# Presentation: 410955

## June 12,  2003

**Regulations.gov and the eRulemaking Initiative**

**Judith Russell, GPO****Oscar Morales, EPA**

## Overview

**President’s Management Agenda ****	**
**Vision and Principles**
**Components**
**Projects    **
**eRulemaking Initiative**
**Vision, Goals and Objectives**
**Conceptual architecture**
**Modules **
**Oversight structure     **
**Milestones**
**Closing**
**Lessons Learned**
**Contact information**

## President’s Management Agenda (PMA)

**“...****government needs to reform its operations - how it goes about its business and how it treats the people it serves.” **
**	****	****	****	****President George W. Bush**

**Principles:**
**C****itizen-centered, not bureaucracy-centered**
**R****esults-oriented**
**M****arket-based, actively promoting innovation**

## President’s Management Agenda (PMA)

**Five Components:**
**Competitive Sourcing**
**Financial Management**
**Human Capital**
**Budget and Performance Integration**
**Expanding Electronic Government**

## PMA: e-Gov    24 Projects

**USA Service**
**EZ Tax Filing**
**Online Access for Loans**
**Recreation One Stop**
**Eligibility Assistance Online**
**eRulemaking**

**Simplified and Unified Tax and Wage Reporting**
**Consolidated Health Informatics**
**International Trade Process Streamlining**
**e-Vital**

## eRulemaking Initiative

**Vision**
**Citizens can easily access and participate in a high quality, efficient and open rulemaking process**
**Goals**
**Improved citizen and intergovernmental participation in the full lifecycle of rulemaking.**
**Improved regulatory policies and outcomes through greater quality, management efficiency, and transparency in the rulemaking process (collaboration, effectiveness).**

## Key Program Objectives

**Provide easy and consistent way for public to search, view and comment on proposed federal rules (Module 1)**
**Create centralized Federal government docket system (Module 2)**
**Build a seamless, integrated, unified, and cost-effective regulatory management system (Module 3)**

## Module 1: Regulations.gov

**Single portal on federal rules (find, search, comment)**
**Shared application**
**“****Front-end” ( Rule posting application)**
**Developed by National Archives and Records Administration**
**Hosted by Government Printing Office**
**Full-text search across all Federal rulemakings (by agency & keyword)**
**Posts PDF and HTML versions of rules**
**“****Back-end” (Comment application)**
**Developed by Food and Drug Administration**
**Enhanced by EPA**
**Hosted by EPA **

## Module 1: Regulations.gov

**GPO Access Helpdesk**
**Early success since January 23 launch**
**Usage statistics: 730,000 total hits (8,300 per day), 80,000 unique visitors**
**Helpdesk comments:  majority are positive**
**Awards: eGov Pioneer, FOSE Showcase of Excellence finalist, Secure EBiz**

## Regulations.gov

## Slide 11

## Module 2: Centralized Federal Docket System

**Collect requirements from online and non-online agencies (starting Jan 03)**
**Migrate agencies with online systems and paper-based agencies**
**Enhance EPA’s *****EDOCKET***** system for federal-wide use**

## Module 2:  EDOCKET Attributes

**Designed using Customized Commercial Off the Shelf Technology**
**Documentum (document management app)**
**Input Accel (document capture)**
**Residing on Oracle platform**
**Inter-operability amongst other systems**
**Scalability to accommodate for a large number of users**

## Module 3: Virtual Workspace for Regulation Writers

**Define agency regulatory processes and requirements**
**Standardize processes and products**
**Identify expert tools**
**Develop electronic review and submission process Analysis and decision making tools**
**eRecords and document management**
**Knowledge management**
**Consistent formats**

## Results that Benefit the Public

**One stop portal to search, read, and print all federal regulatory material**
**Status of each regulation, docket or rule**
**Ability to electronically file comments**
**Ability to search, read and print all supporting documents (including comments)**
**Listserv for businesses and citizens**
**Improve the quality of decisions**

## Results that Benefit the Government

**Transform the entire federal rulemaking process**
**Ability to efficiently analyze and aggregate public comments**
**Provide electronic desktop support to regulation writers / managers**
**Ability to maintain a web-based regulatory and comment dialogue with the public**
**Central intake point and repository for all public comments.**

## Oversight Structure

- Executive Board

- Governance Board

- USDA

- DOT

- EPA

- DOL

- Stakeholders

- HHS/FDA

- DOJ

- HUD

- GSA

- NARA

- FCC

- GPO

## Milestones

**18 December 2002****	****Soft Launch of Regulations.gov**
**23 January    2003****	****Formal Launch of Regulations.gov**
**     ****January    2003****	****Resubmittal of Business Case to OMB **
**     ****February   2003****	****Project Management Office Staffed**
**     ****March       2003        ****	****PMO and Workgroups formed**
**     ****March        2003****	****Business Process Reengineering Begins,  **
**     ****April          2003   ****	****FOSE**
**     ****April/May  2003   ****	****Resources from other agencies arrive**
**     ****June          2003   ****	****Move to Vermont Ave, eGov Conference**
**     ****July           2003   ****	****Acquisition completed **
**     ****Oct            2003   ****	****First agency migrates to EDOCKET**

## Lessons Learned to date

**Not a technical problem/solution**
**Communicate, communicate, communicate**
**Lack of data will undermine any worthwhile endeavor **
**Huge differences among agency practices**

## eRulemaking: the details

**For additional information, contact:**
**	****Oscar Morales, Director of the eRulemaking Initiative**
**	****U.S. Environmental Protection Agency**
**	****	****202-632-0331**
**	****	****morales.oscar@epa.gov**
**	****Judith Russell, Superintendent of Documents**
**	****U.S. Government Printing Office**
**	****	****202-512-0571**
**	****	****jrussell@gpo.gov**
**	****	**
**	****	**

## Conceptual Architecture