Forum on Public Access to Federal Rulemaking Through the Internet; Announcement of Public Meetings and Request for Comment

Résumé

The eRulemaking Initiative, a federal government-wide effort, will hold a series of public meetings and an online dialogue to obtain public input on its major projects. The Initiative will use information technology to expand public understanding and involvement in the rulemaking process by providing an easy and consistent way for the public to search, view, and comment on proposed federal regulations online. It is comprised of three major parts. In January 2003, an inter-agency team launched http://www.regulations.gov, the first component of the Initiative. This Web site allows the public to search, view, and download all rulemaking documents published in the Federal Register. It also allows the public to submit comments on proposed regulations currently open for comment. The second part of the Initiative is the development of a full- featured electronic docket management system that will provide the public with online access to the broad set of documents routinely included in regulatory and non-regulatory dockets (e.g., Federal Register notices; technical, scientific, and legal analyses; and public comments). It will continue to provide the public with the same capabilities as Re