Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 4745 (ih) To amend the National Environmental Education Act to redesignate the Act as the ``John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act'', to establish the John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program, to extend the programs under the Act, and for other...H.R. 4745 (ih) To amend the National Environmental Education Act to redesignate the Act as the ``John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act'', to establish the John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program, to extend the programs under the Act, and for other...
Union Calendar No. 441
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4744
[Report No. 106-772]
To require the General Accounting Office to report to Congress on
economically significant rules of Federal agencies, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 26, 2000
Mrs. Kelly (for herself and Mr. McIntosh) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform
July 20, 2000
Additional sponsors: Mr. Armey, Mr. Wamp, Mr. Talent, Mr. Doolittle,
Mr. Campbell, Mr. Barcia, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mr. Ryan of
Wisconsin, Mr. Hoekstra, and Mr. Lewis of Kentucky
July 20, 2000
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the General Accounting Office to report to Congress on
economically significant rules of Federal agencies, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Truth in Regulating Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) many Federal regulations have improved the quality of
life of the American public, however, uncontrolled increases in
regulatory costs and lost opportunities for better regulation
should not be continued;
(2) the legislative branch has a responsibility to ensure
that laws passed by Congress are properly implemented by the
executive branch; and
(3) in order for the legislative branch to fulfill its
responsibilities to ensure that laws passed by Congress are
implemented in an efficient, effective, and fair manner, the
Congress requires accurate and reliable information on which to
base decisions.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
(1) increase the transparency of important regulatory
decisions;
(2) promote effective congressional oversight to ensure
that agency rules fulfill statutory requirements in an
efficient, effective, and fair manner; and
(3) increase the accountability of Congress and the
agencies to the people they serve.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the term--
(1) ``agency'' has the meaning given such term under
section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code;
(2) ``economically significant rule'' means any proposed or
final rule, including an interim or direct final rule, that may
have an annual effect on the economy of $100,000,000 or more or
adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the
economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment,
public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments
or communities, or for which an agency has prepared an initial
or final regulatory flexibility analysis pursuant to section
603 or 604 of title 5, United States Code; and
(3) ``independent evaluation'' means a substantive
evaluation of the agency's and the public's data, methodology,
and assumptions used in developing the economically significant
rule, and any additional evaluation that the Comptroller
General determines to be necessary, including--
(A) an explanation of how any strengths or
weaknesses in those data, methodology, and assumptions
support or detract from conclusions reached by the
agency; and
(B) the implications, if any, of those strengths or
weaknesses for the rulemaking.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON RULES.
(a) In General.--
(1) Request for review.--When an agency publishes an
economically significant rule, a chairman or ranking member of
a committee of jurisdiction of either House of Congress may
request the Comptroller General of the United States to review
the rule.
(2) Report.--The Comptroller General shall submit a report
on each economically significant rule selected under paragraph
(4) to the committees of jurisdiction in each House of Congress
not later than 180 calendar days after a committee request is
received, or in the case of a request for review of a notice of
proposed rulemaking or an interim final rulemaking, by not
later than the end of the 60-calendar-day period beginning on
the date the committee request is received, or the end of the
period for submission of comment regarding the rulemaking,
whichever is later. The report shall include an independent
evaluation of the economically significant rule by the
Comptroller General.
(3) Independent evaluation.--The independent evaluation of
the economically significant rule by the Comptroller General
under paragraph (2) shall include--
(A) an evaluation of the potential benefits of the
rule, including any beneficial effects that cannot be
quantified in monetary terms and the identification of
the persons or entities likely to receive the benefits;
(B) an evaluation of the potential costs of the
rule, including any adverse effects that cannot be
quantified in monetary terms and the identification of
the persons or entities likely to bear the costs;
(C) an evaluation of any alternative approaches
that could achieve the same goal in a more cost-
effective manner or that could provide greater net
benefits, and, if applicable, a brief explanation of
any statutory reasons why such alternatives could not
be adopted;
(D) an evaluation of the regulatory impact
analysis, federalism assessment, or other analysis or
assessment prepared by the agency or required for the
economically significant rule; and
(E) a summary of the results of the evaluation of
the Comptroller General and the implications of those
results, including an evaluation of any changes from
the proposed rule made by the agency in the final rule.
(4) Procedures for priorities of requests.--In consultation
with the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate and the
Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives,
the Comptroller General shall develop procedures for
determining the priority and number of those requests for
review under paragraph (1) that will be reported under
paragraph (2). The procedures shall give the highest priority
to requests regarding a notice of proposed rulemaking, and to
requests regarding an interim final rulemaking.
(b) Authority of Comptroller General.--Each agency shall promptly
cooperate with the Comptroller General in carrying out this Act.
Nothing in this Act is intended to expand or limit the authority of the
General Accounting Office.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the General Accounting
Office to carry out this Act $5,200,000 for each of fiscal years 2001
through 2003.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE; SUNSET PROVISION.
(a) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Sunset Provision.--This Act shall not apply with respect to
rules published on or after the date that is 3 years after the
effective date of this Act.
Union Calendar No. 441
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4744
[Report No. 106-772]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the General Accounting Office to report to Congress on
economically significant rules of Federal agencies, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 20, 2000
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed
Pages: 1 Other Popular 106th Congressional Bills Documents:
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