Washington—The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on May 17 passed the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (RAA), which they said would ensure a transparent, accountable, and common sense regulatory process. The bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote.
The legislation was praised by both The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA). “We understand and support the need for reasonable, science-based regulations, however, the process by which laws are passed and implemented by Congress is too costly, confusing, and cumbersome,” said TFI President Chris Jahn. “The time has come for Congress to act and modernize the regulatory process. The changes proposed in the RAA are a positive step in the right direction of ensuring the proper balance between workable regulations and addressing the needs and concerns of impacted stakeholders.”
ARA cited examples of what it described as “excessive expansion of federal regulations” over the past seven years that it said would “impose unprecedented costs on American Industries.” ARA said these include EPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP), the current Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, duplicative permit requirements, the new Worker Protection Rule (WPS), Certification and Training Applicator rules, and the registration and review process for pesticides.
“All stakeholders have a right to a fair, open, and transparent rule-making that respects the proper role of the states and the intent of Congress,” ARA said. “The nation needs a regulatory process that fosters transparency, enhances public participation, imposes accountability in agency decision making, and ensures that agencies follow Congressional intent.”