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[Federal Register: March 15, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 50)]
[Proposed Rules]               
[Page 13931-13932]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15mr11-15]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Chapter I

28 CFR Chapter XI

[Public Notice: 7351]

 
Department of State Retrospective Review under E.O. 13563

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Request for information and comment.

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SUMMARY: As part of its implementation of Executive Order 13563, 
``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,'' issued by the President 
on January 18, 2011, the Department of State (DOS) is seeking comments 
and information from interested parties to assist DOS in reviewing its 
existing regulations to determine if any of them should be modified or 
repealed. The purpose of this review is to make DOS's regulatory 
program more effective and less burdensome in achieving its regulatory 
objectives.

DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before 
March 31, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments, 
identified by ``Regulatory Review,'' by any of the following methods:
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov and search on docket number DOS-2011-0047.
    Mail: U.S. Department of State, A/GIS/DIR, SA-22, Washington, DC 
20522-2201.
    E-Mail: RegulatoryReview@State.gov. Include ``Regulatory Review'' 
in the subject line of the message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thelma Furlong, 202-216-9600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 18, 2011, the President issued 
Executive Order 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,'' 
to ensure that Federal regulations seek more affordable, less intrusive 
means to achieve policy goals, and that agencies give careful 
consideration to the benefits and costs of those regulations. The 
Executive Order can be found at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-01-21/pdf/2011-1385.pdf.
    To implement the Executive Order, the Department is taking two 
immediate steps to launch its retrospective review of existing 
regulatory and reporting requirements. First, the Department issues 
this Request for Information (RFI) seeking public comment on how best 
to

[[Page 13932]]

review its existing regulations and to identify whether any of its 
existing regulations should be modified or repealed. Second, the 
Department has created a link on the DOS Internet site to an e-mail in-
box at RegulatoryReview@State.gov, which interested parties can use to 
identify to DOS--on a continuing basis--regulations that may be in need 
of review in the future. These steps will help the Department ensure 
that its regulations remain necessary, properly tailored, and have up-
to-date requirements that effectively achieve regulatory objectives 
without imposing unwarranted costs.

Request for Information

    Pursuant to the Executive Order, the Department is developing a 
preliminary plan for the periodic review of its existing regulations 
and reporting obligations. The Department's goal is to create a 
systematic method for identifying those significant rules that are 
obsolete or simply no longer make sense. While this review will focus 
on the elimination of rules that are no longer warranted, DOS will also 
consider strengthening, complementing, or modernizing rules where 
necessary or appropriate--including, as relevant, undertaking new 
rulemakings.
    Consistent with the Department's commitment to public participation 
in the rulemaking process, the Department is beginning this process by 
soliciting views from the public on how best to conduct its analysis of 
existing DOS rules and how best to identify those rules that might be 
modified or repealed. It is also seeking views from the public on 
specific rules or Department-imposed obligations that should be altered 
or eliminated. In short, engaging the public in an open, transparent 
process is a crucial first step in DOS's review of its existing 
regulations.

List of Questions for Commenters

    The following list of questions is intended solely to assist in the 
formulation of comments and is not intended to be exhaustive or 
restrict the issues that the public might want to address. The 
Department requests that anyone submitting comments specify the 
regulation or reporting requirement at issue, providing legal citation 
when known, and the reasons why the regulation or reporting requirement 
should be modified or repealed.
    (1) How can the Department best promote meaningful periodic reviews 
of its existing rules and how can it best identify those rules that 
might be modified or repealed?
    (2) What factors should the agency consider in selecting and 
prioritizing rules and reporting requirements for review?
    (3) Are there regulations that simply make no sense or have become 
unnecessary, ineffective, or ill advised and, if so, what are they?
    (4) Are there rules that are still necessary, but have not operated 
as well as expected such that a stronger or different approach is 
justified?
    (5) Does the Department currently collect information that it does 
not need or use effectively to achieve regulatory objectives?
    (6) Are there regulations, reporting requirements, or regulatory 
processes that are unnecessarily complicated or could be streamlined to 
achieve regulatory objectives in more efficient ways?
    (7) Can new technologies be leveraged to modify or do away with 
existing regulatory or reporting requirements?
    (8) How can the Department best obtain and consider accurate, 
objective information and data about the costs, burdens, and benefits 
of existing regulations? Are there existing sources of data the 
Department can use to evaluate the post-promulgation effects of 
regulations over time?
    (9) Are there regulations that are working well that can be 
expanded or used as a model to fill gaps in other DOS regulatory 
programs?
    (10) Are there other concerns that DOS should consider consistent 
with Executive Order 13563?
    The Department notes that this RFI is issued solely for information 
and program-planning purposes. While responses to this RFI do not bind 
DOS to any further actions related to the response, all submissions 
will be made publicly available on http://www.regulations.gov.

    Dated: March 3, 2011.
Patrick F. Kennedy,
Under Secretary, Office of the Undersecretary for Management, 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2011-5813 Filed 3-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-24-P
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