Regulatory Reform - May 2017

Today, FreedomWorks Foundation submitted a formal comment opposing a proposed rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would repeal President Trump's revised definition of "Waters of the United States."

The Big Picture

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) has launched a task force to review and update analyses of pharmaceutical mergers. The FTC’s task force is composed of the Canadian Competition Bureau, the European Commission Directorate General for Competition, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division, and Offices of State Attorneys General. The task force seeks input from the public to inform their review. Comments are due June 25, 2021.

Today, FreedomWorks Foundation submitted a formal comment opposing a proposed rule by the Department of Education that would incentivize and provide funding for the teaching of critical race theory in America’s schools. The proposed rule would retarget existing priorities for American History and Civics Education programs to require schools seeking federal grants to teach critical race theory.

This month, FreedomWorks Foundation’s Regulatory Action Center and Building Education for Students Together (BEST) initiative have joined forces to push back against federal control of civics education. In a new proposed rule by the Department of Education (ED), the Biden administration is seeking to add new strings to educational grants that would require public schools to teach radical and contentious curriculum like critical race theory (CRT).

June 2021 Update: This comment was also published in the June 2021 issue of HR Professionals Magazine.

Today, FreedomWorks Foundation submitted formal comments opposing the Department of Labor's rescission of President Trump's Joint Employer Rule. This proposed rule would remove Trump-era regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act that updated and streamlined the standard for determining joint employer status.

Today, FreedomWorks Foundation submitted a formal comment supporting a proposed rule by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that seeks to provide clarity to federal "march-in" rights under the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980. In short, the Bayh-Dole Act lays out the framework for providing inventors the title to their innovations that are either wholly or partially publicly funded. Within this framework exists a little-known provision that give federal agencies the authority to "march-in" and force title holders to provide a license for their product where they otherwise would not have, creating a loophole by which the federal government could implement price controls on private companies.

Welcome to the Regulatory Action Center (RAC) Review! RAC proudly keeps you up to date on what we’re up to, and what we’re keeping our eyes on here in the swamp. We offer resources for you to get involved in the rulemaking process to hold unelected bureaucrats accountable and occasionally offer praise in the event they have a good impulse. We will also highlight the incredible work our activists have done to advance the principles of smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, personal liberty, and the rule of law. For more ways to get involved and stay informed, check the links at the bottom of this post.