THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release January 20 , 2017
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
FROM :
SUBJECT :
Reince Priebus Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
Regulatory Freeze Pending Review
The President has asked me to communicate to each of you his plan for managing the Federal regulatory process at the outset of his Administration . In order to ensure that the President ' s appointees or designees have the opportunity to review any new or pending regulations , I ask on behalf of the President that you immediately take the following steps :
1 . Subject to any exceptions the Director or Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget ( the " OMB Director ") allows for emergency situations or other urgent circumstances relating to health , safety , financial , or national security matters , or otherwise , send no regulation to the Office of the Federal Register ( the " OFR ") until a department or agency head appointed or designated by the President after noon on January 20 , 2017 , reviews and approves the regulation . The department or agency head may delegate this power of review and approval to any other person so appointed or designated by the President , consistent with applicable law .
2 . With respect to regulations that have been sent to the OFR but not published in the Federal Register , immediately withdraw them from the OFR for review and approval as described in paragraph 1 , subject to the exceptions described in paragraph 1 . This withdrawal must be conducted consistent with OFR procedures .
3 . With respect to regulations that have been published in the OFR but have not taken effect , as permitted by applicable law , temporarily postpone their effective date for 60 days from the date of this memorandum , subject to the exceptions described in paragraph 1 , for the purpose of reviewing questions of fact , law , and policy they raise . Where appropriate and as permitted by applicable law , you should consider proposing for notice and comment a rule to delay the effective date for regulations beyond that 60-day period . In cases where the effective date has been delayed in order to review questions of fact , law , or policy , you should consider potentially proposing further notice-and-comment rulemaking . Following the delay in effective date :