Historically, as administrations change at the safety agencies, new priorities and shifting judgments on risk-based hazard assessment drive regulatory burdens up or down. The effect of President Trump’s executive order requiring the repeal of two rules for every one promulgated is yet to be seen when it comes to rulemaking at consumer facing safety agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Food and Drug Administration, and Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The CPSC, as an independent agency, could take the position that the E.O. simply does not apply to them. The White House agrees. But the reality is that very few $100 million rules have been issued by the CPSC over the entire life of the agency. That is because its enabling statute favors voluntary industry standards over mandatory rules. Indeed, many of the CPSC rules affecting product performance have been mandated by Congress and could not be repealed by the agency absent an act of Congress. Still others may require some APA process before they can be legally repealed or changed.