In what represents the latest in a series of government reform initiatives launched in the new administration, yesterday, President Trump issued this new Executive Order: "Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch" aimed at improving the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of the executive branch via a wholesale review and reorganization of the federal agency structure.
The new EO directs agency heads to provide proposed reorganization plans to the OMB Director within 180 days, and will culminate in the Director's submittal to the President of an agency-, expert-, and public comment-informed reorganization plan with recommendations that may include eliminating agencies, agency components, and agency programs.
The EO instructs the Director to consider these and other relevant factors in developing the plan:
(i) whether some or all of the functions of an agency, a component, or a program are appropriate for the Federal Government or would be better left to State or local governments or to the private sector through free enterprise;
(ii) whether some or all of the functions of an agency, a component, or a program are redundant, including with those of another agency, component, or program;
(iii) whether certain administrative capabilities necessary for operating an agency, a component, or a program are redundant with those of another agency, component, or program;
(iv) whether the costs of continuing to operate an agency, a component, or a program are justified by the public benefits it provides; and
(v) the costs of shutting down or merging agencies, components, or programs, including the costs of addressing the equities of affected agency staff.
See our prior reports: "New White House Guidance Reiterates Reg-Reduction Focus," "New Trump Order Mandates Regulatory Reform Task Forces," "White House Guidance Encourages SEC Regulation Review & Net Zero Costs," "Executive Order Restricts New Regulations," and "New Administration Imposes Regulatory Freeze," and this article from The Hill.