This Month at ACUS: July 2022

This series highlights selected ACUS projects. To learn more about ongoing projects, subscribe to our mailing list. 

 
ACUS’S LATEST RECOMMENDATIONS

The ACUS Assembly convened for the 77th Plenary Session on June 16, during which it adopted three recommendations: Recommendation 2022-1 Contractors in Rulemaking; Recommendation 2022-2, Improving Notice of Regulatory Changes; and Recommendation 2022-3, Automated Legal Guidance at Federal Agencies. 

The recommendations are available on the ACUS website here and in the Federal Register here. 

  

REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS 

ACUS is seeking consultants for several new projects:  

  • Identifying and Reducing Burdens in Administrative Processes aims to provide best practices for identifying and reducing unnecessary burdens that members of the public face when they engage with administrative programs or participate in administrative processes. Proposals are due by August 5. See the RFP or contact Todd Rubin (trubin@acus.gov) for more information. 

  • Online Processes in Agency Adjudication aims to provide best practices for developing online processes by which participants in federal agency adjudications, including private parties and their representatives, can file forms, evidence and briefs; view case materials and status information; receive notices and orders; and perform other common tasks required for participation in adjudication. Proposals are due by August 5. See the RFP or contact Matthew Gluth (mgluth@acus.gov) for more information. 

  • Virtual Public Engagement in Agency Rulemaking aims to offer recommendations on agencies’ efforts to promote enhanced transparency, accessibility, and accountability by using virtual tools to engage the public in connection with agency rulemaking activities. It will explore a variety of practical issues, including when agencies should offer either fully or partially virtual meetings and how to structure those meetings in a way that meets public expectations and promotes valuable input for the agency. It will also examine the legal constraints under which agencies operate. Proposals are due by August 5. See the RFP or contact Kazia Nowacki (knowacki@acus.gov) for more information. 

 

REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO ONGOING STUDIES 

The Office of the Chairman continues to request information on issues associated with and options for designing a small claims patent court as part of an ongoing study for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. See the Federal Register notice for more information. Comments were initially due by July 5, but ACUS extended the comment period until August 26, 2022. 

As part of a new project, Disclosure of Agency Legal Materials, ACUS is also requesting information on what legal materials agencies should be required by statute to make publicly available and how they ought to do so. See the Federal Register notice for more information. Comments are due by July 18, 2022.