Rulemaking

Information About Rulemaking at the Department of Labor

	Quick Links
Unified Agenda of Federal Regulations Federal Register Documents Preambles to Final Rules Laws & Executive Orders Code of Federal Regulations Enforcement Activities Major Laws & Regulations Compliance Tools Employment Law Guide

"Rulemaking" is the term used when a government agency creates, modifies, or deletes rules in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Rules are government agency statements (or parts of government agency statements) of current and future applicability that either:

• Implement, explain or prescribe law or policy.
• Describe an agency's organization, procedure, or practice requirements.

Below are links to various sources of information on the Department of Labor's rulemaking activities — both rulemaking currently in progress and proposed rulemaking:

Unified Agenda of Federal Regulations (Regulatory Agenda) — A list of all regulations expected to be reviewed or developed in the next year; usually published each April and October in the Federal Register; the Fall Agenda also includes the Department's Regulatory Plan, which has additional information on its most significant regulatory activities.

Federal Register Documents — Public regulations and legal notices issued by Department of Labor agencies; includes text of all proposed rules, final rules, and notices published in the Federal Register.

Preambles to Final Rules — Text of preambles to final rules published by the Department. The preambles review the history of the rulemaking, summarize, and explain the provisions of the rule, and address issues raised during the rulemaking.

Laws and Executive Orders — Links to many of the laws and executive orders enforced or administered by the Department.

Department of Labor Procedures for Compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order 13272 — The purpose of the procedures is to help agencies understand and meet the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and E.O. 13272, Proper Consideration of Small Entities in Agency Rulemaking.

Code of Federal Regulations — All rules published by the Department in the Federal Register; organized by chapter and responsible Department of Labor agency.

Enforcement Activities — Information about the Department's enforcement activities.

If you are not looking for rulemaking information, but need help understanding the Department's laws and regulations, you may find the following pages helpful:

Major Laws & Regulations Enforced by the Department of Labor — Access to compliance assistance on more than 20 Department of Labor laws and regulations.

Compliance Tools — Links to general tools developed by the Department to help prevent employment law violations; particularly helpful for small and/or new businesses.

Employment Law Guide — Requirements of major Department of Labor laws and help for employers in determining which requirements apply to their businesses or workers.