ARTBA Urges Equal Access to the Regulatory Process

What happened: ARTBA and industry partners Feb. 20 commented on a recent request from the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to track how often associations engage with the agency on federal regulations. OIRA’s proposal requires disclosing past engagement by associations and their members over three years.

Why it matters: ARTBA and its members often provide feedback to the agency on issues impacting the transportation construction industry, and OIRA is the last stop in the regulatory review process before rules are made public. There is concern that information being collected could be used to exclude the association and its member firms from vital public engagement opportunities based solely on past involvement. The letter stressed the importance of equal access for all parties in the federal regulatory process.

What’s next: The White House Office of Management and Budget will review comments and decide whether to approve OIRA’s request. No timeline for a decision has been provided. ARTBA’s Prianka Sharma is the contact.