Environmental Protection Agency Accountability Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-318
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Johanns, Mike [R-NE]
Introduced: 2013-02-13
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Appropriations

Congressional oversight

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Environmental regulatory procedures

Executive agency funding and structure

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Intergovernmental relations

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2013-02-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-02-13
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Environmental Protection Agency Accountability Act of 2013 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that the following regulatory requirements are satisfied: (1) Executive Order 13563 (concerning regulatory principles) and the regulatory planning procedures of Executive Order 12866, as well as successor Executive Orders concerning reporting of regulatory and deregulatory agendas; (2) regulatory flexibility agenda requirements; (3) requirements of Executive Order 13132 concerning certifications by agencies upon transmittals of draft final regulations of adherence to federalism principles; and (4) portions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 that require agencies to publish statements describing and assessing state, local, and tribal compliance costs before promulgating any general notice of proposed rulemaking.</p> <p>Imposes financial penalties, in the form of funding rescissions, upon the Office of the Administrator if the Comptroller General determines that any of the above requirements have not been satisfied. Requires EPA Inspector General audits for any fiscal year in which funds were so rescinded.

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 318 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 13, 2013 Mr. Johanns introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To rescind funds made available to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency if the Administrator fails to meet certain deadlines.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Environmental Protection Agency Accountability Act of 2013 . 2. Definition of Administrator In this Act, the term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. 3. Interim assessment of regulatory requirements and applicable penalties (a) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall ensure that the requirements described in subsection (b) are satisfied. (b) Requirements The Administrator shall satisfy— (1) section 4 of Executive Order 12866 ( 5 U.S.C. 601 note) (relating to regulatory planning and review) and Executive Order 13563 ( 5 U.S.C. 601 note) (relating to improving regulation and regulatory review) (or any successor Executive order establishing requirements applicable to the uniform reporting of regulatory and deregulatory agendas); (2) section 602 of title 5, United States Code; (3) section 8 of Executive Order 13132 ( 5 U.S.C. 601 note) (relating to federalism); and (4) section 202(a) of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 ( 2 U.S.C. 1532(a) ). (c) Financial penalty provisions (1) In general Subject to paragraph (2), if the Comptroller General of the United States determines that the Administrator fails to satisfy any requirement described in subsection (b), an amount of funding equal to $20,000 per week shall be rescinded from the Office of the Administrator, and once each week thereafter until all the requirements are satisfied. (2) Limitations (A) 1 day grace period Paragraph (1) shall not apply if each requirement listed in subsection (b) is satisfied not later than 1 day after the deadline for the requirement. (B) Maximum amount of rescinded funds No rescission of funds under paragraph (1) shall exceed, in any fiscal year, an amount equal to 7 percent of the funds made available to the Office of the Administrator. (3) Audits In any fiscal year in which any funds are rescinded from the Administrator pursuant to this Act, the Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency shall— (A) conduct an audit to assess compliance with the requirements of this paragraph; and (B) not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year during which any funds are rescinded under paragraph (1), submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report describing the reasons why the funds were rescinded, including allocations of resources. (4) Effect of paragraph Nothing in this paragraph affects or limits the application of, or obligation to comply with, any Federal, State, local, or tribal law.