Overview
Title
To amend chapter 6 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Regulatory Flexibility Act), to ensure complete disclosure of an agency’s annual regulatory agenda.
ELI5 AI
The bill is trying to make sure that government agencies clearly explain their plans for new rules, especially how they might affect businesses. It wants them to write these explanations in simple words so everyone can easily find and understand them on their websites.
Summary AI
H. R. 9030 aims to amend chapter 6 of title 5 of the United States Code, specifically the Regulatory Flexibility Act, to require more detailed reporting of an agency's regulatory agenda. It mandates that agencies include descriptions of industrial sectors significantly impacted by proposed rules and ensures this information is displayed on their websites. Additionally, the Small Business Administration must provide plain language summaries of these agendas on its website to increase transparency.
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AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The proposed legislation, titled the “Regulatory Agenda Clarity Act,” seeks to amend chapter 6 of title 5 of the United States Code—widely recognized as the “Regulatory Flexibility Act.” The primary goal of the bill is to enhance the transparency of federal agencies by ensuring they fully disclose their annual regulatory agendas. The amendment specifically mandates the inclusion of detailed descriptions of economic impacts on various sectors, and it obliges agencies to provide straightforward summaries of these agendas on both their websites and the Small Business Administration's site shortly after publication.
Summary of Significant Issues
Several potential challenges are associated with this bill. Firstly, it requires agencies to produce a "plain language summary" of their regulatory agendas. Due to the subjective nature of the term "plain language," there is a risk of inconsistency in how different agencies fulfill this requirement. Additionally, the bill demands rapid compliance, instructing agencies to publish their summaries within three days, which could strain agencies lacking adequate resources. Furthermore, the lack of a specific enforcement mechanism might lead to uneven implementation, undermining the objective of consistent public transparency. Lastly, the bill fails to quantify what constitutes a "substantial number of small entities," leading to potential interpretative variations across sectors and possibly inconsistent applications.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
Broad Public Impact
For the general public, especially those interested in regulatory processes, the bill promises increased transparency about upcoming regulations that might affect various sectors. This improvement in transparency could facilitate better public understanding and engagement with regulatory decision-making processes.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For small businesses, the bill could offer clearer insights into how forthcoming regulations might impact them, enabling them to prepare more effectively. However, if the implementation of the bill is inconsistent or fails to meet its own transparency standards due to the issues outlined, small businesses might face uncertainty and unpredictability regarding regulatory changes.
Federal agencies, tasked with executing these amendments, might face administrative and financial challenges without additional funding or resources. These constraints could negatively impact the quality and timeliness of the summaries provided to the public.
In summary, while the bill aims to foster transparency and accountability within federal agencies, its effectiveness depends heavily on clear guidelines, consistent implementation, and resources necessary to meet new demands. Without addressing these issues, the legislation may fall short of its potential benefits for both the public and targeted stakeholders such as small businesses.
Issues
The requirement in Section 2 for a 'plain language summary' to be prominently displayed on agency websites could lead to inconsistencies as the term is subjective and different agencies may interpret and implement this requirement differently, potentially affecting the clarity and accessibility of information to the public.
Section 2 imposes a rapid compliance timeline ('Not later than 3 days') for agencies to publish a summary of the regulatory flexibility agenda. This may be impractical for some agencies due to limited resources, potentially leading to non-compliance or rushed summaries that detract from the quality of information provided to the public.
There is no mechanism specified in Section 2 for ensuring compliance with the new requirement for plain language summaries. This lack of enforcement could lead to uneven implementation across agencies, ultimately affecting transparency and consistency in the dissemination of regulatory information.
In Section 2, the term 'substantial number of small entities' is not quantified, leading to potential discrepancies in how different sectors interpret the impact threshold. This could result in inconsistent application of the regulation, affecting the fairness and predictability for small businesses that are supposed to benefit from this legislative amendment.
The modifications introduced in Section 2 could increase administrative costs without specifying any source of funding or resources to aid agencies in complying with the enhanced requirements, posing potential budgetary challenges for institutions.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of this Act is called the "Regulatory Agenda Clarity Act," which serves as its short title.
2. Expansion of report of regulatory agenda Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill amends Section 602 of title 5, United States Code, to require agencies to describe which sectors will be significantly impacted by new rules and to make plain language summaries of regulatory agendas available on their websites and the Small Business Administration's website within three days of publication.