I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3269 
To establish an independent advisory committee to review certain regulations, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 13, 2019 
Mr. GOTTHEIMER (for himself, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. KIND, and 
Mr. YOHO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on 
Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish an independent advisory committee to review 
certain regulations, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Regulatory Improve-
ment Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
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(1) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Regu-
latory Improvement Commission established under 
section 3; 
(2) the term ‘‘commission bill’’ means a bill 
consisting of the proposed legislative language of the 
Commission recommended under section 4(h)(2)(C) 
and introduced under section 4(i)(1); and 
(3) the term ‘‘covered regulation’’ means a reg-
ulation that has been finalized not later than 10 
years before the date on which the Commission is es-
tablished. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
legislative branch a commission to be known as the ‘‘Regu-
latory Improvement Commission’’. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be 
composed of 9 members, of whom— 
(A) 1 member shall be appointed by the 
President, and shall serve as the Chairperson of 
the Commission; 
(B) 2 members shall be appointed by the 
majority leader of the Senate; 
(C) 2 members shall be appointed by the 
minority leader of the Senate; 
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(D) 2 members shall be appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives; and 
(E) 2 members shall be appointed by the 
minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(2) DATE.—The appointment of the members 
of the Commission shall be made not later than 60 
days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(3) QUALIFICATIONS.— 
(A) CHAIR.—The Chair of the Commission 
shall be an individual with expertise and experi-
ence in rulemaking, such as past Administra-
tors of the Office of Information and Regu-
latory Affairs, past chairmen of the Administra-
tive Conference of the United States, and other 
individuals with similar expertise and experi-
ence in rulemaking affairs and the administra-
tion of regulatory reviews. 
(B) MEMBERS.—Members appointed to the 
Commission shall be prominent citizens of the 
United States with national recognition and a 
significant depth of experience and responsibil-
ities in matters relating to government service, 
regulatory policy, economics, Federal agency 
management, public administration, and law. 
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(4) LIMITATION.—Not more than 5 members 
appointed to the Commission may be from the same 
political party. 
(c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem-
bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any 
vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but 
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appoint-
ment. 
(d) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date on which all members of the Commission have 
been appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meet-
ing. 
(e) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the 
call of the Chairman. 
(f) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.—Each meeting of the 
Commission shall be open to the public, unless a member 
objects. 
(g) QUORUM.—Five members of the Commission 
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members 
may hold hearings. 
(h) NONAPPLICABILITY OF THE FEDERAL ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Commission. 
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SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Commission is to 
evaluate and provide recommendations for modification, 
consolidation, or repeal of covered regulations with the 
aim of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and 
innovation, and improving competitiveness, all while pro-
tecting public health and safety. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out subsection (a), 
the Commission shall— 
(1) give priority in its analysis of covered regu-
lations to those that— 
(A) impose disproportionately high costs 
on a small entity (as defined in section 601 of 
title 5, United States Code); 
(B) impose substantial paperwork burdens; 
or 
(C) could be strengthened in their effec-
tiveness while reducing regulatory costs; 
(2) solicit and review comments from the public 
on the covered regulations described this section; 
and 
(3) develop a set of covered regulations to mod-
ify, consolidate, or repeal to be submitted to Con-
gress for an up-or-down vote. 
(c) PUBLIC COMMENTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of the initial meeting of the Commission, 
the Commission shall initiate a process to solicit and 
collect written recommendations from the general 
public, interested parties, Federal agencies, and 
other relevant entities regarding which covered regu-
lations should be examined. 
(2) SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.—The 
Commission shall ensure that the process initiated 
under paragraph (1) allows for recommendations to 
be submitted to the Commission through the Web 
site of the Commission or by mail. 
(3) LENGTH OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.— 
The period for the submission of recommendations 
under this subsection shall end 120 days after the 
date on which the process is initiated under para-
graph (1). 
(4) PUBLICATION.—At the end of the period for 
the submission of recommendations under this sub-
section, all submitted recommendations shall be pub-
lished in the Federal Register and on the Web site 
of the Commission. 
(d) COMMISSION OUTREACH.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—During the public comment 
period described in subsection (c), the Commission 
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shall conduct public outreach and convene focus 
groups to better inform the commissioners of the 
public’s interest and possible contributions to the 
work of the Commission. 
(2) FOCUS
GROUPS.—The focus groups re-
quired under paragraph (1) shall include individuals 
affiliated with the Office of Information and Regu-
latory Affairs, the Administrative Conference of the 
United States, the offices within Federal agencies 
responsible for small business affairs and regulatory 
compliance, and, at the discretion of the Commis-
sion, other relevant stakeholders from within or out-
side the regulatory entities. 
(e) COMMISSION REVIEW OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.— 
Not later than 45 days after the date on which the period 
for the submission of recommendations ends under sub-
section (c), the Commission shall convene to review sub-
mitted recommendations and to identify covered regula-
tions to modify, consolidate, or eliminate. 
(f) EXAMINATION OF REGULATIONS.— 
(1) PROCESS
FOR
EXAMINATION.—In exam-
ining covered regulations under this section, the 
Commission shall determine the effectiveness of indi-
vidual covered regulations, by using multiple re-
sources, including quantitative metrics, testimony 
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from industry and agency experts, and research 
from the staff of the Commission. 
(2) DEADLINE.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date on which the Commission convenes under 
subsection (e), the Commission shall complete a sub-
stantial examination of covered regulations. 
(g) INITIAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date on which the Commission convenes under 
subsection (e), the Commission shall publish, and 
make available to the public for comment, a report, 
which shall include— 
(A) the findings and conclusions of the 
Commission for the improvement of covered 
regulations examined by the Commission; and 
(B) a list of recommendations for changes 
to the covered regulations examined by the 
Commission, which may include recommenda-
tions for modification, consolidation, or repeal 
of such covered regulations. 
(2) REQUIREMENT.—The report required under 
paragraph (1) shall be approved by not fewer than 
5 members of the Commission. 
(3) AVAILABILITY OF REPORT.—The Commis-
sion shall make the report required under paragraph 
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