NOAA guidance documents | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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class="share-icons"> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.noaa.gov/guidance" target="_blank" class="icon-twitter twitter-share"><span>Share to Twitter</span></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.noaa.gov/guidance" target="_blank" class="icon-facebook"><span>Share to Facebook</span></a> <a href="mailto:?body=https://www.noaa.gov/guidance" class="icon-mail mail-share"><span>Share by email</span></a> <a href="javascript:window.print()" class="icon-print"><span>Print</span></a> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <div class="l-right-sidebar-top-content-sibling"> <div class="non-sticky-wrapper"></div> </div> <div class="non-sidebar-content"> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-body c-field--type-entity-reference-revisions c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__items"><div class="c-field__item"> <section class="l-section paragraph paragraph--type-rich-text paragraph--display-mode-default paragraph--width-body-indent-none" data-observe-resizes > <div class="l-section__content"> <div id="paragraph-id-2998-default"> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-body-formatted-long c-field--type-text-long c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item"><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><p>Executive Order 13891, “Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents,” requires agencies to post guidance documents to a single guidance website. A guidance document is an agency statement of general applicability and future effect, other than a regulatory action, that sets forth a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue, or an interpretation of a statute or regulation.</p> <p>Guidance documents do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. They are intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.</p> <p>This page provides a portal to guidance documents issued by NOAA and/or any of its line organizations. <br>  </p> <hr> <h3>NOAA-wide guidance documents<br>  </h3> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">At this time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does not have in effect any guidance documents subject to Executive Order 13891 that apply across NOAA.<br>  </p> <hr> <h3>Guidance documents by line organizations<br>  </h3> <h4 style="margin-left: 40px;">National Marine Fisheries Service</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/laws-and-policies/policy-directive-system">NMFS Policy Directive System</a></p> <h4 style="margin-left: 40px;">National Ocean Service</h4> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><a href="/national-ocean-service-guidance-documents">NOS Guidance Documents</a><br>  </p> <hr> <h3>Other helpful background documents</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/15/2019-22623/promoting-the-rule-of-law-through-improved-agency-guidance-documents">Executive Order 13891: Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents (October 9, 2019)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/M-20-02-Guidance-Memo.pdf">OMB Memorandum M-20-02: Guidance Implementing Executive Order 13891 (October 31, 2019)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/memoranda/2007/m07-07.pdf">OMB Bulletin 07-02: Final Bulletin for Agency Good Guidance Practices (January 18, 2007)</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <hr> <h3>Contact</h3> <p>If you wish to petition the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to modify or withdraw any of its guidance documents, please use the <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYtwk0RbxhRZX8aZVse4OoEtBJfP4rPcxW_xqdgJWGP_JCUA/viewform?usp=sharing" class=" ext-link-after" target="_blank">NOAA guidance petition form<span class="visually-hidden"> offsite link</span></a>.</p> <p>Or you may write to us at:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Office of the General Counsel - Guidance documents<br> National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration<br> Herbert C. Hoover Building<br> 14th and Constitution Ave. NW<br> Washington, DC. 20230</p> <p> </p> </body></html> </div></div></div> </div> </div> </section> </div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </main> <footer class="l-footer content-footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="l-footer-content"> <div class="l-constrain"> <div id="block-noaacontentfooter" class="c-block c-block--provider-noaa-core c-block--id-noaa-core-content-footer"> <div class="c-block__content"> <div class="last-updated">Last updated April 6, 2023</div><div class="problem-with-page"><a href="/noaa_landing_page/comment_modal?email=webmaster%40noaa.gov&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.noaa.gov%2Fguidance" class="use-ajax" data-dialog-type="modal">Have a comment on this page? 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