SSA creates new e-mail account for public comments on regulation
The Social Security Administration is putting out a broad invitation to the public to submit comments by e-mail on how to improve its regulations.
The Social Security Administration has responded to President Barack Obama’s call to streamline and improve federal regulation by setting up a new e-mail account for the public to submit ideas.
Calling the e-mail account “a new way for members of the public to participate in open and transparent government,” SSA officials announced the formation of the RegsReview@ssa.gov e-mail account and invited the public to submit ideas and comments.
“Social Security values the public’s input and wants to provide a meaningful opportunity for people to participate in the regulatory process,” Commissioner Michael Astrue said in a news release.
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The agency said it would review all comments but is unable to respond to them individually. The agency did not specify whether the e-mailed comments submitted to the new account would be released publicly, or when or how that might happen.
The announcement points to the agency’s Program Rules Web page to find information about Social Security’s laws, regulations, rulings, and employee operating instructions. Additional information is offered on the agency’s Code of Federal Regulation Web page.
Obama issued an executive order on improving regulation and regulatory review Jan. 18, along with two related memos.
The order lays out principles of regulation such as using the best available science, plain language, least burdensome methods and public participation. It also orders agencies to consider how to regularly analyze which regulations may be outmoded, ineffective or excessively burdensome.