Retrospective Review of Regulations

President Obama has put in place a 21st-century regulatory system – one that protects public health and welfare while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation.  A key part of this system is the Administration’s Retrospective Review or “lookback” efforts.   

The President institutionalized retrospective review of regulations in Executive Orders 13563 and 13610, requiring agencies to regularly report on the status of their retrospective review efforts.  The most recent agency reports can be found below.   

We are proud of the progress made to date on retrospective review, but we know we can do more. To that end, we've stepped up our collective efforts in the remaining months of the Administration to accelerate progress on retrospective review.  

As the President said in 2011, “We should have no more regulation than the health, safety, and security of the American people require. Every rule should meet that commonsense test.” OIRA, together with our agency colleagues, is determined to build upon the progress we have made since the President spoke those words. We will continue to expand the use of retrospective review, carefully consider ideas and input from the public as we make regulatory changes, and work to further institutionalize retrospective review in order to make government work more efficiently and effectively for the American people.  We look forward to making even more progress going forward. 

All Plans

Department of Agriculture
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final: PDF
Preliminary: PDF

Department of Commerce
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Defense
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan:  PDF

Department of Education
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
July 2015 Initiatives: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Energy
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Health and Human Services
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Homeland Security
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Housing and Urban Development
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of the Interior
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Justice
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Labor
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of State
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of the Treasury
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Department of Transportation
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Veterans Affairs
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
July 2016 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Council on Environmental Quality
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Environmental Protection Agency
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Federal Acquisition Regulation
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

U.S. General Services Administration
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Office of Personnel Management
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Small Business Administration
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF

Social Security Administration
July 2016 Update: PDF
January 2016 Update: PDF
July 2015 Update: PDF
February 2015 Update: PDF
Final Plan: PDF
Preliminary Plan: PDF