Date: 1981-12-16
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. as the Senate proceeds to action on H.R. 1465. the House companion legislation to S. 43. the "State and Local Government Fiscal Note Act of 1981."0 1 want to Indicate my strong support for this legislation and to convey the hope that we will be able to speed this bill. on lta way to the President today. The Importance of this legislation was underscored by the 10 Democratic Governors who met with the Senate Democratic Conference on December 4. After that discussion. the conference agreed that the bill would be an Important aid to States and localities. and therefore unanimously endorsed its passage. I want to express my special appreciation to the distinguished majority leader who. at my request. arranged to schedule Senate consideration before sine die adjournment. Because H.R. 1465 is seen to be such an important step by State and local officials. I am confident they will view our action today as a fitting and valued holiday gift. Since the enactment in 1974 of the Congressional Budget Act. the Congress has required the preparation of fiscal notes outlining the cost to the Federal Government of each bill that Is reported from a House or Senate committee. As I believe each Member of this body would attest. this information Is a vital component of the decisionmaking process: It is simply essential to sound Judgments as we weigh the merits of the legislation we consider. Yet. although Federal laws often have a pronounced effect on State and local governmentssometimes even mandating that those governments take specific actions or expend their own tax dollarsthe Congress has never taken the step of institutionalizing the preparation of similar estimates of the fiscal implications for State and local governments3 of all -bills reported from congressional committees. I want to commend my distinguished colleague from Tennessee. Senator SsssER. for his leadership in moving this legislation toward Senate considerationlast year in the role of chairman of the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations. and this year as ranking minority member. Of course. he was joined by many others on both sides of the aisle. Particularly as State and local governments are struggling under unprecedented burdens resulting from recessionreduced revenues coupled with dramatic reduction In Federal. assistance in virtually every area of governmental Involvement. it is vital that they know at .the earliest possible time of the potential Impact of Federal legislation moving toward enactment. Certainly it also is Imperative that theCongress carefully and fully considers this Impact before it acts. I mentioned previously that Governors and mayors will see our action today as a welcome holiday gift. It is that. but certainly It is much more: I believe passage of this legislation is Indicative of a new congressional sensitivity to the needs. problems. and circumstances of State and local government. over the past several years. the Congress has grown more aware of the Implications of its actions for subnational levels of government. It has become acutely aware of these Implications this year. as the way in which the Federal Government relates to State and local government has. been reordered drastically In Virtually every sector of government operations. H.R. 1465 Is both the symbol of this new sensitivity. and the Instrument of its institutionalization. If the Senate passes It todayas I have every confidence it willthis date can be marked as a milestone In the continuing development of our federal system of Government. Mr. President. I enthusiastically support the State and Local Government Fiscal Note Act of 1981. and I urge every Senator to support its passage today.