Regulatory Affairs

Policy Priorities for 2012

Administrative Procedure Act Reforms

Promote commonsense changes to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and other relevant laws to ensure accountability, transparency, and efficiency in the federal regulatory process and to close loopholes in existing law.
Challenge efforts by agencies and others to circumvent procedural safeguards through settle and sue, reliance on guidance documents in lieu of rulemakings, and other measures.
Promote passage of H.R. 3010/S. 1606, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011, to modernize the APA and provide for improved federal rulemaking procedures. Provide for effective and efficient congressional review of major rules.
Ensure that federal agencies rely on sound science in formulating regulations, a proper cost-benefit study is completed, and agencies complete the job impact studies required by law.

Consumer Product Safety

Promote the intelligent application of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act so that businesses are not overly burdened with onerous regulatory compliance requirements.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Reform

Ensure that federal agencies respond to requests for information under FOIA in a timely and transparent manner.
Advocate for the creation of an online database to allow the public to track the progress of each FOIA request.
Call for the establishment of an ombudsman to hear disputes over FOIA claims.

Government Accountability

Ensure that federal agencies and programs operate efficiently and within budget and do not issue duplicative or obsolete regulations.

Information Quality Act

Support efforts by affected stakeholders to ensure that federal agencies subject to the act’s provisions comply with all of the requirements.

International Standards Affecting Domestic Regulation

Advocate for transparency, accountability, and compatibility in international standards by working through U.S. delegates, Congress, and industry allies.

National Environmental Policy Act Streamlining

Promote revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to allow projects to go through environmental reviews in an expedited fashion, with coordinated, simultaneous reviews by each of the relevant agencies, with limitations on the opportunity for judicial review.

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Work with OIRA in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure that EPA complies with Executive Order 13563, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and all other applicable laws, orders, and requirements.

Paperwork Reduction Act

Regulatory Flexibility Act

Work closely with House and Senate committees to address loopholes in this act.
Urge federal agencies to conduct a periodic review of regulations and rules as required under Section 610 of the act.

Regulatory Reform

Support efforts in Congress to enact H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which would require both houses of Congress to affirmatively approve, and the president to sign, any new major rule projected to have more than a $100 million economic impact, before it could become effective.

Unfunded Mandates Reduction Act

Support efforts in Congress to strengthen government compliance with and accountability under this act.

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