House Passes Bill To Limit Regulation

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed legislation that would make it more difficult for the federal government to issue regulations. But the bill, H.R. 2804, stands little chance in the Democrat-controlled Senate and is unlikely to become law. The legislation, passed on Feb. 27, would add layers of procedural requirements for rule-making. Under the bill, the White House would have to publicly post information about a rule for six months before an agency could finalize the regulation. This would be on top of the current procedure—which can take years—that includes public notice and a comment period. Before an agency issues a rule, the measure would force it to do extensive analyses beyond those already required, such as cost-benefit analysis. In addition, the bill would require agencies to select the least costly option when they weigh alternative possibilities for regulations. Public interest groups say this would allow industry to block rules by questioning whether agencies analyzed every option and selected the one least costly to businesses.