New OMB OIRA Head Named

Earlier this week, the Administration named Neomi Rao as the new head for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  Rao has most recently served as the head of George Mason University’s Law School Center for the Study of the Administrative State.  Rao’s credentials also include service as associate counsel and special assistant to President George W. Bush, counsel to the Senate Judiciary committee, and law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
OIRA oversees the implementation of government-wide policies and reviews draft regulations.  As part of a rulemaking, Federal Agencies must follow certain principles such as consideration of alternatives and cost and benefit analyses.  OIRA reviews all proposed and final regulations with an economic impact of $100 million or greater to ensure that all requirements are met before they can be published in the Federal Register.  This review plays a key role in the regulatory development process, and may become even more important in the Trump Administration.