II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1219 

To require Federal agencies to assess the impact of Federal action on jobs 

and job opportunities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 16, 2011 

Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. ISAKSON, and Mr. VITTER) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To require Federal agencies to assess the impact of Federal 

action on jobs and job opportunities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This act may be cited as the ‘‘Employment Impact 

5 Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

7 The purposes of this Act are the following: 

8 (1) To declare that the impact of Federal regu9 lations on jobs and job prospects in the United 

10 States is a significant and relevant consideration to 


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1 all Federal regulatory policy actions and henceforth 

2 should be taken into account by Federal regulators 

3 when they decide to take actions under their respec4 tive statutory authorities. 

5 (2) To express the concern of Congress that 

6 Federal regulators consider the cumulative impact of 

7 multiple proposed Federal regulations on jobs and 

8 jobs prospects in the United States and that the cu9 mulative impact of such regulations should be given 

10 all due consideration and weighed in the balance 

11 with the other purposes sought to be achieved by 

12 such regulatory measures. 

13 SEC. 3. DUTY TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF FEDERAL ACTION 

14 ON JOBS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Congress authorizes and di16 rects, to the fullest extent possible, that all agencies of 

17 the Federal Government shall— 

18 (1) utilize a systematic, interdisciplinary ap19 proach which shall insure the integrated use of the 

20 relevant fields of research and learning in planning 

21 and decisionmaking which may have an impact on 

22 jobs and job opportunities; 

23 (2) identify and develop methods and proce24 dures, in consultation with the Council on Economic 

25 Advisors, Office of the President, which will insure 


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1 that presently unquantified impacts on job and job 

2 opportunities may be given appropriate consideration 

3 in decisionmaking along with environmental and 

4 other considerations; and 

5 (3) include in every recommendation or report 

6 on proposals for legislation and other major Federal 

7 actions with potentially significant effects on jobs 

8 and job opportunities, a jobs impact statement as 

9 described in subsection (b). 

10 (b) JOBS IMPACT STATEMENT.— 

11 (1) CONTENTS.—A jobs impact statement re12 quired under subsection (a) shall include a detailed 

13 statement by the responsible official on— 

14 (A) the impact of the proposed action on 

15 jobs and job opportunities, including an assess16 ment of the jobs that would be lost, gained, or 

17 sent overseas as a result of the proposed action; 

18 (B) any adverse effect on jobs and job op19 portunities which could not be avoided should 

20 the proposal be implemented; 

21 (C) alternatives and modifications to the 

22 proposed action that could avoid negative im23 pacts on jobs and job opportunities; and 

24 (D) the relationship between any local 

25 short-term impacts on jobs and job opportuniVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:09 Jun 21, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1219.IS S1219

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1 ties and the maintenance and enhancements of 

2 long-term productivity and environmental val3 ues. 

4 (2) CONSULTATION WITH RELEVANT FEDERAL

5 AGENCIES.—Prior to preparing a jobs impact state6 ment, the responsible Federal official shall consult 

7 with and obtain the comments of any Federal agen8 cy which has jurisdiction by law or special expertise 

9 with respect to any jobs or job opportunities impacts 

10 involved. Copies of such statement and the com11 ments and views of the appropriate Federal, State, 

12 and local agencies that are authorized to develop and 

13 enforce policies and programs relevant to jobs and 

14 job opportunities, shall be made available to the 

15 Council of Economic Advisors and to the public as 

16 provided by section 552 of title 5, United States 

17 Code, and shall accompany the proposal through the 

18 existing agency review process. 

19 (3) CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF PROPOSED AC20 TIONS.—In determining the impact of a proposed 

21 action on jobs and job opportunities, the responsible 

22 Federal official shall take into account the cumu23 lative impact on jobs and job opportunities of con24 currently pending proposals affecting a particular in25 dustry or sector of the economy, and shall not make 


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1 a finding of no significant impact solely on the basis 

2 of examining the impacts of a single proposal in iso3 lation from other pending proposals. 

4 (4) COMBINING ENVIRONMENTAL AND JOB IM5 PACT STATEMENTS.—A jobs impact statement re6 quired under this Act may be combined with a de7 tailed statement of environmental impacts required 

8 to be prepared under the National Environmental 

9 Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), if both 

10 statements are required with respect to the same 

11 proposed action. 

12 SEC. 4. CONFORMITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES. 

13 All agencies of the Federal Government shall review 

14 their present statutory authority, administrative regula15 tions, and current policies and procedures for the purpose 

16 of determining whether there are any deficiencies or incon17 sistencies therein which prohibit full compliance with the 

18 purposes and provisions of this Act, and shall propose to 

19 the President not later than one year after enactment of 

20 this Act, such measures as may be necessary to bring their 

21 authority and policies into conformity with the intent, pur22 poses, and procedures set forth in this Act. 


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1 SEC. 5. NO JUDICIAL REVIEW OF JOBS IMPACT STATE2 MENTS. 

3 Implementation of this Act, including a jobs impact 

4 statement prepared in accordance with this Act, shall not 

5 be subject to judicial review. 

Æ 


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