Announcement of Departmental Web Portal for Guidance Documents, 12771 [2020-04386]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 43 / Wednesday, March 4, 2020 / Notices modifications must be within the scope of the original application. Justin R. Domer, Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service. [FR Doc. 2020–04430 Filed 3–3–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE [Docket No. 200227–0067] RIN 0605–XD005 Announcement of Departmental Web Portal for Guidance Documents Commerce. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: In accordance with Executive Order 13891, ‘‘Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents’’ (84 FR 55235), the Department of Commerce (Department) announces the launch of a dedicated web page for the Department’s guidance documents. DATES: The Department of Commerce’s web page for guidance documents was launched on February 28, 2020. ADDRESSES: The Department of Commerce’s web page for guidance documents is located at www.commerce.gov/guidance. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Xenia Kler, Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation, 202–482–5354, or via email xkler1@doc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES Background On October 9, 2019, the President issued Executive Order 13891, which addresses the issuance and treatment of agency guidance documents. The Executive Order seeks to ensure that when federal agencies issue guidance documents, the agencies: Do not treat those guidance documents as imposing binding obligations on the public; take public input into account in formulating significant guidance documents; and make the guidance documents readily available to the public. The Executive Order defines ‘‘guidance document’’ as ‘‘an agency statement of general applicability, intended to have future effect on the behavior of regulated parties, that sets forth a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue, or an interpretation of a statute or regulation.’’ It further distinguishes guidance documents from, among other things, rules promulgated under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), which, as VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:41 Mar 03, 2020 Jkt 250001 authorized by statute, may bind the public, and agency adjudications conducted under the APA (5 U.S.C. 554), which may bind parties on a caseby-case basis. Guidance documents may help clarify existing obligations, but unlike statutes, regulations, and adjudications, cannot themselves impose obligations on the public. As part of the government-wide effort to ensure the availability of agency guidance documents, Executive Order 13891 and an associated implementing memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Memorandum M–20–02) direct agencies to establish a single website containing, or linking to, all of an agency’s guidance documents currently in effect. Accordingly, the Department announces that it is now providing access to its guidance documents through a centralized web portal at www.commerce.gov/guidance. The Department, through its component bureaus, issues a variety of guidance documents in an effort to assist businesses and the public in understanding their obligations, as well as agency procedures, under existing statutes and regulations. These documents are intended to provide information and be helpful to the public and none are intended to impose new or additional obligations. The Department’s new web portal will serve as a central hub for information on the Department’s guidance documents and provides links to the corresponding guidance web pages maintained by individual bureaus of the Department. The Department will, to the greatest extent possible, make all of the guidance documents currently in effect across the Department and its bureaus accessible through this web portal. Note that many of these guidance documents have been, and to ensure maximum public accessibility will continue to be, also available through the relevant subject matter section of the website of the bureau that issued them. Dated: February 27, 2020. Beth M. Grossman, Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation. [FR Doc. 2020–04386 Filed 3–3–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–12–P PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 12771 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE [Docket No.: 200130–0038] RIN 0690–XC008 Commerce Alternative Personnel System Office of Administration, Office of Human Resources Management, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of modifications to the Commerce Alternative Personnel System project plan. AGENCY: This notice announces modifications of the provisions of the Commerce Alternative Personnel System, formerly the Department of Commerce Personnel Management Demonstration Project, published in the Federal Register on December 24, 1997. This notice makes permanent the threeyear probationary period, a hallmark of the original Department of Commerce Demonstration Project and later the Commerce Alternative Personnel System. SUMMARY: The modified Commerce Alternative Personnel System is effective March 4, 2020. DATES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department of Commerce—Sandra Thompson, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 51020, Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482–0056 or Valerie Smith at (202) 482–0272. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Under 5 U.S.C. 4703, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may authorize Federal agencies to conduct demonstration projects that waive various provisions of Title 5 of the United States Code that pertain to Federal employees’ conditions of employment. On December 24, 1997, OPM announced it had approved a Department of Commerce (DoC) demonstration project for an alternative personnel management system and published the final plan in the Federal Register (62 FR 67434). The demonstration project was designed to simplify current classification systems for greater flexibility in classifying work and paying employees; establish a performance management and rewards system for improving individual and organizational performance; and improve recruiting and examining to attract highly qualified candidates. The purpose of the project was to strengthen the contribution of human resources management and test whether the same innovations conducted under the E:\FR\FM\04MRN1.SGM 04MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 12771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04386]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket No. 200227-0067]
RIN 0605-XD005


Announcement of Departmental Web Portal for Guidance Documents

AGENCY: Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with Executive Order 13891, ``Promoting the Rule 
of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents'' (84 FR 55235), the 
Department of Commerce (Department) announces the launch of a dedicated 
web page for the Department's guidance documents.

DATES: The Department of Commerce's web page for guidance documents was 
launched on February 28, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The Department of Commerce's web page for guidance documents 
is located at www.commerce.gov/guidance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Xenia Kler, Office of the Assistant 
General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation, 202-482-5354, or via 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On October 9, 2019, the President issued Executive Order 13891, 
which addresses the issuance and treatment of agency guidance 
documents. The Executive Order seeks to ensure that when federal 
agencies issue guidance documents, the agencies: Do not treat those 
guidance documents as imposing binding obligations on the public; take 
public input into account in formulating significant guidance 
documents; and make the guidance documents readily available to the 
public.
    The Executive Order defines ``guidance document'' as ``an agency 
statement of general applicability, intended to have future effect on 
the behavior of regulated parties, that sets forth a policy on a 
statutory, regulatory, or technical issue, or an interpretation of a 
statute or regulation.'' It further distinguishes guidance documents 
from, among other things, rules promulgated under the Administrative 
Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), which, as authorized by statute, 
may bind the public, and agency adjudications conducted under the APA 
(5 U.S.C. 554), which may bind parties on a case-by-case basis. 
Guidance documents may help clarify existing obligations, but unlike 
statutes, regulations, and adjudications, cannot themselves impose 
obligations on the public.
    As part of the government-wide effort to ensure the availability of 
agency guidance documents, Executive Order 13891 and an associated 
implementing memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB 
Memorandum M-20-02) direct agencies to establish a single website 
containing, or linking to, all of an agency's guidance documents 
currently in effect. Accordingly, the Department announces that it is 
now providing access to its guidance documents through a centralized 
web portal at www.commerce.gov/guidance.
    The Department, through its component bureaus, issues a variety of 
guidance documents in an effort to assist businesses and the public in 
understanding their obligations, as well as agency procedures, under 
existing statutes and regulations. These documents are intended to 
provide information and be helpful to the public and none are intended 
to impose new or additional obligations. The Department's new web 
portal will serve as a central hub for information on the Department's 
guidance documents and provides links to the corresponding guidance web 
pages maintained by individual bureaus of the Department. The 
Department will, to the greatest extent possible, make all of the 
guidance documents currently in effect across the Department and its 
bureaus accessible through this web portal. Note that many of these 
guidance documents have been, and to ensure maximum public 
accessibility will continue to be, also available through the relevant 
subject matter section of the website of the bureau that issued them.

    Dated: February 27, 2020.
Beth M. Grossman,
Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2020-04386 Filed 3-3-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-12-P


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