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Press Release Published: Feb 28, 2014

Issa Statement on House Passage of Unfunded Mandates and Regulatory Transparency Bills

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WASHINGTON – Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) released the following statement on House passage of H.R. 899, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act and H.R. 2804, the Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act of 2014:

“Transparency and accountability will go a long way to addressing this Administration’s runaway expansion of the regulatory state,” Issa said.  “These reforms bring job-killing federal mandates out of the dark by giving the public ample time to see and prepare for their real costs and economic impact.  The reforms of Stop Government Abuse Week are a step in the right direction toward creating an open rulemaking process and undoing the economic damage of the federal government’s excessive bureaucratic regulation.  The American people deserve no less.”

The House today adopted H.R. 899, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act on a vote of 234-176.  Sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep James Lankford (R-OK) and reported out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last month, this bill will enhance transparency, accountability, and awareness of federal mandates placed on state and local governments, tribes and private sector entities. It will close loopholes in current law and requires better cost estimates of proposed mandates. H.R. 899 also allows for judicial review of an important part of agency analysis – whether or not the chosen regulation was the least costly, least burdensome regulatory alternative.

Yesterday, the House passed H.R. 2804, the Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act of 2014 on a vote of 236-179.  The version passed by the House included legislation recently reported out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  Sponsored by Rep. George Holding (R-NC), the bill requires each federal agency to submit monthly updates to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on rules the agency plans to propose or finalize during the following year.  For rules that have been noticed, the update must include information on cost and economic impact.  H.R. 2804 also requires OIRA to publish two annual assessments of regulatory activity.

During “Stop Government Abuse Week,” the House adopted six transparency-related bills reported out of the House Oversight Committee:

  • H.R. 1211, the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2014 by a vote of 410-0.  Introduced by Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee last year, H.R. 1211 will enhance the American people’s access to federal government information by improving the responsiveness of federal agencies to FOIA requests.
  • H.R. 1232, the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) by a voice vote.  Introduced by Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), this bill, among other reforms, will improve transparency in federal information technology (IT) procurement by ensuring that a public website, operated by the Office of Management and Budget, will track and grade at least 80-percent of the $80 billion in annual federal IT contracting investments.
    • H.R. 1423, the Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act by a voice vote.  Sponsored by Rep. James Lankford (R-OK) and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, H.R. 1423 will strengthen government accountability by establishing effective reporting requirements for federal agencies on use of taxpayer funds.
    • H.R. 3308, the Taxpayer Transparency Act by a voice vote.  Sponsored by Rep. Billy Long (R-MO) and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, this bill would create truth in federal advertising by requiring federal agencies to include language for advertising materials indicating when they are produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense.
    • H.R. 2804, the Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act of 2014 on a vote of 236-179.  The version passed by the House included legislation recently reported out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  Sponsored by Rep. George Holding (R-NC), the bill requires each federal agency to submit monthly updates to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on rules the agency plans to propose or finalize during the following year.  For rules that have been noticed, the update must include information on cost and economic impact.  H.R. 2804 also requires OIRA to publish two annual assessments of regulatory activity.
    • H.R. 899, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act on a vote of 234-176.  Sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep James Lankford (R-OK), this bill will enhance transparency, accountability, and awareness of federal mandates placed on state and local governments, tribes and private sector entities. It will close loopholes in current law and requires better cost estimates of proposed mandates. H.R. 899 also allows for judicial review of an important part of agency analysis – whether or not the chosen regulation was the least costly, least burdensome regulatory alternative.