US Labor Department invites public comment on preliminary regulatory reform plan

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a one-month period for public comment on a preliminary plan to revise department regulations. Members of the public who wish to provide feedback on the "Preliminary Plan for Retrospective Analysis of Existing Rules" are encouraged to do so via a recently launched Web page — http://www.dol.gov/regulations/regreview.htm — established for that purpose.

The preliminary plan takes into account public feedback collected through the same online tool. Comments must be received no later than Friday, July 1, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

"The Department of Labor's regulatory retrospective plan is our road map to constantly improving regulations," said Assistant Secretary for Policy Dr. William E. Spriggs. "Our regulatory approach will be driven by effectiveness and responsibility — and we welcome input from all of our stakeholders during this process."

The Web page is part of the department's compliance with Executive Order 13563, which calls for federal agencies to detail how they will review existing significant regulations to identify whether they may be made more effective or less burdensome.