UNITED STATES 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 

May 10, 2016 

SECRETARY 

COMMISSION VOTING RECORD 

DECISION ITEM: SECY-16-0042 

TITLE: RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS FOR RULEMAKING 

TRACKING AND REPORTING 

The Commission acted on the subject paper as recorded in the Staff Requirements 

Memorandum (SRM) of May 10, 2016. 

This Record contains a summary of voting on this matter together with the individual vote 

sheets, views and comments of the Commission. 

Enclosures: 

1. Voting Summary 

2. Commissioner Vote Sheets 

cc: Chairman Burns 

Commissioner Svinicki 

Commissioner Ostendorff 

Commissioner Baran 

OGC 

EDO 

PDR 

Andrew L. Bates 

Acting Secretary of the Commission 
Chrm. Burns 

Cmr. Svinicki 

Cmr. 

Ostendorff 

Cmr. Baran 

VOTING SUMMARY - SECY-16-0042 

RECORDED VOTES 

NOT 

APPROVED DISAPPROVED ABSTAIN PARTICIPATING COMMENTS DATE 

x x 04/19/16 

x x 05/03/16 

x x 04/22/16 

x x 04/287/16 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

Chairman Burns 

SECY-16-0042: RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS 

FOR RULEMAKING TRACKING AND REPORTING 

Approved X Disapproved Abstain Not Participating --- ---

COMMENTS: Below X Attached None 

I commend the staff for providing thoughtful proposals to address the direction in my February 

2016 tasking memorandum to develop a single, unified approach to track rulemaking activities 

and inform the public and other stakeholders. I approve the staff's plan to develop a centralized 

rulemaking activity-tracking tool and replace the Rulemaking Activity Plan, Common 

Prioritization of Rulemaking Report, and Petition for Rulemaking Status Report with the Annual 

Rulemaking Report. I also approves the staff's proposal to discontinue the Rulemaking 

Activities by Fiscal Year Report. I support the staff's plans to re-design the rulemaking pages 

on the NRC's public website to present accurate "real time" data, issue a glossary for 

rulemaking terminology, and implement conforming changes to office procedures and 

management directives. 

Entered in STARS 

Yes x ---

No 

Date 
TO: 

FROM: 

SUBJECT: 

RESPONSE SHEET 

Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

COMMISSIONER SVINICKI 

SECY-16-0042: RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS 

FOR RULEMAKING TRACKING AND REPORTING 

Approved XX Disapproved Abstain Not Participating ~~- -~~ ~~-

COMMENTS: Below XX Attached None 

I approve the staff's proposed activities. In general, they appear to be a rational set of 

recommendations to align the various rulemaking reports that have grown up over the 

years. Although the staff is a bit downbeat regarding the potential for these changes to 

result in efficiencies, we are eliminating a number of different reports. Consequently, I 

am more optimistic that modest savings may result. I share the concern expressed by 

Commissioner Ostendorff, that in receiving the one substantive annual rulemaking 

report that will remain , the Commission will be required to chase down scattered links all 

over the Internet to compile a complete picture of agency rulemaking activities. This 

shifts the staff's burden, under law, of keeping the Commission "fully and currently 

informed" by requiring the Commission to hunt and peck across the Web for kernels of 

information. The Congress recently clarified its expectation that the Commission take 

the commanding role in agency rulemaking , and the Commission instituted concomitant 

changes to agency processes. We should not squander this progress now by failing to 

compile for the Commission's review, at least on an annual basis, one complete picture 

of agency rulemaking activities to inform the Commission's budget decisions each 

summer. The staff should reconsider the proposed format for the annual, internal 

rulemaking report to provide sufficient stand-alone content and heft for informed and 

timely Commission budget deliberations. 

05/J /16 

I DATE 

Entered on "STARS" Yes V No --"---
RESPONSE SHEET 

TO: Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

FROM: Commissioner Ostendorff 

SUBJECT: SECY-16-0042: RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS 

FOR RULEMAKING TRACKING AND REPORTING 

Approved X Disapproved Abstain Not Participating ~~- ~~ 

COMMENTS: Below X Attached None 

I thank the Chairman for issuing his Tasking Memo directing the staff to develop a single, unified 

approach to track rulemaking activities and inform the public and other stakeholders. I thank the 

staff for the timely response that addressed the objectives of the Chairman's Tasking Memo. I 

approve, consistent with the Chairman , the staff's recommendations to improve tracking and 

reporting of rulemaking activities. Specifically, I approve the staff's recommendation to do the 

following ; 

• develop a centralized rulemaking activity-tracking tool; 

• issue an Annual Rulemaking Report that would replace four long-standing reports without 

affecting those reports required by law or Executive Order; 

• redesign the rulemaking pages on the NRC's public website to provide information that is closer 

to "real time"; 

• issue a glossary for rulemaking terminology; and 

• implement conforming changes to the office procedures and management directives. 

I agree that a single Annual Rulemaking Report would be efficient and eliminate duplicative efforts 

needed to develop the Rulemaking Activity Plan, Common Prioritization of Rulemaking Report, 

Petition for Rulemaking Status Report, and the Rulemaking Activities by Fiscal Year Report. 

However, the level of detail found in the compilation of those reports will not be available in the 

Annual Rulemaking Report without links to Regulations.Gov and access to the centralized 

rulemaking activity-tracking tool. The staff has not proposed linking the Annual Rulemaking Report 

to the centralized activity-tracking tool. Therefore, to enable the Commission and other internal 

stakeholders a complete picture of rulemaking activities, the staff should provide appropriate links 

to the centralized activity-tracking tool within the Annual Rulemaking Report. 

Entered in STARS 

Yes 

No 

Signature 

1 /1-'l- /Jl 

Date 
RESPONSE SHEET 

TO: Annette Vietti-Cook, Secretary 

FROM: Commissioner Baran 

SUBJECT: SECY-16-0042: RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS 

FOR RULEMAKING TRACKING AND REPORTING 

Approved X Disapproved --- Abstain Not Participating --- ---

COMMENTS: Below X Attached None 

I approve the staff's recommendations to improve the tracking and reporting of NRC's 

rulemaking activities by (1) developing a centralized rulemaking activity tracking tool, (2) issuing 

an internal Annual Rulemaking Report to replace four current rulemaking reports, 

(3) redesigning the agency's public website to present up-to-date data on rulemaking activities, 

and (4) issuing a glossary of rulemaking terms. These proposals are worthwhile and responsive 

to the Chairman's tasking memorandum. I also approve implementing conforming changes to 

office procedures and management directives as part of this effort. In addition, I agree with the 

staff that modifying the existing SharePoint tool is the better, more cost-effective approach for 

developing a centralized rulemaking activity tracking capability. 

In the context of tracking rulemaking activities and the glossary of rulemaking terms, the 

staff should not classify rules under the headings "could impose new burden" or "could reduce 

burden ." While the agency evaluates and considers the benefits and costs of potential 

regulatory actions, it is not appropriate to categorize our rulemakings on the basis of whether 

they "burden" particular stakeholders. The staff should use neutral, objective descriptions, such 

as "could establish new requirements" and "could reduce or clarify existing requirements." 

Entered in STARS 

Yes 

No 

Date