Transparency Essential in Federal Rulemaking, ARTBA Tells White House

What happened: An ARTBA-led coalition of trade associations urged the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Nov. 29 to provide a transparent and inclusive rulemaking process that leverages trade associations as partners. The comments come as OMB released a draft memorandum and toolkit concerning public participation in the regulatory process. They emphasized how important meaningful public involvement is in rulemaking, particularly the role of trade associations in amplifying the voices of their members.

Why it matters: Federal agencies frequently issue rules without sufficiently engaging early with regulated entities, such as ARTBA and its members. This results in impractical, unclear, or unnecessary policies. The coalition highlighted how trade associations provide a collective voice and expert insight, ensuring that rulemaking is balanced, informed, and achieves its objectives while also reflecting the perspectives of those most affected.

What’s next: OMB has not announced when it will finalize and distribute the memorandum and toolkit. ARTBA will continue following the issue. For more information, contact Prianka Sharma.