Committee Passes Senator Lankford’s Regulatory and Transparency Bills

WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today favorably reported three pieces of regulatory reform legislation sponsored by Senator James Lankford (R-OK): the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, the Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act, and the Early Participation in Regulations Act. The Committee also passed the Federal Agency Customer Experience Act with Senator Lankford as the leading Republican cosponsor. 

“I’m pleased that these commonsense bills have been passed by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to improve the regulatory process and make government more transparent,” said Lankford. “The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act will ensure that the needs of small businesses are fully taken into account early in the rulemaking process. I’m pleased that a bipartisan group of Senators approved the Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act and Early Participation in Regulations Act; these bills will help improve the regulatory process by giving the American people more involvement in the process. And the Federal Agency Customer Experience Act is a good bill that will make sure the federal government is more responsive to the American people.”

Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (S. 584)

• Passed Committee by a roll call vote of 8-6.
• Requires federal agencies to analyze the total impact regulations have on all small businesses, and closes loopholes used by agencies to avoid compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement and Fairness Act of 1996.
• Waives fines for first time paperwork violations.

Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act (S. 577)

• Passed the Committee by voice vote.
• Requires agencies to provide a 100-word plain language summary of each rule when they issue a general notice of proposed rulemaking.

Early Participation in Regulations Act (S.579)

• Passed the Committee by a roll call vote of 11-3.
• Requires agencies to publish an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for major rules in the Federal Register at least 90 days before it publishes its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

Federal Agency Customer Experience Act (S.1088)

• Passed the Committee by voice vote
• Repeals a federal requirement that makes it difficult for agencies to get feedback from the public concerning their satisfaction with agencies’ customer service.

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