In September 1995, the Administrative Conference published the second edition of its Negotiated Rulemaking Sourcebook. The Sourcebook was designed to be a handbook and reference manual intended primarily for use by federal agencies interested in improving their rulemaking procedures. This publication included guidance on whether negotiated rulemaking is appropriate for developing a particular regulation, followed by a step-by-step guide to conducting the process. The discussion of each step was supplemented by model documents and commentary from various sources. The Sourcebook also included a compendium of articles discussing negotiated rulemaking from various perspectives. The Download button on this screen will give you the Table of Contents, introductory pages, and Chapter 1: "What Is Negotiated Rulemaking?" Copies of the Sourcebook are available without charge from the Administrative Conference at: info@acus.gov.
Legislation authorizing and encouraging appropriate use of negotiated rulemaking was first enacted in 1990 (Public Law 101-648), but with a sunset provision. The Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-320) made the Congressional endorsement of the process permanent. The 1996 legislation is available at: Negotiated Rulemaking Act.