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This bill would look to improve the monetary efficiency of government agencies. Every single one: from the FDA to the EPA, and everything in between. It would do so by requiring agencies that have an economic impact — defined as cost to taxpayers or businesses — of $100 million or more to open up their own analysis of how they use their budget to outside analysts.

The bill would also change the way rule-makers consider alternative rules, plus the impact of potential rules they are considering implementing. The judicial review process under this legislation would prevent judges from deferring to regulators’ assessments made throughout the public comment and hearing processes. It would also require that agencies with an impact of $1 billion or more hold public hearings on their budgets.

Current procedures for rule-making would be changed to require federal agencies to make all preliminary and final factual determinations based on evidence. They would also be mandated to consider:

The legal authority under which a rule may be proposed.
The specific nature and significance of the problem the agency may address with a rule.
Whether existing rules have created or contributed to the problem the agency may address with a rule, and whether these rules can be amended or rescinded.
Any reasonable alternatives for a new rule.
The potential costs and benefits associated with potential alternative rules.

","official_title":"To reform the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents, to clarify the nature of judicial review of agency interpretations, to ensure complete analysis of potential impacts on small entities of rules, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)\n\nRegulatory Accountability Act of 2017\n\nTITLE I--REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT\n\nRegulatory Accountability Act\n\n(Sec. 103) This bill revises federal rulemaking procedures under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to require a federal agency to make all preliminary and final factual determinations based on evidence and to consider: (1) the legal authority under which a rule may be proposed; (2) the specific nature and significance of the problem the agency may address with a rule; (3) whether existing rules have created or contributed to the problem the agency may address with a rule and whether such rules may be amended or rescinded; (4) any reasonable alternatives for a new rule; and (5) the potential costs and benefits associated with potential alternative rules, including impacts on low-income populations.\n\nRulemaking notice requirements are revised to ...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Taxpayers, people who want to join public hearings on the rule-making process, federal agencies, their staff and the rules that apply to them, federal judges, the Office of Management and Budget Administration, Congress, and the U.S. Economy.","argument_for":"The government spends a lot of money on regulatory agencies. 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The Union of Concerned Scientists lays out the case pretty clearly: http://blog.ucsusa.org/celia-wexler/beware-of-this-zombie-bill-777?","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":1,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/24d9743b-d43f-458b-aa7c-279ec014d820"},"body":"Let science, not money, drive what agencies like the EPA regulate. The Union of Concerned Scientists lays out the case pretty clearly: http://blog.ucsusa.org/celia-wexler/beware-of-this-zombie-bill-777?","stance":"nay","created_at":"2017-02-17T11:21:20.967Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/24d9743b-d43f-458b-aa7c-279ec014d820.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr5-115","user_id":"A9GDrRAW","endorser_ids":["0emQpZxM"]}}

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Should Government Agencies Streamline Their Rule-Making Process And Justify Spending?