Contact:  Megan Kindelan
202-480-2080

mkindelan@acus.gov

Washington, D.C., May 9, 2012 – President Barack Obama recently issued Executive Order 13609, titled Promoting International Regulatory Cooperation, based in part on a recommendation issued by the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), Conference Recommendation 2011-6, which aims to enhance cooperation between United States agencies and foreign authorities.

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein (left) and Conference Chairman Paul R. Verkuil.

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein announced the issuance of the order at an Implementation Summit on International Regulatory Cooperation organized by ACUS and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Global Regulatory Cooperation.

“In an increasingly networked world, the importance of international issues cannot be overestimated,” said Paul R. Verkuil, Conference Chairman. “This executive order is a testament to the work of ACUS in bringing together public and private sector leaders to foster ideas on improving government processes and providing recommendations that make sense.”

ACUS previously issued a recommendation in 1991, Conference Recommendation 91-1, which dealt with cooperation between United States agencies and their foreign counterparts. Recommendation 2011-6 both reaffirms important aspects of Recommendation 91-1 and explores modifications to reflect developments of the last 20 years. Recommendation 2011-6 strongly advocates streamlining regulations to improve international cooperation and avoid unnecessary impediments to economic growth and job creation.

The Administrative Conference of the United States is an independent federal agency dedicated to improving the administrative process through consensus-driven applied research and providing nonpartisan expert advice and recommendations for improvement of federal agency procedures. Its membership is composed of innovative federal officials and experts with diverse views and backgrounds from both the private sector and academia. With the exception of the Chairman, all Conference Members are unpaid.
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The final recommendations are now available online and will also be published in the Federal Register:

• Recommendation 2011-5: Incorporation by Reference ()
• Recommendation 2011-6: International Regulatory Cooperation ()
• Recommendation 2011-7: Federal Advisory Committee Act – Issues and Proposed Reforms ()
• Recommendation 2011-8: Agency Innovations in e-Rulemaking ()

An archive video of the 55^th Plenary session proceedings may also be viewed online as well on the ACUS homepage at www.acus.gov.

For complete Plenary session background materials, please visit the Plenary session web
page.

The Federal Advisory Committee Act — Innovations and Reform: This recommendation concerns FACA and agency practices under FACA. It recommends changes to alleviate procedural burdens imposed by FACA, clarifications to the scope of the Act, and changes to enhance transparency and objectivity in the use of FACA committees. Please refer inquiries to Reeve Bull at rbull@acus.gov.

Agency Innovations in E-Rulemaking: Today, both the notice and the comments in a rulemaking proceeding may be electronic. This recommendation provides guidance to agencies regarding the use of their websites and other Internet tools to promote electronic rulemaking. Please refer inquiries to Emily Bremer at ebremer@acus.gov.

Incorporation by Reference: This recommendation concerns issues that arise when an agency incorporates by reference material published elsewhere, such as standards adopted by standard setting organizations. The recommendation includes identifying practices to promote public availability of the incorporated materials and procedural steps to be followed when incorporating by reference.

• Inquiries may be referred to ACUS in-house researcher, Emily Bremer, at ebremer@acus.gov.

International Regulatory Cooperation: This recommendation, which updates Conference Recommendation 91-1, considers cooperation between agencies and foreign authorities. It recommends a variety of steps that U.S. agencies can take to promote their missions while cooperating with foreign authorities; and, where it can be done with no detriment to their missions, urges reduction in barriers to trade that can arise from differences between U.S. and foreign regulatory regimes.

• Inquiries may be referred to ACUS Staff Counsel, Reeve Bull, at rbull@acus.gov.

The President said about these individuals:

“I am proud to appoint such impressive individuals to these important roles, and I am grateful they have agreed to lend their considerable talents to this Administration.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

Read more about these dedicated individuals in the President’s press release.

We will soon convene the Walter Gellhorn Innovation Award judging committee, to review and select the agency winner that will be announced at the December Plenary, December 8-9, 2011.

Individuals visiting the micro-site may submit an email, moderated comments, questions, success stories and forum topics for general discussion.

We continue to build and improve www.acus.gov and appreciate your comments and feedback. Let us know what you think. While you are here, submit a success story. Or nominate an agency for its innovative practice.  Innovation starts here.

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Contact:  Kathy Kyle
202.480.2091
kkyle@acus.gov
Administrative Conference Appoints New Members
Experts Donate Time and Expertise to Improve Government

Washington, D.C., August 31, 2011 – The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) today announced the appointment of senior fellows, public and liaison members to the Conference:

• Fred Fielding, former White House Counsel;
• David Vladeck, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission;
• John D. Graham, former Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs;
• Beth S. Noveck, former Director, White House Open Government Initiative; and
• Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service.

“We are honored that these experienced public servants have agreed to join the Conference and lend their incredible insight and experience to our cause,” said Paul R. Verkuil, Conference Chairman.

The Administrative Conference of the United States is an independent federal agency dedicated to improving the administrative process through consensus-driven applied research and providing nonpartisan expert advice and recommendations for improvement of federal agency procedures. Its membership is composed of innovative federal officials and experts with diverse views and backgrounds from both the private sector and academia.  With the exception of the Chairman, all Conference Members are unpaid.

Fred Fielding, partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, joins the Conference as a Senior Fellow. Among the highlights of his distinguished legal career, Mr. Fielding served as the Counsel for Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush and Deputy Counsel for President Nixon. A former ACUS Public Member from 1987 to 1994, Mr. Fielding chaired the Conference’s Special Committee on Government Ethics Regulation.

David Vladeck, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), will also serve as a Senior Fellow. Mr. Vladeck has been a law professor at Georgetown and attorney practiced law with the Public Citizen Litigation Group. Mr. Vladeck previously served ACUS as a Public Member from 1990 to 1995.

John D. Graham is the Dean of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University and served as the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator from 2001 to 2006. Dean Graham will serve as a Public Member.

Beth S. Noveck was an ACUS Government Member while serving as the United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer and Director White House Open Government Initiative, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Now a Professor of Law at New York Law School, Ms. Noveck will return to the Conference as a Public Member.

Nina E. Olson represents the Office of the National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), where she serves as an advocate for taxpayers to the IRS and Congress. Prior to this role, Ms. Olson maintained a private law practice. Ms. Olsen joins the Conference as a Liaison Member.

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The Administrative Conference of the United States seeks proposals by potential consultants for a study reviewing the regulatory analysis requirements that agencies must follow when promulgating regulations.

The Administrative Conference of the United States seeks proposals by potential consultants for a study reviewing the Paperwork Reduction Act.

According to Jim Borland of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR), who addressed the Assembly at the Plenary Session, SSA held over 120,000 optional video hearings last year, about 20% of their total. He indicated the costs and benefits associated with conducting video hearings are only part of the equation –the other is service to the American public.

The final recommendation will be posted on the ACUS website as soon as possible.

Follow plenary progress on twitter at www.twitter.com/acusgov #acusrecs.

For more information about this project, visit the main Video Hearings page.