Senate Hearing on EPA Unfunded Mandates
January 1, 2016
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The Frame
The hearing addresses the financial burden placed on local taxpayers when the federal government requires state and local agencies to implement environmental regulations without providing the necessary funding to cover the costs.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
State, Local, and Tribal Governments
These entities are responsible for implementing EPA regulations and managing the associated compliance costs within their limited budgets.
Taxpayers
Local citizens often bear the financial burden of compliance costs passed down through local government budgets.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Key Facts
- The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) requires federal agencies to evaluate regulatory alternatives when a rule imposes $100 million or more in annual expenditures.
- UMRA mandates that agencies choose the most cost-effective alternative to meet regulatory goals without imposing unreasonable costs on smaller governments.
- The American Action Forum reported that the EPA finalized 163 regulations between 2009 and 2016, totaling $312.2 billion in regulatory costs.
- The number of EPA regulations triggering UMRA increased from 7 (between 2005-2008) to 19 (between 2009-2014).
- The hearing was held on June 7, 2016, by the Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an unfunded mandate?
What does the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) require?
Why It Matters
The hearing addresses the financial burden placed on local taxpayers when the federal government requires state and local agencies to implement environmental regulations without providing the necessary funding to cover the costs.
News Coverage
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Increase in UMRA-triggering rules
The data presented indicates a significant increase in the number of EPA regulations triggering UMRA requirements between the 2005-2008 period and the 2009-2014 period.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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