[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 9, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6798-S6799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SHELBY (for himself, Mr. Bond, and Mr. Lott):
  S. 1198. A bill to amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to 
provide for a report by the General Accounting Office to Congress on 
agency regulatory actions, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Governmental Affairs.


  congressional accountability for regulatory information act of 1999

  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1198

       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 ``Congressional Accountability 
     for Regulatory Information Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) many Federal regulations have improved the quality of 
     life of the American public, however, uncontrolled increases 
     in regulatory costs and lost opportunities for better 
     regulation cannot be continued;
       (2) the legislative branch has a responsibility to ensure 
     that laws passed by Congress are properly implemented by the 
     executive branch; and
       (3) in order for the legislative branch to fulfill its 
     responsibilities to ensure that laws passed by Congress are 
     implemented in an efficient, effective, and fair manner, the 
     Congress requires accurate and reliable information on which 
     to base decisions.

     SEC. 3. REPORTS ON REGULATORY ACTIONS BY THE GENERAL 
                   ACCOUNTING OFFICE.

       (a) In General.--Section 801(a)(2) of title 5, United 
     States Code, is amended by striking

[[Page S6799]]

     subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:
       ``(B)(i) After an agency publishes a regulatory action, a 
     committee of either House of Congress with legislative or 
     oversight jurisdiction relating to the action may request the 
     Comptroller General to review the action under clause (ii).
       ``(ii) Of requests made under clause (i), the Comptroller 
     General shall provide a report on each regulatory action 
     selected under clause (iv) to the committee which requested 
     the report (and the committee of jurisdiction in the other 
     House of Congress) not later than 180 calendar days after the 
     committee request is received. The report shall include an 
     independent analysis of the regulatory action by the 
     Comptroller General using any relevant data or analyses 
     available to or generated by the General Accounting Office.
       ``(iii) The independent analysis of the regulatory action 
     by the Comptroller General under clause (ii) shall include--
       ``(I) an analysis by the Comptroller General of the 
     potential benefits of the regulatory action, including any 
     beneficial effects that cannot be quantified in monetary 
     terms and the identification of those likely to receive the 
     benefits;
       ``(II) an analysis by the Comptroller General of the 
     potential costs of the regulatory action, including any 
     adverse effects that cannot be quantified in monetary terms 
     and the identification of those likely to bear the costs;
       ``(III) an analysis by the Comptroller General of any 
     alternative regulatory approaches, which have been 
     identified, that could achieve the same goal in a more cost-
     effective manner or that could provide greater net benefits, 
     and, if applicable, a brief explanation of any statutory 
     reasons why such alternatives could not be adopted;
       ``(IV) an analysis of the extent to which the regulatory 
     action would affect State or local governments; and
       ``(V) a summary of how the results of the Comptroller 
     General's analysis differ, if at all, from the results of the 
     analyses of the agency in promulgating the regulatory action.
       ``(iv) In consultation with the Majority and Minority 
     Leaders of the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of 
     the House of Representatives, the Comptroller General shall 
     develop procedures for determining the priority and number of 
     those requests for review under clause (i) that will be 
     reported under clause (ii).
       ``(C) Federal agencies shall cooperate with the Comptroller 
     General by promptly providing the Comptroller General with 
     such records and information as the Comptroller General 
     determines necessary to carry out this section.''.
       (b) Definitions.--Section 804 of title 5, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
     (3) and (5), respectively;
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) The term `independent analysis' means a substantive 
     review of the agency's underlying assessments and assumptions 
     used in developing the regulatory action and any additional 
     analysis the Comptroller General determines to be 
     necessary.''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as redesignated by 
     paragraph (1) of this subsection) the following:
       ``(4) The term `regulatory action' means--
       ``(A) notice of proposed rule making;
       ``(B) final rule making, including interim final rule 
     making; or
       ``(C) a rule.''.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the General 
     Accounting Office to carry out chapter 8 of title 5, United 
     States Code, $5,200,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through 
     2003.

     SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take 
     effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

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