Regulatory Report Card Act Brings Accountability to Government, Wins Praise from CEI Expert

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Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) introduced a Regulatory Report Card Act directing the Comptroller General of the United States to issue regulatory scorecards to agencies. The bill is aimed at making regulatory agencies more accountable for the restrictions, mandates, and costs they impose on businesses and industries. Competitive Enterprise Institute regulatory policy expert Wayne Crews praised the legislation.

“Regulation imposes a huge but unseen tax on American businesses and consumers, yet regulatory agencies are not held accountable for tracking and reporting on those costs to Congress. 

“Rep. Paul Gosar’s Regulatory Report Card Act (HR 8006) would go far in restoring accountability by requiring federal agencies submit to regulatory scoring developed by the Comptroller General assessing their activities and costs, and also require agency heads to report regularly to congressional oversight committees on their scorecard performance and how they might improve. 

“Among performance assessments, agencies would have to certify whether their rules are in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act, the Congressional Review Act and relevant executive orders on regulatory streamlining and oversight. Agencies would be expected to provide regulatory cost estimates, help the public keep track of ‘guidance’ documents via an internet portal, submit significant rules to the Office of Management and Budget for review, and demonstrate efforts at sunsetting rules and regulation. The disclosures that Rep. Gosar’s scorecard bill would make permanent are vital to make government more accountable.”