OMB Seeks 'Inventive' Deregulation Ideas

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking ideas for deregulation from the general public, asking for comments on rescinding “any and all regulations currently in effect,” according to a Friday posting in the Federal Register.
“Americans are the most inventive, hardworking, and industrious people in the world. For too long, American dynamism and creativity have been stunted by onerous and unnecessary regulations,” OMB Director Russell Vought said in a supplementary note in the posting.
Proposals are being sought to “rescind or replace regulations that stifle American businesses and American ingenuity,” he said.
Comments are requested by May 12, and should address the background of the rule and the reasons for the writer’s proposed rescission, with particular attention to regulations that are inconsistent with statutory text or the Constitution, where costs exceed benefits, where the regulation is outdated or unnecessary, or where regulation is burdening American businesses in unforeseen ways.
Because of delays in the receipt of regular mail related to security screening, respondents are encouraged to use the portal or electronic communications.
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Actuaries for the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau and its carrier members completed their review of the industry’s most recent experience.
Work is underway for the next workers’ comp rate filing.
Our sister publication Workers’ Comp Executive looks at the severity of the deterioration in the industry’s projected loss ratio and how big a rate hike will the Bureau recommend.
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A Colorado jury ordered Berkshire Hathaway unit NorGuard to pay $145 million to a man who was permanently disabled after a 2021 injury at work.
The Denver District jury found NorGUARD had illegally delayed and denied Fermin Salguero-Quijada’s workers’ compensation claim, the Denver Post reported.
The jury found that the delay in paying the claim prevented him from receiving medical care that could have helped him avoid permanent disability.
NorGuard initially denied the workers’ compensation claim more than a month after Salguero-Quijada’s fall, saying it needed more time to investigate.
It then said the company said the insurer for the contractor that hired the painting company should be responsible for the claim.
The jury’s verdict of $145 million includes $60 million in punitive damages. Norguard’s pre-trial settlement offer was reportedly $750,000.
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