs, the standardization ofSDSs that will make it easier to locate information and determine handling requirements,and other factors related to simplification and uniformity that will improve workplaceefficiency. Finally, OSHA estimates that the revisions to the HCS will result inreductions in the cost of training employees on the HCS in future periods becausestandardized SDS and label formats will reduce the amount of time needed to familiarizeemployees with the HCS and fewer systems will have to be taught since all producerswill be using the same system.OSHA’s preliminary estimate is that establishing a harmonized system for theclassification and labeling of chemicals will create a substantial annualized savings foremployers ranging from $585 million to $798.4 million. The majority of these benefitswill be realized through increases in productivity for health and safety managers as wellas for logistics personnel with savings ranging from $472 million to $569 million. 10
11. 11. Simplifying requirements for hazard communication training are estimated to providesavings up to $285.2 million. Additionally, establishing uniform safety data sheets andlabels will save between $16 million and $32.2 million. OSHA plans to finalize theNPRM in by the end of the year.MSHARevising Electrical Product Approval RegulationsAside from minor modifications, the existing regulations have been unchanged since1968. As technology has progressed, it has become more difficult for manufacturers ofelectrical products to easily understand how to comply with existing rules for obtainingMSHA approvals. MSHA plans to propose revisions to improve the efficiency of theapproval process, recognize new technology, add quality assurance provisions,incorporate existing approval policies into MSHA regulations, clarify existing policiesand procedures, and reorganize portions of the approval regulations. MSHA anticipatesthat this streamlining and updating effort would make the process easier formanufacturers and others submitting products for approval.This effort will enhance the ability of regulated entities to understand and compile theinformation MSHA will need and to submit applications that require fewer requests forsupplemental information from MSHA. Improved initial application submissions wouldresult in fewer submissions returned to the applicant, fewer e-mails and phone callsbetween MSHA and the applicant, fewer test failures, and shorter time for MSHAactions. In addition, communications and tracking systems, as well as proximitydetection systems, could be approved more quickly than they currently are. MSHApreliminary estimates that this proposed rule would result in a 20 percent reduction inletters and emails from applicants, a 20 percent reduction in submissions returned to theapplicant, and a similar reduction in Agency processing time. The proposed rule wouldreduce and improve both manufacturer and MSHA efficiency, including quality of workactions, related to approval of electrical products for use in underground mines. MSHAanticipates that this 20% reduction could result in a $500,000 - $1.0 million savings toequipment manufacturers. MSHA anticipates publication of this proposal in August2012.EBSAAmendment of Abandoned Plan ProgramIn 2006, the Department published a regulation that facilitates the termination andwinding up of 401(k)-type retirement plans that have been abandoned by their plansponsors. The regulation establishes a streamlined program under which plans areterminated with very limited involvement of EBSA enforcement offices. EBSA now hasmore than 4 years of experience with this program and believes certain changes wouldimprove the overall efficiency of the program and increase it usage.EBSA plans to propose revisions to reflect recent changes in the US Bankruptcy Codethat would expand the program to include plans of businesses in liquidation proceedings.The Department believes that this expansion has the potential to substantially reduceburdens on these plans and bankruptcy trustees. Plans of businesses in liquidation 11
12. 12. currently do not have the option of using the streamlined termination and winding-upprocedures under the program. This is true even though bankruptcy trustees, pursuant tothe Bankruptcy Code, can have a legal duty to administer the plan. Thus, bankruptcytrustees, who often are unfamiliar with applicable fiduciary requirements and plan-termination procedures, presently have little in the way of a blueprint or guide forefficiently terminating and winding up such plans. Expanding the program to cover theseplans will allow the responsible bankruptcy trustees to use the streamlined terminationprocess to better discharge its obligations under the law. The use of streamlinedprocedures will reduce the amount of time and effort it ordinarily would take to terminateand wind up such plans. The expansion also will eliminate government filings ordinarilyrequired of terminating plans. Participation in the program will reduce the overall cost ofterminating and winding such plans, which will result in larger benefit distributions toparticipants and beneficiaries in such plans.EBSA preliminarily estimates that approximately 165 additional plans will benefit fromthe amended abandoned plans regulation and accompanying class exemption. EBSAexpects that the cost burden reduction that will result from this initiative will beapproximately $1.12 million.Please note that this preliminary estimate only reflects short-term burden reduction costsfor bankruptcy trustees to terminate abandoned plans under the rule. EBSA expectssubstantial benefits will accrue to participants and beneficiaries covered by abandonedplans, because their account balances will be maximized for two primary reasons. First,prompt, efficient termination of these abandoned plans will eliminate futureadministrative expenses charged to the plans that otherwise would diminish plan assets.Second, by following the specific standards and procedures set forth in the rule, theDepartment expects that overall plan termination costs will be reduced due to increasedefficiency. EBSA plans to publish this proposal in December 2011. Other Burden-Reducing Retrospective Review ProjectsMSHACriteria and Procedures for Proposed Assessment of Civil PenaltiesMSHA plans to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking on a revised process forassessing civil penalties. Congress intended that the imposition of civil penalties wouldinduce mine operators to be proactive in their approach to mine safety and health, andtake necessary action to prevent safety and health hazards before they occur. MSHAbelieves that the procedures can be revised to improve the efficiency of the Agencysefforts and to facilitate the resolution of enforcement issues. The proposed efficiencies ofthis rule may reduce burden by facilitating the assessment of civil penalties and theresolution of enforcement issues. MSHA anticipates publication of this proposal inAugust 2011. 12
13. 13. OLMSLabor Organization Officer and Employee Report (Form LM-30)The Department intends to review questions of law and policy related to changes made tothe Form LM-30 in 2007. The Form LM-30 (Labor Organization Officer and EmployeeReport) is required by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA).The proposed revision would simplify the Form LM-30, reducing the number of pagesfrom nine to two. Also, under the proposed rule, labor organization stewards will nothave to complete the form and bona fide loans will not have to be reported. OLMS plansto finalize this rule in August 2011. The 2007 Form LM-30 estimated that there would be6,916 labor organization officer and employee filers, while the Revised Form LM-30estimates that there will be 1,932 filers, a reduction of 4,984 filers. The 2007 Form LM-30 also estimates that filers will spend 120 minutes per form on reporting andrecordkeeping burden (or 829,920 total minutes for all filers), while the Revised FormLM-30 estimates that filers will need 90 minutes (or 173,880 total minutes), a 30 minutereduction in time needed to file the report per filer (or a 656,040 reduction in totalminutes, or 10,934 hours, for all filers).OSHASafety-case for Oil and GasOSHA is studying the potential benefits and challenges of reforms to the Agency’sapproach for assessing oil and gas sector safety. Specifically, this project would assessthe effectiveness of using a strategy referred to internationally as a safety-case approach.In consultation with the public and regulated community, OSHA plans to assess the costs,benefits, timelines, and challenges of incorporating aspects of a safety-case approach intoits oil and gas sector safety regulations.V. Elements of Preliminary Plan/Compliance with E.O. 13563 a. Development of a strong, ongoing culture of retrospective analysis.In order to enrich the current culture of retrospective analysis, the Department will use itsexisting Regulatory Council, which includes cross-agency leadership, to promotemethods for conducting and enhancing retrospective reviews. These measures mayinclude the development of best practices for regulatory design and composition thatfacilitate evaluation of their consequences and promote retrospective analysis. To theextent consistent with law, the Department may give careful consideration to how best topromote empirical testing of the effects of rules both in advance and retrospectively.In addition, during Semiannual Regulatory Agenda planning periods, Departmentleadership will continue to ask agency officials to review existing regulations todetermine whether items are candidates for retrospective review. The regulatory agendaplanning process already emphasizes identification of candidates for review underSection 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. DOL leadership will expand this processto incorporate identification of candidates for review under E.O. 13563. The Department 13
14. 14. also leverages the expertise of its Chief Evaluation Officer and uses evaluations of itsprograms to support the examination of current and proposed regulations.Furthermore, the Department will also consider how regulations might be designed andwritten in ways that facilitate evaluation of their consequences and thus promoteretrospective analyses and the measurement of actual results. For example, theDepartment will consider how best to promote empirical testing of the effects of rules.Strengthening the culture of retrospective analysis may also include specificconsideration of resource allocation for the Department’s regulatory agencies.Management and budgeting discussions may consider the alignment of retrospectivereview within the Department’s regulatory priorities. b. Predictable timeframe for retrospective review.The Department plans a consistent timeframe for identifying the regulations that will besubject to retrospective review. With the preparation of each Semiannual RegulatoryAgenda, the Department plans to consider regulatory initiatives, including potentialregulations for retrospective review. The Department plans to publish on its website itsregulatory agenda, which will include those regulations selected for retrospective review.The Department has already established a process for soliciting public comment on theregulatory agenda through webchats with the regulatory agencies that occur during therollout of the regulatory agenda. If, as a result of its review, the Department decides torevise or eliminate any regulations, it will explain the basis for its decision in the FederalRegister notice proposing the revision or elimination of the regulation. c. Prioritization. Factors and processes that will be used in setting priorities.The Department’s agencies are charged with a wide variety of responsibilities related toprotecting the health, safety, security, and equity of American workers. Because both thestatutory authorities and, in many instances, the entities that the Department’s agenciesregulate are distinct, the factors and processes used to prioritize regulations for reviewwill depend, to a certain extent, on the regulatory responsibilities of the particular agency.Also, many of the Department’s agencies administer and enforce regulations related tovarious worker protections, while other agencies use regulations to administer statutorily-defined programs that only apply to federal grantees or sub-grantees. As a result of thesedifferences, and differences in the availability of resources, not all factors and processesfor prioritization of regulatory review will apply equally to each regulatory agency.Agencies may consider a variety of factors and processes, including:Stakeholder input. Stakeholder input is a factor used by many of the Department’sagencies to identify candidates for regulatory review. Agencies use a variety of methodsto obtain stakeholder input. Recent examples of such public engagement includeWebinars and Town Hall and stakeholder meetings held by OFCCP and ETA. Inaddition, OLMS, VETS and OSHA have published RFIs that were designed to solicit 14
15. 15. public perspectives on how regulations can be strengthened to better protect workerswhile minimizing burdens on the regulated community.In addition, some Department agencies have Federal Advisory Committee Act-sanctionedAdvisory Boards, which also provide valuable input on the regulatory process from keystakeholder populations. For example, EBSA has been helped in its reform efforts by theDepartments ERISA Advisory Council.OFCCP is also working with Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TEROs) to ensure thatits regulations provide equal employment opportunities for Native Americans living on ornear reservations and native villages. OFCCP’s regulations already contain exceptionsfor federal contractors and subcontractors operating in and around these areas. OFCCPwill continue to work with TEROs to develop a regulatory structure that best meets theneeds of its stakeholders in diverse areas of the country.In addition to the broad public participation solicited from online or published requests,Department agencies also meet face-to-face with their stakeholders. Through theseinteractions, agencies can gain significant feedback on regulations, and whetherregulations are working or are in need of revision. For example, OSHA has held meetingswith stakeholders to solicit ideas for revising its regulations. Stakeholders havesubmitted petitions for rulemaking to MSHA. Front-line staff in regional and districtoffices often receive direct input from stakeholders charged with administering programsgoverned by, or work in a context governed by regulations. These staff may makerecommendations to senior management.Impact on small businesses. As previously indicated, the Department takes seriously itsobligations under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). The RFA requiresFederal agencies to review regulations that have a significant economic impact on asubstantial number of small entities within 10 years of their adoption as final rules. As aroutine part of its regulatory agenda development process, the Department’s agenciesrevisit those final rules that have an impact on small businesses and select, as appropriate,candidates for review under section 610. The Department’s Spring 2011 regulatoryagenda includes a section 610 review of OSHA’s standard on Bloodborne Pathogens.The Department will continue to use section 610 requirements as a factor in itsretrospective regulatory review procedures.Age of the regulation (date promulgated). The age of a regulation can be relevant toprioritizing regulatory review in several ways. Relatively recent regulations may not beripe for review. Relatively old regulations may be out-of-date and prime candidates forreview, particularly if the regulated activity or industry has been affected bytechnological changes that impact safety or compliance. Similarly, regulations based onor referencing industry consensus standards may not have kept pace with revisions tothese consensus standards. As previously indicated, Section 610 of the RegulatoryFlexibility Act requires review of rules with a significant economic impact on asubstantial number of small entities within ten years of publication. As such, these rulesare monitored to ensure that reviews are completed within the required timeframes. 15
16. 16. Because regulations that were promulgated prior to 1980 generally were not subjected toan economic analysis, it is often difficult to determine, through retrospective analysis, thecurrent costs and benefits of the regulation compared to what was anticipated. As a result,their review may be more challenging and resource intensive. The lack of previousanalysis does not mean that a regulation published before 1980 should not be reviewed,but it does mean that the analysis for these older regulations would require more effortthan an analysis of a more recently published regulation, where a baseline analysis exists.Number of entities/workers affected. Another factor that the Department may considerwhen prioritizing regulations for review is the number of entities or workers affected by aregulation. The number of workers affected provides a measure of the importance of aregulation. Regulations that affect a larger number of regulated entities or workers maybe prioritized as a part of a retrospective review.Evidence of Non-compliance. Compliance data may also signal a need to review aregulation. Compliance data will be reviewed over time to identify what elements of thestandards have been cited most frequently and to determine whether non-compliance isrelated to confusion regarding how to comply, inability to comply, or willfulnoncompliance. Administrative data from across the Department will be availablethrough a planned procurement in FY11 that will aid these types of efforts. Compliancedata may be analyzed in a number of ways, depending on the regulation. TheDepartment may track the seriousness of the violations and the size or type of regulatedentity cited. The citation rates for specific paragraphs or subparagraphs may be analyzedto determine if there are aspects of the regulation that are frequently violated.Frequent citations for violation of a regulation could indicate that the regulation isdifficult to understand, costly to comply with, or viewed by the regulated community asdiscretionary. One measure of the extent of non-compliance may be the number ofviolations/citations generated during inspections or investigations. Where there are high-citation frequencies, regulations may merit examination to determine why compliance ispoor.On the other hand, a regulation that has no citations may be one that no longer applies orthat regulated entities may follow only as a matter of course. Regulations that are rarely,if ever, cited may merit examination to determine if they are still necessary.Relationship of Regulations to Accidents, Injuries, Security or Equity. Data concerningaccident or injury rates also may indicate regulations that are ripe for review. Thisanalysis may determine the extent to which the standard has been effective in reducingworker injuries, illness, and fatalities. A high number of accidents, fatalities, or injuriesmay be a symptom of the highly dangerous nature of the industry or activity that is beingregulated, or it may also indicate that the regulation is inadequate or that compliance withthe regulation is a problem. A regulation may be selected for review to determinewhether it is reducing risk, if the risk reduction is sufficient, and, if not, why it is not 16
17. 17. sufficient. If fatalities or injuries that are associated with a safety or health regulationhave decreased significantly, the regulation may be working as intended.Furthermore, this analysis may require data analysis to link reported injuries, illness, andfatalities to a specific standard. To the extent feasible, accident data over time will becollected and reviewed to determine what, if any, regulatory revisions are necessary.Although it is possible to associate particular standards with accidents, attributing adecline or increase in accidents to a specific standard is more difficult because mostaccidents involve multiple failures. Consequently, accident data may provide suggestiveevidence of effectiveness or ineffectiveness, but are unlikely to support definitive claimsin either direction. Associating a regulation with impacts on health effects is even moreproblematic because of the length of time between exposures and the onset of illness.Paperwork associated with a regulation. Regulations that impose a high level ofrecordkeeping or reporting may be candidates for revision if the recordkeeping could bereduced without compromising worker safety, health or other protections, or affecting theenforceability of the rule and the transparency of compliance. Various agencies withinthe Department have considered or are considering whether the paperwork burden forcertain regulations could be reduced by adding the option for electronic reporting andrecordkeeping. For example, several years ago, OSHA’s review of the PersonalProtective Equipment Standard’s paperwork package questioned the practical utility oftraining certifications in the standard. As a result of OSHA’s thorough review of thepaperwork package, these paperwork items were proposed for removal in OSHA’scurrent Standards Improvement Project (SIP-III). OSHA published the final ruleremoving these paperwork items on June 8, 2011 (76 FR 33590). Generally, however,reducing paperwork burden alone would not justify a review unless the burden could bereduced without undermining enforceability. As another example, in January 2010EBSA converted to an all-electronic annual return/report filing system (EFAST2).EFAST2 was designed to simplify and expedite the submission, receipt, and processingof annual returns/reports (Form 5500), which are required to be filed each year byemployee benefit plans subject to reporting requirements under ERISA and the InternalRevenue Code. As a result of EFAST2, the Federal government and public for the firsttime have real time, online access to financial information about private-sector employeebenefit plans.Petitions for modification or exemption. Certain Department agencies are permitted toconsider requests from the regulated community for exemptions from complying with aparticular regulation or regulatory requirement. These agencies currently reviewmodification petitions and exemption requests to determine whether regulations shouldbe revisited and/or revised. When conducting such reviews, agencies consider whetherthe action proposed by the petitioners provides protections that are as effective as theprotections afforded to workers under the existing regulation.For example, under Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977(30 U.S.C. 811(c)), upon receipt of a petition by the operator or the representative ofminers, the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) may modify the application of any mandatory 17
18. 18. safety regulation to a mine if the Secretary determines that an alternative method toregulation exists for achieving the desired result, which also guarantees no less than thesame measure of protection afforded the miners of the mine by the regulation. Thisprovision has been used extensively in coal mines to identify safety regulations that canbe modified to relieve the burden on mine operators without reducing protection ofminers. Similarly, under title I of ERISA, employee benefit plans, employers, and otherpersons can make petitions or requests for exemptions or modifications from otherwiseapplicable statutory or regulatory requirements governing employee benefit plans.Technological advances and new scientific research. Technological advances and newscientific research also may affect prioritization of regulations for review. An agencymay become aware of technological innovations that will impact compliance with aregulation or new research may cause an agency to reconsider compliance standardswithin an existing regulation. For example, recent health studies have caused theDepartment to reconsider its regulations governing occupational exposure to varioussubstances found in the workplace. The overall goal of these efforts is to examinedifferent approaches (both regulatory and non-regulatory) that may be used to addressexposure issues while ensuring the highest level of worker protection.Transparency and Clarity. As a part of the Department’s efforts to ensure high levels oftransparency within its rulemaking processes, agencies will be encouraged to reviewregulations in order to identify provisions that have proven confusing, inconsistent, orduplicative. For example, OWCP published proposed FECA regulatory revisions (20CFR Parts 1, 10, and 25) to improve the clarity of that regulation.Recently, various agencies have undertaken regulatory review projects that are designedto help employers and other regulated entities better understand their obligations, ensureemployee safety and health, improve compliance while also reducing compliance costs,or enhance the overall transparency of the regulation. OSHA’s Standards ImprovementProject (SIP) also removes or revises requirements within rules that are confusing,outdated, duplicative, or inconsistent. OSHA believes that improving these standardshelps employers to better understand their obligations, ensure employee safety andhealth, and improve compliance while also reducing compliance costs. OSHA identifiespotential candidates for the SIP based on an internal review of its standards by nationaloffice and field staff, suggestions and comments from the public, and recommendationsfrom the Office of Management and Budget.In another example of prioritizing transparency and clarity in conducting retrospectivereviews of regulations, OSHA has undertaken a multi-year effort to update references tonumerous consensus standards and industry standards used in its regulations. In general,consensus standards updates are non-controversial and have no additional economicimpact beyond what was estimated in the original regulation. Nonetheless, the projectshows an on-going commitment to recognizing current technology, procedures andindustry practices. 18
19. 19. d. Transparency of review.In order to ensure that the Department’s retrospective reviews of regulations aretransparent, accessible to the public, and conducted in such a way that outside researcherscan replicate any analyses that are conducted, some agencies may publish notices inadvance of the review informing the public of their plans to conduct a retrospectivereview. The semi-annual Regulatory Agenda will also give notice of plannedretrospective reviews, including those conducted in accordance with Section 610 of theRFA. Retrospective reviews will be published for public comment. Studies and relatedscientific research relied on in the evaluation of the regulations will be published as partof the record. Outside researchers, along with other members of the public, would beencouraged to participate in the notice and comment process. e. Structure and Staffing.The Department’s Deputy Secretary, Seth Harris, is responsible for the regulatoryretrospective review process. In addition, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policyfacilitates this process by collecting data for preparation of the regulatory agenda andreports to the Deputy Secretary and coordinating the work of the Regulatory Council. .These efforts are led by the Assistant Secretary for Policy, supported by the AssociateAssistant Secretary for Policy and career staff.In addition, agency heads are responsible for proposing regulatory priorities, includingthe selection of regulations for retrospective review, for presentation to the DeputySecretary. Career staff and contractors support these efforts. f. Department mechanism for ensuring the independence of regulatory retrospective review process from the offices responsible for writing and implementing regulations.The Deputy Secretary’s responsibility for overseeing the regulatory retrospective reviewprocess ensures its independence from offices responsible for writing and implementingregulations. In addition, OASP, which coordinates the preparation of the regulatoryagenda and facilitates retrospective review processes, does not have primaryresponsibility for writing and implementing regulations. Instead, OASP is responsiblefor monitoring agencies’ regulatory production and reporting to the Deputy Secretary.Although staff within OASP participate occasionally in writing regulations, they report tothe Assistant Secretary for Policy rather than officials within the agency primarilyresponsible for writing the regulation. In addition, their primary responsibility isassessing quality and timeliness rather than drafting of regulatory language orimplementing it. 19
20. 20. g. Strengthening internal review expertise.To strengthen internal review expertise, the Department will consider using its existingRegulatory Council to develop a best practice series of retrospective review proceduresamong the Department’s regulatory agencies. Through this best practice series, theRegulatory Council will identify agencies that have developed particularly successfulinternal processes for prioritizing regulations for retrospective review, designingregulations to facilitate review, reducing burden while meeting Departmental objectives,or developing specific metrics for measuring the effectiveness of regulations. TheRegulatory Council may then consider the extent to which these best practices can bemodeled and replicated in other agencies in the Department.In addition, agencies may consider training and consultation with organizations outside ofthe Department, such as the newly reconstituted Administrative Conference of the UnitedStates and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. Agencies also mayconsider working with academics to assess the effectiveness of existing regulations andretrospective analysis procedures and funding retrospective analysis through contractors. h. Plans for retrospective analysis over the next two years, and beyond.The Department will plan for retrospective analysis at the highest levels of leadership. Inaddition, the Department is committed to emphasizing the importance of routineregulatory review. This commitment will be filtered down to the agency level duringdata calls for the Semiannual Regulatory Agenda. The Deputy Secretary will continue tomeet with agency heads during the agenda development process to discuss their agendaand plans for reviewing regulations.In addition, plans for retrospective analysis will be discussed among agency heads atDepartmental management meetings in the context of aligning individual agency effortswith the Department’s overall mission and goals. Retrospective review planning andcoordination will also occur through meetings of regulatory managers at RegulatoryCouncil meetings. i. Plans for revisiting and revising rules.The Department will continue to undertake regulatory review at least twice annually, aspart of its development of the Regulatory Agenda (which annually includes theRegulatory Plan). At the agency level, agencies will continue to refine and enhance theirexisting protocols for review of regulations and the prioritization of those that should bereviewed and updated, reflecting plans to update regulations in the Regulatory Agenda.In addition, the Department’s plans for revisiting and revising rules include considerationof specific comments provided by the public during the development and refinement ofthis Preliminary Plan. As discussed previously, the Department launched an interactivewebsite to seek public input on processes for conducting retrospective review as well as 20
21. 21. identification of specific regulations for review. After this Preliminary Plan is published,the Department will provide another opportunity for public participation.The Department will consider how to incorporate suggestions made during these publiccomment periods into its review process. In addition, the Department will consider thesuggestions made for review of specific regulations. j. Coordination of rulemaking with other federal agencies that have jurisdiction or similar interests.Within the Department, regulatory agencies work cooperatively to ensure alignment ofrulemaking activities. To the extent possible, agencies use a team model to develop andreview regulations of common interest.Where Department agencies share jurisdiction or regulatory responsibility with Federalagencies outside of the Department, the Department will continue to encourage theestablishment and maintenance of strong working relationships between the Departmentand those sister agencies, both at the staff and senior management levels. These strongworking relationships will facilitate the exchange of information in an effort to preventduplicative and inconsistent standards. The Department will also work with the Office ofManagement and Budget to make appropriate cross-Departmental connections.VI. Components of Retrospective Cost-Benefit Analysis a. Metrics that the Department will use to evaluate regulations after they have been implemented.The Department may use different metrics that are appropriate to different regulations.For example, some agencies may use metrics based on the costs and benefits anticipatedfor the regulations to evaluate the effectiveness of the regulation. For example,reductions in the number of fatalities, work days lost, or hours spent on paperwork maybe evaluative metrics.In addition, the Department may continue to consider methods for refining the metricsthat it uses and methods for incorporating metrics into the design of regulations tofacilitate their retrospective review. The Department will also continue to measure theimpact of regulations on small entities as required by the RFA. In addition, theDepartment will consider the number of workers protected by the rule. As discussedpreviously, the Department, through the Regulatory Council may consider thedevelopment of best practices for metric design.Where appropriate and identifiable, the Department will also consider the possibility ofreviewing areas where current regulations have a significant impact on international tradeand investment and, if applicable, analyze existing international standards or regulatory 21
22. 22. approaches as possible alternatives. The agency has initiated discussions with Canada andMexico on initiatives that might lead to changes in current US regulations. b. Steps that the Department has taken to ensure that it has the data available with which to conduct a robust retrospective analysis:The Department collects data that may be useful in facilitating robust retrospectiveanalysis through databases that track compliance rates, as well as injury and illness rates.The enforcement databases are linked to regulations and particular provisions within eachregulation. Accident rates are tracked by “type,” which indicates the principal “cause” ofthe injury. For example, data may show the “types” of accidents that were most frequentfor workers in a particular industry over the past decade. Accident numbers have trendeddown over time, but the relationship among types of accidents does not appear to havechanged substantially. Consequently, the data for the most recent year can be usedinstead of time series data. Because there may be multiple regulations that address typeswith high accident rates, accident data may be more useful for identifying regulationsassociated with low accident rates.The Department may continue to consult with stakeholders, including small businesses,to obtain data to conduct retrospective review. An example of steps taken to ensure datafor review is found in OFCCP’s efforts to revise regulations to ensure that associatedreporting and recordkeeping requirements provide data to review the effectiveness of theregulation as well as compliance rates. As a result, OFCCP is learning more about howthe regulated community collects and uses its data, which should allow OFCCP to requestdata in a way that requires as little effort and analysis by the regulated community aspossible, while still allowing OFCCP to perform meaningful analysis. In addition,OFCCP continues to explore analytical and statistical approaches to further refine whatdata is required and minimize the burden on the regulated community. OFCCP also isexploring ways to use existing data to make the most effective use of its limited humanand financial resources. c. How, if at all, will the agency incorporate experimental designs into retrospective analyses?The Department is contemplating how to incorporate the use of experimental designs todetermine the impact of various regulations. Additionally, non-experimental dataanalysis can also inform retrospective analyses. For example, in an effort to understandthe best methods for ensuring employer compliance with the Department’s requirements,the Assistant Secretary for Policy’s Chief Evaluation Officer (CEO) is planning ananalysis of existing administrative data across several agencies. The analysis willexamine the use and impact of civil and monetary penalties (CMPs) and liquidateddamages on employer responsiveness to determine if the size or frequency of penaltieshave an effect. Additionally, CEO is proposing a blanket purchase order to analyzeadministrative data sets from various agencies to examine topics of interest for theDepartment, informing future policy and regulation. 22
23. 23. VII. Start Up America reportThe Department is considering suggestions provided in the Start Up America report.Earlier this year, the Administration joined with private-sector leaders to engage over1,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and other participants in the entrepreneurial ecosystem ineight communities. One critical goal of Start Up America is to reduce barriers in order tofully unleash America’s entrepreneurial spirit and create more 21st-century jobs. TheStart Up America report outlines barriers and ideas across five topics. The Department isconsidering suggestions made in the report and provides the following initial responses tothe report’s discussion of “lean” government: · Complexity. The report identifies complexity of paperwork and proliferation of forms for program applications that are cumbersome, confusing, and duplicative as a barrier to entrepreneurs starting and growing businesses. As discussed above, through OSHA’s Standards Improvement Project III and Standards Improvement Project IV, the Department has undertaken or is planning regulatory action to remove or revise duplicative, outdated, or inconsistent standards. · Speed. The report suggests that the timelines for decisions on government award programs and regulatory processes are too long for entrepreneurs. As discussed above, through MSHA’s Revising Electric Product Approval Regulations, the Department would propose to streamline and update the approval procedures for manufacturers of electrical products to ease the process for submitting products for approval. MSHA anticipates that improved initial application submissions would result in fewer submissions returned to the applicant, fewer e-mails and phone calls between MSHA and the applicant, fewer test failures, and shorter time for MSHA actions.VIII. Publishing the Agency’s Plan OnlineThe Department will consider publishing its retrospective review plans and available dataat www.DOL.gov. If the Department does post plans to the website, the staff from therelevant agency will be assigned to ensure that the plans are updated. 23