Recent Projects

Policy Integrity submitted a letter today to the Department of Health and Human Services on its upcoming Transparency Reporting rule, mandated by the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The rule would develop uniform disclosure standards for group health plans and health insurance issuers, requiring them to provide consumers with new, more detailed information on likely co-pays for particular plans or treatments; providers would also have to provide consumers with a document that summarizes benefits and explains coverage clearly in four pages or less.

In January, President Obama issued a call for all federal agencies to review their existing regulations, looking for rules that had grown outdated, ineffective, or insufficient over time. Back then, there was much discussion over whether the move was a gift to business or a robust defense of strong protections even in a downturned economy.

Policy Integrity advisor Dr. Adam Finkel recently answered questions from Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) on regulations and their effect on jobs and businesses as part of testimony given during a House Committee on Small Business hearing.

Policy Integrity submitted a letter today to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on its proposal to adopt the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education Counseling as mandatory, industry-wide requirements. The new regulations would primarily function as a government-certified labeling program, comparable in some respects to the USDA’s National Organic Program or EPA’s Energy Star program. The standards represent a significant effort on part of the homeownership counseling industry to ensure quality and consistency nationwide and, by using them as a template, HUD has a head start on crafting regulations that could provide significant benefits to individuals and families looking to navigate the complex process of buying and financing a home.

Policy Integrity advisor Dr. Adam Finkel recently answered questions from Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) on regulations and their effect on jobs and businesses as part of testimony given during a House Commitee on Small Business hearing.

Yesterday, the Obama Administration announced the plans from thirty agencies to conduct retrospective review of regulations—a step towards following up on a presidential executive order issued in January.

This morning, Policy Integrity petitioned the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to reconsider its leasing policies, which may encourage over-drilling. The topic is the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act’s (OCSLA) requirement of the Secretary of the Interior to develop five-year schedules that specify the timing for offshore leasing activity.

In addition to submissions to the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, Policy Integrity also sent our recommendations on developing policies for conducting retrospective reviews to fourteen additional agencies this week, including the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the State Department.