WASHINGTON – Bipartisan legislation from Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Senator James Lankford (Okla.) requiring proposed federal rules be summarized in plain language was approved today by a key Senate panel.
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act from Sinema and Lankford—the Ranking Member and Chairman, respectively, of the Senate Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management. The bill simplifies government rulemaking and increases transparency by requiring each federal agency’s proposed regulation be accompanied with a 100-word plain language summary.
“Complicated rules and regulations make the federal government inaccessible and unaccountable to everyday Arizonans. We are working to make sure the government answers to its people by cutting red tape and simplifying governmental rulemaking,” said Sinema.
Throughout her time in Congress, Sinema has made cutting unnecessary and overly burdensome regulations a top priority. Sinema cosponsored the bipartisan Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act (CRRA), which requires federal agencies to evaluate financial regulations every seven years to make sure they work as intended. She led the passage of the Fostering Innovation Act through the House, which helps promising biotech companies deliver life-saving treatments by eliminating costly and unnecessary auditing requirements. In 2017, Sinema introduced the bipartisan Regulatory Improvement Act, which eliminates outdated or redundant regulations for the purpose of reducing costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. She also championed the HALOS Act, which clarifies confusing regulations for Arizona startups and passed the House in 2017. In 2015, Sinema introduced the AUDIT Act, which eliminates duplicative federal programs and wasteful spending identified by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office.