OVERNIGHT REGULATION: GOP takes new crack at regulatory reform

Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATION, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Wednesday evening here in Washington and we’re still talking about the drone that landed on the lawn of the Capitol.

Without further adieu:

 

THE BIG STORY

House Republicans are pushing through a new round of regulatory reform bills aimed at curbing what they see as executive overreach. http://bit.ly/1JLgXUo

No major regulations would go into effect without congressional approval under the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which cleared a key House panel Wednesday.

{mosads}The House Judiciary Committee voted 15-10 to send the REINS Act introduced by Rep. Todd Young (R-Ind.) to the floor for final approval.

The controversial bill would drastically slow the pace of regulations, giving congressional Republicans the power to veto rules from the Obama administration.

Republicans say the Obama administration’s regulatory agenda is out of control and needs to be stopped. But Democrats are fiercely opposed to the bill because it would make it easier for Republicans to interfere with what they believe are essential rules.

The All Economic Regulations are Transparent (ALERT) Act also cleared the committee and is headed to the floor for a vote. 

The ALERT Act introduced by Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) would bring more transparency to the regulatory process. Federal agencies would be required to provide detailed disclosures about the rules they promulgate.

“Unnecessary regulation imposed by federal bureaucrats hinders job creation and hurts millions of Americans who struggle to secure full-time employment,” House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said in a statement. 

“Americans simply cannot afford to pick up the tab of federal bureaucrats,” he added. “Americans deserve an accountable regulatory system.”

 

ON TAP FOR THURSDAY

The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the regulatory burdens consumers face when trying to obtain mortgage credit. http://1.usa.gov/1zaiJIF

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a subcommittee hearing to examine the hydraulic fracturing rule from the Bureau of Land Management. http://1.usa.gov/1NKVoJs

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 150 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register. 

Here’s what to look for:

–The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will issue new guidelines aimed at curbing smoking among blue collar workers.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of HHS, is releasing a new bulletin that addresses workplace tobacco policies.

“Overall, smoking among workers has similarly declined, but smoking rates among blue-collar workers have been shown to be consistently higher than among white-collar workers,” the agency wrote. “Among blue-collar workers, those exposed to higher levels of workplace dust and chemical hazards are more likely to be smokers. 

“Also, on average, blue-collar smokers smoke more heavily than white-collar smokers,” the agency added. http://bit.ly/1DIMAxg

–The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) may exempt military truck drivers from certain hours-of-service regulations.

The Department of Defense’s Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command is requesting a renewal of an exemption for military drivers from a rule that requires them to rest for 30 minutes.

“The exemption renewal would allow these drivers to use 30 minutes or more of attendance time to meet the (hours-of-service) rest break requirements, provided they do not perform any other work during the break,” the FMCSA wrote.

The public has 30 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1FUj3A4

–The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will issue new guidelines for bus systems that receive federal financial assistance. 

The guidance goes into effect in 30 days. http://bit.ly/1IeQ6z0

–The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will consider new quality standards at certain nuclear power plants for components containing water, steam, or radioactive material.

The public has 60 days to comment on the NRC’s draft regulatory guidance. http://bit.ly/1aWiM4P

–The Federal Reserve will propose new banking reserve requirements.

The proposed changes would allow the Fed to base interest payments on a daily rate.

The public has 30 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1NKLWpl

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Pot: Children would have access to medical marijuana under new legislation introduced Tuesday in the House. http://bit.ly/1Dg28Hh

Leg room: Consumer groups are pushing the federal government to require airlines to provide passengers more space on flights. http://bit.ly/1OBRwY4

Health snacks: KINDSnacks’ fruit and nut bars claim to be “healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome,” but the Food and Drug Administration said the labels are misleading. http://bit.ly/1FSGtIR

Minimum wage: On Tax Day, thousands of low-wage workers around the country are protesting for a minimum wage of $15 an hour and the opportunity to form a union. http://bit.ly/1awBUGa

Wall Street: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) laid out an ambitious legislative and regulatory blueprint for further curbs on the financial sector Wednesday. http://bit.ly/1awM2ia

Immigration: A federal judge in Seattle has given immigrant advocates a victory, NPR reports. http://n.pr/1OeZtjZ

Dispensaries: Washington state lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries running in parallel with recreational-use cannabis stores, Reuters reports. http://reut.rs/1E2CxVA

 

BY THE NUMBERS

$7.25: The current federal minimum wage.

$8.25: The current minimum wage in Washington, D.C.

$15: The minimum wage level that labor unions and low-wage workers are pushing for across the country.

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“What people make now is barely enough to get them through the month. They don’t have enough money to take their kids out to a movie, or take them out to a ballgame, or buy them some popcorn or ice cream,” — Delvone Michael, executive director of DC Working Families, talking about the push to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

 

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and@wheelerlydia.

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