House Republicans have targeted a rollback of unfunded federal mandates for their next legislative push, The Washington Examiner reports.
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., has introduced legislation to "increase transparency about the costs of unfunded federal mandates and to hold the federal government accountable for considering those costs before passing them on to local governments and the private sector," known as the Unfunded Mandates Information & Transparency Act.
"Every year Washington imposes thousands of rules on local governments and small businesses. Hidden in those rules are costly mandates that stretch state and city budgets and make it harder for North Carolina businesses to hire," Foxx said while introducing the bill last year.
Foxx’s bill would amend the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, closing a loophole involving rulemaking procedure that allows regulations to avoid close scrutiny, ensuring that several independent federal agencies that are exempt from the original law are included, and requiring that agencies consider potential lost profits caused by regulations, as well as adding some changes former President Bill Clinton attempted to make in 1993.
"At the very least policymakers and unelected regulators should know the price of what they dictate," she continued. “The Unfunded Mandates Information & Transparency Act will help restore honesty and transparency to federal mandates and ensure Washington bureaucrats are held accountable for seeking public input and considering the negative consequences, in dollars and in jobs, prospective mandates will impose on the economy."
GOP leaders in the House will call up the legislation next week. It was approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee by a vote of 20-10, split down party lines.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.