On July 6, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget released the 2026 Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The release followed…
On July 6, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget released the 2026 Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The release followed the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs' publication of the semi-annual Unified Agenda on July 3, 2026, which details planned rulemakings across federal agencies. Taken together, these publications provide clients with an early roadmap of federal regulatory priorities for the coming year and an opportunity to prepare for anticipated changes well before proposed rules are formally issued.
Among the most consequential entries is the Securities and Exchange Commission's slate of 38 potential rulemakings. The Commission's agenda reflects a broadly deregulatory orientation, with a clear emphasis on cutting compliance burdens and facilitating capital formation for market participants. For issuers, investment advisers, broker-dealers, and public companies, the breadth of the SEC's planned actions suggests that a wide range of existing requirements may be revisited, streamlined, or replaced in the months ahead. Market participants should begin identifying which of their current compliance programs, disclosure practices, and capital-raising activities are most likely to be affected, and should consider how any recalibration of federal expectations may interact with state-level obligations and investor demands.
The agenda also signals a federal push to build a formal crypto regulatory framework. For digital asset firms, custodians, trading platforms, and institutional investors, this preview offers an important early view of forthcoming rules and the direction the agency is likely to take. Firms that have been operating under uncertainty may now begin refining internal policies, evaluating registration and disclosure strategies, and considering how to engage constructively during future notice-and-comment periods.
Beyond the SEC, the Unified Agenda covers priorities across the federal regulatory landscape, giving businesses in numerous sectors a chance to assess exposure, plan resource allocation, and participate meaningfully in the rulemaking process. Early engagement, whether through comment letters, coalition efforts, or direct advocacy, can meaningfully shape final rules and mitigate downstream compliance costs.
This update is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Clients facing specific regulatory questions or planning to engage in the rulemaking process should consult counsel for guidance tailored to their circumstances.