Trump Signs Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda

President Trump signed a new executive order aimed at implementing and enforcing the President’s deregulatory agenda.  The order directs agencies to establish “Regulatory Reform Task Forces” to evaluate existing regulations and make recommendations to the agency head regarding the repeal, replacement, or modification of regulations that:

(i) eliminate jobs, or inhibit job creation;

(ii) are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective;

(iii) impose costs that exceed benefits;

(iv) create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with regulatory reform initiatives and policies;

(v) are inconsistent with the requirements of section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001, or the guidance issued pursuant to that provision; or

(vi) derive from or implement Executive Orders or other Presidential directives that have been subsequently rescinded or substantially modified.

Each agency must also designate a “Regulatory Reform Officer” to oversee the implementation of regulatory reform initiatives and policies to ensure that agencies effectively carry out regulatory reforms, consistent with applicable law.

This order builds upon and supplements a previous executive order which instructed agencies to ensure that the net costs of regulations issued this year was no more than zero and to identify two regulations for potential repeal for everyone one regulation issued (Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs, Jan. 30 2017).