Overview. On February 24, 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order on Regulatory Reform that directs each agency to establish a regulatory reform task force.
Details. The Executive Order reads, in part:
(a) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency, except the heads of agencies receiving waivers under section 5 of this order, shall designate an agency official as its Regulatory Reform Officer (RRO). Each RRO shall oversee the implementation of regulatory reform initiatives and policies to ensure that agencies effectively carry out regulatory reforms, consistent with applicable law.
According to the President’s published comments, the Executive Order will “ensure that every agency has a team of dedicated […] people to research all regulations that are unnecessary, burdensome and harmful to the economy, and therefore harmful to the creation of jobs and business.” Trump further stated that, “[e]ach task force will make recommendations to repeal or simplify existing regulations. Trump also reflected that, “[e]very regulation should have to pass a simple test: Does it make life better or safer for American workers or consumers? If the answer is no, we will be getting rid of it and getting rid of it quickly. We will stop punishing companies for doing business in the United States. It’s going to be absolutely just the opposite. They’re going to be incentivized for doing business in the United States.”
Impact on Employers. As with the many other Executive Orders issued thus far by the current administration, the creation of agency task forces promises regulatory reform. In the very least, it is likely to delay the implementation of future regulation given that any new regulation will be subject to greater scrutiny.