[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 143 (Thursday, September 14, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1789-E1790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           FEDERAL REPORTS ELIMINATION AND SUNSET ACT OF 1995

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                      HON. ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR.

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 1995
  Mr. EHRLICH. Speaker, today I offer the Federal Reports Elimination 
and Sunset Act of 1995, which streamlines Federal reporting 
requirements by cutting and reforming more than 200 congressionally 
mandated reporting requirements. This bill continues the positive work 
started earlier this session by the conferees for the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. Originally part of the Senate-passed version of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, it was agreed in conference, that these 
sections merited separate introduction as freestanding legislation. I 
offer this bill as a companion to S. 790, which 

[[Page E 1790]]
recently passed the Senate. I have the utmost confidence that the 
President will want to sign this important piece of legislation into 
law because it allows executive branch agencies to focus more resources 
on important current issues as opposed to focusing on outdated and 
unnecessary reporting requirements.
  This bill was sent to both the chair and ranking members of all House 
and Senate committees to illustrate the broad bipartisan support for 
this bill and generate the vast list of reports that are slated to be 
eliminated or modified. The response by both the majority and minority 
has been overwhelmingly favorable. The Congressional Budget Office 
estimates that enactment of this legislation could result in savings of 
$5 to $10 million even before additional savings from the sunset 
provision are factored in.
  The sunset provision eliminates those reports with an annual, 
semiannual, or regular periodic reporting requirement 4 years after the 
bill's enactment, while allowing Members of Congress to reauthorize 
those reports deemed necessary for carrying out effective congressional 
oversight. This provision does not apply to any reporting requirements 
under the Inspector General Act of 1978 or the Chief Financial Officers 
Act of 1990.
  I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this bill and lighten the red tape 
burden on executive branch agencies so that our Government can operate 
with fewer restrictions and greater efficiency.


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