For the project report click here: https://www.acus.gov/report/project-report-recommendation-68-4
Most Americans are probably unaware of the multitude of day-to-day Federal activities reflected in proposed, revised, and recently promulgated rules, regulations, or determinations which substantially affect the price, quantity, quality, labeling, safety, and other aspects of products and services available to the public. A bulletin of general distribution containing an easily understood summary of current information about administrative activities in areas of consumer interest could serve a widespread public need which is not now met by the “Federal Register” or by agency and private publications of a more specialized nature.
Recommendation
1. A consumer bulletin should be established on an experimental basis. It should extract and paraphrase in popular terms the substance of Federal agency actions of significant interest to consumers. Initially, the bulletin should concentrate on items published in the “Federal Register,” but as it gains public acceptance, it should be broadened to include materials secured from other sources. It should indicate expressly that the bulletin does not constitute official notice of government action.
2. The Office of the Consumer Counsel in the Department of Justice appears at this time to be the agency best prepared to publish such a bulletin. If the bulletin were undertaken by that office, it could not only disseminate information, but also stimulate public response, thus aiding the effective discharge of the duties of the Consumer Counsel.
3. Initial circulation should include the press, consumer organizations, public and scholastic libraries, and individuals who request to be put on the mailing list. Format, subscription costs, frequency of publication, and related matters should be the subject of study during the experiment.
4. After a reasonable period of time, the effectiveness of and interest in the bulletin should be evaluated to determine whether it should be continued and, if so, in what form.
Citations:
__ FR _____ (2012)
1 ACUS 12
Note: This recommendation was not published previously in the Federal Register.