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Multi-Industry Letter on Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011

The undersigned groups strongly support your introduction of the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011. Your bipartisan support for this bill makes clear that the need to update the 65 year old regulatory process transcends party affiliation.
 
Recognizing the precarious condition of America’s economy and continued weakness in job creation, our members believe that regulations need to be narrowly tailored, supported by strong and credible data and evidence, impose the least burden possible, while still implementing Congressional intent. In addition, when agencies produce regulations that do not reflect these requirements, better mechanisms to hold them accountable are needed. The Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 will restore these objectives to the regulatory process by:
  • Increasing public participation in shaping the most costly regulations before they are proposed.
  • Requiring that agencies must choose the least costly option unless they can demonstrate a need to protect public health, safety, or welfare.
  • Giving interested parties the opportunity to hold agencies accountable for their compliance with the Information Quality Act.
  • Providing for on-the-record administrative hearings for the most costly regulations to insure that agency data is well tested and reviewed.
  • Restricting agencies’ use of interim final regulations where no comments are taken before a regulation takes effect and providing for expedited judicial review of whether that approach is justified.
  • Providing for a more rigorous test in legal challenges for those regulations that would have the most impact. 

The Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 builds on established principles of fair regulatory process and review that have been embodied in bipartisan executive orders dating to at least the Clinton administration and will make the regulatory process more transparent, agencies more accountable, and regulations more cost effective. The Act will not affect any regulations that are already in effect.

We welcome the introduction of this bill and enthusiastically support it. We look forward to working with you on moving it forward.

Sincerely,

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
Aluminum Association
American Bakers Association
American Chemistry Council
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Forest & Paper Association
American Foundry Society
American Hotel and Lodging Association
American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association
American Petroleum Institute
Associated Builders & Contractors, Illinois Chapter
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.
Associated Builders & Contractors, Rocky Mountain Chapter
Associated General Contractors of America
Associated General Contractors of California
Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association
Brick Industry Association
Business Roundtable
Colorado Roofing Association
CTIA – The Wireless Association
Edison Electric Institute
Equipment Marketing & Distribution Association
Financial Services Forum
Industrial Energy Consumers of America
Industrial Supply Association
International Sign Association
International Warehouse Logistics Association
Irrigation Association
Marine Retailers Association of America
Metals Service Center Institute
National Association of Electrical Distributors
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of REALTORS®
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Club Association
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Electrical Contractors Association
National Federation of Independent Business
National Funeral Directors Association
National Marine Distributors Association
National Mining Association
National Newspaper Association
National Retail Federation
National Roofing Contractors Association
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
North American Association of Utility Distributors
North American Die Casting Association
North American Equipment Dealers Association
NPES—The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies
Nuclear Energy Institute
Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service Association
Portland Cement Association
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
SouthWestern Association (farm, industrial/construction and outdoor power equipment retailers)
SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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