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Introduction to Electronic Rule Making (ERM) at HHS

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is testing the use of the Internet in the development of rules. In addition to this 'administrative simplification' effort by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the Administration on Children and Families (another HHS agency) is using ERM extensively. A detailed description of ERM and its genesis in the Federal Government is also available.

"Electronic Rule Making" or "ERM" refers to the use of the Internet for receiving and displaying public comments. Rule making is only one of many government activities for which the Internet promises major breakthroughs in access, effectiveness, efficiency, and interaction. Electronic dissemination increases access and reduces costs for many kinds of documents. Of particular importance in the rule making context is that the Internet greatly facilitates communication. As a matter of public participation, it effectively opens up the docket room to the public during, as well as after, the public comment period. As a matter of internal management, it greatly simplifies and expedites public comments.

It is the premise of ERM that this approach will empower commenters, greatly improve the ability of the proposing agency to obtain comments, and that it will facilitate analysis of the comments after the comment period closes.

We are interested in your comments on this pilot project as well as the concept of ERM taken as a whole. Send general ERM comments to Mike Pepper.

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Updated 7/7/98.