REGNET: regulatory information management, compliance and analysis

This paper describes a research effort that aims to develop information infrastructure and tools to facilitate access, compliance and analysis of government regulations. It is well recognized that the complexity, diversity, and volume of government regulations are detrimental to business and hinder public understanding of government. The burden of complying with regulations can fall disproportionately on small businesses since these businesses may not have the expertise or resources to keep track of the regulations and the requirements. The situation can potentially be improved by developing appropriate tools that can help facilitate the regulatory and compliance process. To illustrate, this paper discusses the applications of information technology for selected services related to regulations, such as compliance assistance, comparison of regulation from diverse sources, and e-rulemaking.