Tracking Federal Regulations? Use Your Smartphone

You no longer have to be at a computer to track the federal rule-making process.

With a new White House tool, smartphone users can navigate regulatory information on the go. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs' new app, aptly named RegInfo Mobile, lets citizens look up current and past rule-makings, public meeting logs, and the status of federal information collection, among other features. 

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The app, for both iPhone and Android-based phones, is part of a broader White House effort to make federal sites accessible on smartphones and tablets. Last year, the White House began testing "responsive" websites that re-size and adjust based on the user's device, starting with WhiteHouse.gov itself. The digital team announced then it also eventually planned to make responsive other parts of the site, including the blog and press office sections.

RegInfo Mobile users can also browse the Executive Office "Meetings Calendar," which, as of now, is currently blank into 2017. They can also search agencies' mission statements, rules currently under review or completed in the last month, and any federal information collection efforts.

This is the first version of the app, and there will be updates in the future, according to a blog post written by OIRA Administrator Howard Shelanski.