Thursday, February 9, 2012

Federal Rulemakings, Made Easy

July 15, 2009

openregs1.jpg

The co-creator of the government accountability Web site StimulusWatch.org has launched a new project intended to make federal rulemakings easier for the public to access and offer comment. Jerry Brito, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, recently unveiled OpenRegs.com, which takes the Federal Register's daily XML feed to new heights. Currently, the U.S. government's Regulations.gov allows citizens to find, review, and submit comments on federal documents but Brito and others believe the portal is not as dynamic and user friendly as it could be.

OpenRegs.com offers automated lists of comment periods closing soon across all agencies; recently opened comment periods; and recently published final regulations. Users are also be able to find regulations by agency and by topic as well as subscribe to alerts for particular issues of interest. Furthermore, the OpenRegs.com community is able to discuss certain regulations online and submit comments. Brito told Tech Daily Dose in an e-mail that the U.S. government has made some strides to modernize. Regulations.gov has launched a user-feedback section and officials have promised a design refresh later this summer.

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Juliana Gruenwald

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Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


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Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.