Summary: Title I of S. 2490, the Regulatory Procedures Reform Act, requires agencies with regulatory functions to: establish deadlines; monitor agency actions to assure promptness, compliance, and efficiency; and perform reviews and compile an annual report. These functions would be carried out by an Office of Planning and Management. Language in the legislation should avoid ambiguity about regulatory responsibilities. Complete consolidation of management and planning functions into a single staff unit may not be advisable. Title II would amend the Administrative Procedures Act to make formal, trial-type proceedings more closely resemble informal rulemakings. A suggested change was to have review boards established at one level to avoid the problems of multiple levels of agency review. Title III would amend provisions governing the appointment of administrative law judges. Provisions authorize agencies to appoint or promote to this position any qualified individual on the Civil Service register. Suggested safeguards to insure selection of the most qualified individuals were to require aqencies to consider a certain number of individuals or to require the Civil Service Commission to provide no less than 5 and no more than 10 names to the agencies.
