House Judiciary Subcommittee Approves Bill to Reform APA

On July 18, 2013, the House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law passed H.R. 2122 (S. 1029), the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2013, by voice vote.  The bill will now go to the full committee.  

H.R. 2122 would update the Administrative Procedures Act to reform how agencies promulgate regulations.  In particular, H.R. 2122 codifies some of the core requirements of Executive Orders (EOs) 12866 and 13563, which establish guidelines for federal agency rulemaking.  This includes requiring cost benefit analysis and greater input from the regulated community early in the rulemaking process for high-impact regulations.  Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) opening statement on the bill emphasized the need for the reforms given the impact costly regulations have on job growth and the economy.