The US Department of Health and Human Services has recently made a significant decision to reverse the long-standing Richardson Waiver requirement. This requirement, in place since 1971, mandated a period of notice and an opportunity for public comment on various decisions related to agency management, personnel, public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts.
The Richardson Waiver went beyond the standard notice-and-comment periods outlined in the Administrative Procedures Act, emphasizing that decisions without public notice should be made sparingly. However, incoming HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed concerns about the costs and operational inefficiencies associated with the waiver.
