Legislation sponsored by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) that would make the FCC “more efficient, transparent, and accountable through reforming the commission’s processes and ensuring the FCC regulates in an innovative and dynamic way” has passed the full U.S. House of Representatives.
H.R. 290, or the “Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2017,” passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
Among the provisions in the bill, the FCC would be required to set minimum comment periods for both comments and reply comments, “subject to a determination by the Commission that good cause exists for departing from such minimum comment periods,” for “significant regulatory actions (as defined in Executive Order No. 12866) and all other rulemaking proceedings.”
Additionally, the bill seeks transparency relating to “performance in meeting Freedom of Information Act requirements.
Full text of the bill can be viewed here.
The Senate is now tasked with introducing similar legislation in the upper body of Congress.
