White House Seeks Academic Expertise for Historic Revision to Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis Guidelines

Federal regulatory policy requires agencies to conduct cost-benefit analyses, and for the first time in 20 years, the White House is updating the guidance on how to conduct this analysis. Directed towards Federal agencies, this update will inform everything from labor and fuel standards to for-profit education accountability metrics and medical billing requirements.

The White House is seeking input from the academic community by June 6, 2023. This Request for Comments seeks expert opinions on the assumptions and methods used by Federal agencies in these required cost-benefit analysis. This revision will have a significant impact on how all Federal regulations are shaped and implemented going forward.

In response to this time-sensitive opportunity, the Tobin Center for Economic Policy and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) invite you to join a webinar on Monday, May 8 at 4pm ET with representatives from the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). This webinar will focus on how academics can best engage in this effort and provide critical guidance that will shape regulatory policy for years to come.

Panelists include:

Watch a recording of the event below.

Relevant Resources:

• Preamble (34 pgs), which highlights key changes to Circular A-4, White House Guidance on Cost-Benefit Analysis, and areas where input is most needed
• The proposed Circular A-4 - White House Guidance on Cost-Benefit Analysis itself (91 pages)
• Guidance on submitting a public comment on regulations