On March 13, 2017, President Trump signed new Executive Order (E.O.) 13781, titled Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch. The new E.O. requires federal agencies, defined broadly, to submit recommendations for reorganizing their functions to the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within 180 days. OMB is then to submit its recommendations to the president.
The new E.O. is almost certain to revive discussions calling for the consolidation of the government’s employment anti-discrimination functions, including the possible merger of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
In another Executive Order, 13777, signed by President Trump on February 24, 2017, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda, federal agencies have been directed to establish regulatory reform officers (RROs) within 60 days. The new RROs are to be responsible for the implementation of regulatory reform initiatives. E.O. 13777 also requires each agency to establish a regulatory reform task force including the RRO and various agency officials with regulatory and policy responsibilities.
In the meantime, during the week of February 28, 2017, the House of Representatives approved three more regulatory reform bills that now move to the Senate for further consideration. These bills follow approval by the House in January of three other regulatory reform bills.
Members of the Equal Employment Advisory Council (EEAC) can read more here.