Opioid Use Disorder Treatments and Biden's First 100 Days
Center Update
May 7, 2021
New Report!
Unsupervised Use of Opioid Treatment Medications
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) made it easier for patients to receive take-home supplies of methadone and buprenorphine. This report by Bridget Dooling & Laura Stanley explores the effects of this policy change, and explains why SAMHSA has the legal authority to extend this flexibility beyond the pandemic to help treat opioid use disorder.
Latest Op-Eds:
Seismic Shift in the Regulatory Tide Forbes - Susan Dudley
The first two months of the Biden-Harris administration indicate a departure from the traditional regulatory review practices embraced by both Democratic and Republican administrations. The President’s policies and appointments appear to chart a much more progressive course on regulation.
The pandemic broke through opioid treatment red tape. Let’s keep it that way. Philadelphia Inquirer - Bridget Dooling & Laura Stanley
One thing the federal government got right during the pandemic was making it easier for people to begin treatment for opioid use disorder. The Biden administration should act now to preserve this flexibility.
Latest Charts:
Congressional Review Act
We are tracking legislative actions to nullify Trump administration regulations.
Reg Stats
Updated data and charts!
Recent Research, Events, and Media Appearances
Research & Analysis
Regulation and Jobs: The Unequal Employment Effects of Regulatory Uncertainty By: Zhoudan Xie
- President Biden's "modernizing regulatory review" memorandum signals continuity in some areas of regulatory practice and dramatic shifts in others.
Biden is Using Multiple Mechanisms to Reverse Trump's Regulatory Agenda By: Mark Febrizio
- In the case of regulatory rollbacks, the Biden administration has been actively using several options to reverse Trump-era rules, including withdrawals, regulatory suspensions, strategic responses to litigation, and other executive actions.
Mass, Computer-Generated, and Fraudulent Comments By: Steve Balla, Bridget Dooling, et al.
- This draft report for ACUS closes with a set of recommendations for agencies to address the challenges and opportunities associated with new technologies that bear on the rulemaking process.
Revamping Regulations.gov By: Mark Febrizio
- GSA recently replaced the classic version of Regulations.gov with a new, sleek website. This commentary assesses the modernizing efforts and suggests further ways to improve the user experience.
The Consumer Protection and Recovery Act By: Howard Beales
- Dr. Beales' testimony to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce urged Congress to explicitly authorize the FTC to pursue monetary damages in cases involving dishonest or fraudulent conduct under Section 13(b).
Congress Targets Six Trump Administration Regulations for Elimination Under the CRA By: Daniel Pérez
- The Democrat-led Congress has targeted six regulations for elimination including actions issued by: the EEOC, EPA. Treasury, HHS, SSA, and SEC.
A Project Worth Watching at OIRA By: Sally Katzen
- Building up the ability for agencies to conduct effective benefit-cost analysis was difficult when Clinton authored EO 12866, so too will be building out better distributional analysis under Biden’s recent memorandum. It was worth the effort then, and it will be worth the effort now.
Beyond Republicans and the Disapproval of Regulations By: Steve Balla, Bridget Doolilng & Daniel Pérez
- This article examines legislative action on resolutions of disapproval under the CRA by committees, political parties, and congressional majorities.
Bridget Dooling on GovActually
Bridget Dooling discussed what being part of a transition team entails and what it was like leading a change in administrations during a pandemic.

Tune-in!
Upcoming Events:
  • ABA AdLaw Spring CLE Conference, May 7 -- Bridget Dooling will be a panelist discussing White House oversight of regulatory review and other key policy issues.
  • Amending the EAB: Impacts on Communities and Governance, May 11 -- Brian Mannix will be a panelist discussing changes to the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board.
  • Economic Measurement Conference, May 12 -- Zhoudan Xie and Tara Sinclair will present on their research on regulatory sentiment and uncertainty.
  • Hot Topics in the Regulatory World, May 20 -- Susan Dudley will present at this event hosted by Women in Government Relations.
Recent Events:
  • Federal Forecasters Conference -- Zhoudan Xie presented on her research related to regulatory sentiment and uncertainty.
  • Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference -- Christopher Carrigan and Zhoudan Xie participated in a paper discussion: The Politics of Administrative Rulemaking: Rulemaking under Competing Oversight.
  • Wayne Law Review Spring Symposium -- Laura Stanley presented on her research related to opioid use disorder treatments and regulatory flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Forecasting Seminar -- Zhoudan Xie presented at this GWU Economics Seminar on her research about regulatory sentiment and uncertainty.
  • The Future of Better Regulation: A Transatlantic Perspective -- Susan Dudley participated in this event we co-hosted with the EUI School of Transnational Governance and the Observatory on Regulatory Impact Analysis.
  • Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis Annual Conference -- Susan Dudley, Bridget Dooling, Mark Febrizio, and Laura Stanley all participated in this week-long event.
Media
Biden’s Hurdle: Courts Dubious of Rule by Regulation Wall Street Journal
- Features our Economically Significant Final Rules by Presidential Year chart.
The Special Tool Dems Aren’t Using to Nuke Trump Regulations Daily Beast
- "Bridget Dooling said it’s uncertain what might happen if many of the final Trump regulations didn’t go through the proper procedure. She also said it’s up in the air whether using the CRA now would prevent Biden from issuing new rules in the same space."
Democrats Seek to Undo Trump EEOC Rule Using Congressional Review Act Government Executive
- “Our research has shown that Democrats, like Republicans, have a history of introducing disapproval resolutions under the CRA, which “unsettles the conventional wisdom” that only Republicans use it, they wrote."
Trump's final-year record for regulations Axios
- "It's hard to know the long-term impact, but any single rule "could entail hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in annual costs and benefits," George Washington University expert Daniel Perez told Axios."
How Biden Could Quickly Undo Trump Era Health Policies NPR
- "The CRA is such a blunt instrument," said Daniel Pérez. "There are other tools at their disposal."
Deadline is Approaching to Repeal Trump Rules Using ‘Obscure’ Law Government Executive
- “On the one hand, a joint vote can quickly overturn Trump regulations with a resolution of disapproval, but on the other hand, that would take time away from other business. Also, the CRA is a blunt tool and disapproval could not only eliminate the Trump regulation, but constrain how the Biden administration approaches those issues.”
April 4 is the deadline for Congress to repeal regulatory activity from the end of the Trump administration Ballotpedia
- Daniel Pérez estimated there may be as many as 1,354 of these rules.
Democrats in Congress in no hurry to overturn Trump-era regulations Marketplace
- Bridget Dooling is interviewed by Kimberly Adams about the Congressional Review Act.
With the stroke of a pen. Biden begins undoing Trump's deregulation policies Public Integrity
- On his first day, Biden “set a new course for the future,” said Bridget Dooling. “By taking these steps on his first day in office, it signals how important it is to get the regulatory machine operating in sync with the president’s vision.”
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