About Our Office

Responsibilities of the Office

The Legislative Division works with various bureaus to develop the Department's legislative initiatives and is the focal point within the Department for coordinating the analysis of legislation and developing and articulating the views of the Department on pending legislation. This office is the principal legal liaison with the Office of Management and Budget, working to obtain required clearances and interagency consensus on Departmental letters, reports, testimonies, and legislative proposals for delivery to the Congress. The office also represents the Department's views in interagency deliberations on legislative proposals and expressions of legislative views advanced by other agencies.

The Regulatory Division serves as the primary contact for all regulatory matters concerning the Department of Commerce. This office advises the diverse bureaus within Commerce on administrative law requirements and procedures involved in the rulemaking process, and provides legal counsel on other related laws and Executive Orders. It also serves as the Department's liaison with the Office of Management and Budget and other Federal agencies during interagency review and clearance of regulations issued by the Department, and provides Secretarial-level clearance for all Federal Register publications. In addition, this office advises the Secretary on regulatory matters, develops the Department's regulatory policies and procedures, and provides the Department's official position on regulations affecting the Department.