Enhancing the Role of Public Interest Organizations in Rulemaking via Pre-Notice Transparency

23 Pages Posted: 19 Feb 2013

See all articles by Richard W. Murphy

Richard W. Murphy

Texas Tech University School of Law

Date Written: November 15, 2012

Abstract

We can think of the administrative rulemaking process as handing hammers to interested parties with which they can pound agencies. It seems reasonable to expect that regulated parties, which have profits on the line and insider knowledge to share, will be able to pound agencies harder than public interest groups. And the rulemaking process does indeed seem to skew in this expected direction.

This Essay explores one suggestion for a partial fix: Require prompt, electronic, and searchable disclosure of communications to agency officials directly bearing on the merits of potential rulemaking — regardless of whether a formal notice of rulemaking has been issued. Adopting this aggressive disclosure regime would not correct the basic problem of a resource imbalance that so favors industry — but then nothing, realistically, could. It would, however, make it somewhat easier for public interest groups to obtain the information they need to influence rulemaking in a timely way — before an agency’s policy choices crystallize.

Suggested Citation

Murphy, Richard Wyman, Enhancing the Role of Public Interest Organizations in Rulemaking via Pre-Notice Transparency (November 15, 2012). Wake Forest Law Review, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2220321

Richard Wyman Murphy (Contact Author)

Texas Tech University School of Law ( email )

1802 Hartford
Lubbock, TX 79409
United States
806-742-3990 ex.320 (Phone)

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