§ 51.7 - Public access to effective guidance documents.

§ 51.7 Public access to effective guidance documents.

Each Bureau/Office that is responsible for issuing guidance documents must:

(a) Ensure all effective guidance documents, identified by a unique identifier which includes, at a minimum, the document's title and date of issuance or revision and its Z-RIN, if applicable, are on the Department's website in a single, searchable, indexed database, and available to the public in accordance with the notice titled “Implementation of Executive Order 13891: Guidance Documents”;

(b) Note on its website that guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract;

(c) Maintain and advertise on its website a means for the public to comment electronically on any guidance documents that are subject to the notice-and-comment procedures described in § 51.17 and to submit requests electronically for issuance, reconsideration, modification, or rescission of guidance documents in accordance with § 51.21; and

(d) Designate an office or official(s) to receive petitions for withdrawal or modification of guidance documents and address complaints from the public that the Bureau/Office is not following the requirements of OMB's Good Guidance Bulletin or is improperly treating a guidance document as a binding requirement.