The Department of Health and Human Services has rescinded the Richardson Waiver, a policy that required following certain rule-making procedures beyond what the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) mandates for matters like public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts. The department will now align strictly with the APA, which generally exempts these matters from notice and comment procedures unless law requires otherwise. The Richardson Waiver imposed extra burdens that conflicted with the efficient operation of the department. Effective immediately, the department has more flexibility to issue rules without the previous procedural obligations.
Simple Explanation
The Department of Health and Human Services decided to stop using a rule that made them follow extra steps when making important decisions, like giving money or benefits. Now, they will only follow the basic rules, which means they can make decisions faster without doing extra, unnecessary work.