H.R. 185: “Regulatory Accountability Act”

By SBE Council at 12 January, 2015, 10:20 am

UPDATE:  The U.S. House passed H.R. 185 by a vote of 250-175. See vote totals and breakdown here.

The Honorable Bob Goodlatte

Chairman

Committee on Judiciary

U.S. House of Representatives

2138 Rayburn Building

Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Collin Peterson

U.S. House of Representatives

2204 Rayburn Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Goodlatte and Representative Peterson:

On behalf of the members of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), thank you for introducing H.R. 185, the “Regulatory Accountability Act.” SBE Council strongly supports this important initiative to bring transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness to the federal regulatory process.

Our members, who represent a broad cross-section of America’s small businesses and the self-employed, directly experience the degree to which onerous government regulations add to the cost of starting up and conducting business. All too often, government regulators promulgate new rules without consulting outside stakeholders or considering the additional cost and red tape these regulations will impose. And as you well know, regulations have a disproportionate impact on small firms. Excessive regulation is harming entrepreneurship and the competitiveness of U.S. small businesses.

H.R. 185 would update the Administrative Procedures Act by requiring that the regulatory process be more transparent and reliant on current information. The legislation brings needed accountability to the process with respect to quality information, legal challenges and public participation.

SBE Council is pleased to support H.R. 185. Our members look forward to working with you to advance this common-sense legislation into law.

Sincerely,

Karen Kerrigan, President and CEO