(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, all proposed DoD guidance documents determined to be a “significant guidance document” within the meaning of § 339.7 shall be subject to the following notice and comment procedures. After receiving clearance from OIRA to publish a proposed significant guidance document, the proposing component shall publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing that a draft of the proposed guidance document is publicly available on Regulations.gov, shall invite public comment on the draft document for a minimum of 30 days. After the comment period ends, the proposing component shall prepare and post a public response to major concerns raised in the comments, as appropriate, in the docket on Regulations.gov. Then the component will prepare a final notice that will be coordinated within the department and submitted to OIRA for review, interagency coordination, and clearance for publishing in the Federal Register. Both the proposed and final notices shall be approved by the DoD RPO before OIRA review, and by an OSD Principal Staff Assistant or equivalent appointed by the President after OIRA clearance and DOPSR approval.

(b) The notice and comment requirements of paragraph (a) of this section will not apply to any significant guidance document or categories of significant guidance documents for which the proposing component finds, in consultation with their component OGC and OIRA, good cause that notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest (and incorporates the finding of good cause and a brief statement of reasons therefor in the guidance issued).