- § 1551. Baseline study of costs and benefits
- § 1552. Report on Federal mandates by Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
- § 1553. Special authorities of Advisory Commission
- § 1554. Annual report to Congress regarding Federal court rulings
- § 1555. “Federal mandate” defined
- § 1556. Authorization of appropriations
§ 1551. Baseline study of costs and benefits
(a) In general
(b) Considerations
The study required by this section shall consider—
(1) the feasibility of measuring indirect costs and benefits as well as direct costs and benefits of the Federal, State, local, and tribal relationship; and
(2) how to measure both the direct and indirect benefits of Federal financial assistance and tax benefits to State, local, and tribal governments.
(Pub. L. 104–4, title III, § 301, Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 67.)
§ 1552. Report on Federal mandates by Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
(a) In generalThe Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations shall in accordance with this section—
(1) investigate and review the role of Federal mandates in intergovernmental relations and their impact on State, local, tribal, and Federal government objectives and responsibilities, and their impact on the competitive balance between State, local, and tribal governments, and the private sector and consider views of and the impact on working men and women on those same matters;
(2) investigate and review the role of unfunded State mandates imposed on local governments;
(3) make recommendations to the President and the Congress regarding—
(A) allowing flexibility for State, local, and tribal governments in complying with specific Federal mandates for which terms of compliance are unnecessarily rigid or complex;
(B) reconciling any 2 or more Federal mandates which impose contradictory or inconsistent requirements;
(C) terminating Federal mandates which are duplicative, obsolete, or lacking in practical utility;
(D) suspending, on a temporary basis, Federal mandates which are not vital to public health and safety and which compound the fiscal difficulties of State, local, and tribal governments, including recommendations for triggering such suspension;
(E) consolidating or simplifying Federal mandates, or the planning or reporting requirements of such mandates, in order to reduce duplication and facilitate compliance by State, local, and tribal governments with those mandates;
(F) establishing common Federal definitions or standards to be used by State, local, and tribal governments in complying with Federal mandates that use different definitions or standards for the same terms or principles; and
(G)
(i) the mitigation of negative impacts on the private sector that may result from relieving State, local, and tribal governments from Federal mandates (if and to the extent that such negative impacts exist on the private sector); and
(ii) the feasibility of applying relief from Federal mandates in the same manner and to the same extent to private sector entities as such relief is applied to State, local, and tribal governments; and
(4) identify and consider in each recommendation made under paragraph (3), to the extent practicable—
(A) the specific Federal mandates to which the recommendation applies, including requirements of the departments, agencies, and other entities of the Federal Government that State, local, and tribal governments utilize metric systems of measurement; and
(B) any negative impact on the private sector that may result from implementation of the recommendation.
(b) Criteria
(1) In general
(2) Issuance of proposed criteria
(3) Final criteriaNo later than 45 days after the date of issuance of proposed criteria, the Commission shall—
(A) consider comments on the proposed criteria received under paragraph (2);
(B) adopt and incorporate in final criteria any recommendations submitted in those comments that the Commission determines will aid the Commission in carrying out its duties under this section; and
(C) issue final criteria under this subsection.
(c) Preliminary report
(1) In generalNo later than 9 months after March 22, 1995, the Commission shall—
(A) prepare and publish a preliminary report on its activities under this subchapter, including preliminary recommendations pursuant to subsection (a);
(B) publish in the Federal Register a notice of availability of the preliminary report; and
(C) provide copies of the preliminary report to the public upon request.
(2) Public hearings
(d) Final report
(e) Priority to mandates that are subject of judicial proceedings
(f) “State mandate” defined
(Pub. L. 104–4, title III, § 302, Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 67.)
§ 1553. Special authorities of Advisory Commission
(a) Experts and consultants
(b) Detail of staff of Federal agencies
(c) Administrative support services
(d) Contract authority
(Pub. L. 104–4, title III, § 303, Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 69.)
§ 1554. Annual report to Congress regarding Federal court rulings
No later than 4 months after March 22, 1995, and no later than March 15 of each year thereafter, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations shall submit to the Congress, including the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and to the President a report describing any Federal court case to which a State, local, or tribal government was a party in the preceding calendar year that required such State, local, or tribal government to undertake responsibilities or activities, beyond those such government would otherwise have undertaken, to comply with Federal statutes and regulations.
(Pub. L. 104–4, title III, § 304, Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 70.)
§ 1555. “Federal mandate” defined
Notwithstanding section 1502 of this title, for purposes of this subchapter the term “Federal mandate” means any provision in statute or regulation or any Federal court ruling that imposes an enforceable duty upon State, local, or tribal governments including a condition of Federal assistance or a duty arising from participation in a voluntary Federal program.
(Pub. L. 104–4, title III, § 305, Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 70.)
§ 1556. Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Advisory Commission to carry out section 1551 of this title and section 1552 of this title, $500,000 for each of fiscal years 1995 and 1996.
(Pub. L. 104–4, title III, § 306, Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 70.)