News from ACUS (May 2026)

This monthly newsletter provides a roundup of recent, ongoing, and upcoming initiatives from the Administrative Conference of the United States.

In this issue:

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Requests for Proposals

ACUS is seeking consultants for six new recommendation projects:

Proposals must be received by June 12 to be guaranteed consideration.

Please contact Research Director Jeremy Graboyes ([email protected]) with questions.

Request for Comments on Frontline Decision Making

ACUS is requesting information as part of the ongoing project Frontline Decision Making in the Adjudication of Applications. We encourage you to send your comments to [email protected] by June 26.

This project identifies best practices for frontline decision making in the adjudication of benefits, loans, grants, licenses, and other applications in which there is a later opportunity for an evidentiary hearing. Among other topics, it examines the personnel involved in frontline processes; the processes used to developed records and decide cases prior to the hearing stage; the relationship between frontline and hearing-level proceedings, including how evidence obtained and findings made in frontline proceedings may be used at the hearing level; the development and communication of relevant policies; quality assurance and strategies for promoting timeliness; and interactions between frontline components and other agency components, including those responsible for more formal adjudication and policy development.

Professor Amy Widman (Rutgers Law School) is serving as the consultant for this project.

Development of New Recommendations

ACUS committees developed four proposed recommendations this spring:

The next step in the development of these recommendations is consideration by the full Conference.

Subject to Council approval, the Conference will meet in plenary session on Thursday, June 11. The final program, full meeting agenda, and project-specific materials will be posted to the webpage for the 85th Plenary Session when they become available.

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