White House Proposes Modernizing Our National Regulatory Process to Improve People’s Lives

(Washington, D.C. – April 6, 2023) The Biden administration today proposed important improvements in the way we evaluate the impacts of federal regulations – steps that will provide great benefits for climate safety, equity and public participation in government.

“The Biden administration’s 21^st century modernization of regulatory protections is welcome news for climate safeguards and greater equity,” said Rosalie Winn, Director of Methane and Clean Air Policy for Environmental Defense Fund. “These improvements mean that policymakers will more carefully consider the impact of climate pollution on young people’s lives, how policies can be improved to protect both urban and rural communities, and how we can ensure that more people have a say in the decisions that impact their lives.”

President Biden called for today’s actions in his Day One Presidential Memorandum, Modernizing Regulatory Review. The President outlined the goal of modernizing regulatory policies to promote the shared values of “public health and safety, economic growth, social welfare, racial justice, environmental stewardship, human dignity, equity, and the interests of future generations.” Today the administration announced an Executive Order that builds on that goal by modernizing the regulatory review process and including additional emphasis on public participation in the development of safeguards.

Also today, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and the Office of Management and Budget each proposed important updates to our national guidance on evaluating impacts of federal agencies’ actions. Those updates would help ensure that federal agencies’ analyses reflect our modern economy and all potential impacts on our children and future generations. The public will have an opportunity to provide input on those proposals.