In a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation to open the federal regulatory process to more citizen participation, the Cornell e-Rulemaking Initiative (CeRI), a research group based at Cornell Law School, has unveiled Regulation Room.

Regulation Room, online at http://www.regulationroom.org, is a site where citizens can learn about and discuss proposed federal regulations and provide effective feedback to agency decision-makers.

The launch of the new site is concurrent with Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood's announcement of a federal proposal to ban texting while driving commercial vehicles.

"Regulation Room provides the opportunity for broader, better public participation in federal policymaking. Everyone has the legal right to know about proposed new regulations and give the agency feedback, but few people are aware of their rights and fewer exercise them effectively," said Cornell Law School professor Cynthia R. Farina. "We are optimistic that Regulation Room will encourage more meaningful public involvement in the regulatory policy process."

CeRI brings together faculty and students from law, conflict resolution, computing and information science, and the social sciences to work with federal agencies that want to find the most effective methods and technologies for transparent, participatory government. While working closely with agency partners, CeRI remains an independent, neutral and objective advocate for good government.