U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) joined a trio of other lawmakers on Thursday in introducing legislation to ease the regulatory burdens of American job creators.
The Regulatory Review and Sunset Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), creates a process by which federal agencies would be required to regularly review regulations with an effect on the economy of $100 million or more to determine whether they should be continued, modified, consolidated or terminated.
“Every day, I hear from Missouri families, farmers and small businesses who say one of the biggest barriers to job creation and economic growth is the extreme regulatory burden,” Blunt said. “Americans need more economic certainty, and it’s long past time for Congress to take a hard look at regulations that have become millstones around the necks of job creators.”
If the bill become law, agencies would be required to consider the views of the public, and those views will be a factor in determining if rules will be deemed obsolete or unnecessary.
If an agency decides that it is forbidden from amending a rule as a result of existing law, the bill requires the agency to report back to Congress on proposed statutory changes that would permit the necessary reform.
U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) introduced a House companion version of the bill today.