§ 5.39 — Designation procedures.

§ 5.39 Designation procedures.

(a) The Office of Regulation and Legislation may request an OA or OST component to prepare a designation request for certain guidance documents. Designation requests must include the following information:

(1) A summary of the guidance document; and

(2) The OA or OST component's recommended designation of “not significant,” “significant,” or “economically significant,” as well as a justification for that designation.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the Office of Regulation and Legislation will seek significance determinations from OIRA for certain guidance documents, as appropriate, in the same manner as for rulemakings. Prior to publishing these guidance documents, and with sufficient time to allow OIRA to review the document in the event that a significance determination is made, the Office of Regulation and Legislation should provide OIRA with an opportunity to review the designation request or the guidance document, if requested, to determine if it meets the definition of “significant” or “economically significant” under Executive Order 13891.

(c) Unless they present novel issues, significant risks, interagency considerations, unusual circumstances, or other unique issues, the categories of guidance documents found in Appendix A ¹ do not require designation by OIRA.

¹ See Appendix A to “Memorandum on the Review and Clearance of Guidance Documents,” available at https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2025-03/Review%20and%20Clearance%20of%20Guidance%20Documents.Cote%20Memo.Signed.03-11-2025.pdf.