Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 4925 (ih) To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow more equitable and direct tax relief for health insurance and medical care expenses, to give Americans more options for obtaining quality health care, and to expand insurance coverage to t...H.R. 4925 (ih) To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow more equitable and direct tax relief for health insurance and medical care expenses, to give Americans more options for obtaining quality health care, and to expand insurance coverage to t...
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4924
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 25, 2000
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish a 3-year pilot project for 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. 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 3502(1) of title 44, United States Code, except that
such term shall not include an independent regulatory agency,
as that term is defined in section 3502(5) of such title;
(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 data, methodology, and assumptions
used in developing the economically significant rule,
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. PILOT PROJECT FOR 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 committee request for review of a
notice of proposed rulemaking or an interim final rulemaking,
by the end of the period for submission of comment regarding
the rulemaking, if practicable. 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 an agency's analysis 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 an agency's analysis 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 an agency's analysis of
alternative approaches set forth in the notice of
proposed rulemaking and in the rulemaking record, as
well as of any regulatory impact analysis, federalism
assessment, or other analysis or assessment prepared by
the agency or required for the economically significant
rule; and
(D) a summary of the results of the evaluation of
the Comptroller General and the implications of those
results.
(4) Procedures for priorities of requests.--The Comptroller
General shall have discretion to develop procedures for
determining the priority and number of requests for review
under paragraph (1) for which a report will be submitted under
paragraph (2).
(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 AND DURATION OF PILOT PROJECT.
(a) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Duration of Pilot Project.--The pilot project under this Act
shall continue for a period of 3 years, if in each fiscal year, or
portion thereof included in that period, a specific annual
appropriation not less than $5,200,000 or the pro-rated equivalent
thereof shall have been made for the pilot project.
(c) Report.--Before the conclusion of the 3-year period, the
Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report reviewing the
effectiveness of the pilot project and recommending whether or not
Congress should permanently authorize the pilot project.
Passed the House of Representatives July 25, 2000.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.
Pages: 1 Other Popular 106th Congressional Bills Documents:
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