One of the perennial talking points on the campaign trail is the burden on business owners that regulations can have.
From how your drivers deliver products to what markings must be on that valve, the impact on operations of manufacturers, small businesses and just about everyone’s day-to-day lives is real and burdensome.
Regulations effectively have the force of law and often are outside the control of our representatives in Washington. Regulations also take a long, circuitous path to implementation, with the public participating along the way.
Briefly, a pre-rule announcement is published in the Federal Register, then draft or proposal of the regulation is published and the public is given a chance to advocate in its favor or opposition, identifying what’s wrong (or right) in writing, and many times in person. The comments, which can range in the thousands, are reviewed by the agency; then another final draft of the regulation is submitted to the public and often another round of comments are accepted. Finally, the White House and the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs makes the final call on whether or not to go forward with the regulation.