PRINTER'S NO. 3920

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

1027

Session of

2018

INTRODUCED BY METCALFE, GREINER, MOUL, NEILSON, FEE, McGINNIS,

DOWLING, MILLARD, BENNINGHOFF, B. MILLER, KEEFER, WARD,

WHEELAND, RYAN, ELLIS, KLUNK, WARNER, STAATS, IRVIN, SAYLOR,

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the United States requires a

proper separation of powers between the three branches of

government, with lawmaking that is accountable to the people;

and

WHEREAS, Rulemakings by Federal agencies have overtaken

Congressional action as the primary vehicle for setting national

policy affecting State and local governments, business and

families; and

WHEREAS, At the end of 2016, the Federal Register, the

official depository of record of final and proposed rulemakings,

Mason University found that economic growth in the United States

has, on average, been slowed by 0.8% per year since 1980, owing

to the cumulative effects of Federal regulation; and

WHEREAS, The Constitution of Pennsylvania establishes the

General Assembly as the lawmaking branch of government of the

Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Research conducted by the Mercatus Center indicates

that Pennsylvanians are subject to more than 153,000 regulatory

restrictions; and

WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, residents and businesses have

and consumers; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania House of Representatives State

Government Committee held hearings in 2017 to explore

Pennsylvania's regulatory environment in the context of burdens,

abuses, legislative oversight and potential solutions; and

WHEREAS, The State Government Committee found that regulatory

restrictions create a hurdle that businesses of all shapes and

sizes must jump over in order to create jobs in Pennsylvania;

and

WHEREAS, The State Government Committee also found that the

interpretation of regulations across the regions of this

Commonwealth is harmful to industries operating in this

Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, The State Government Committee is recommending

legislative reforms and advocating for best practices that

committees can use to enhance their oversight role in regard to

regulations; and

WHEREAS, The recommended reforms are aimed at improving the

regulatory culture to ensure that the application of existing

laws and regulations is collaborative and not punitive, to

WHEREAS, There is support among members of the House of

Representatives for regulatory reforms at the Federal and State

levels; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Administrative Procedure Act, the

governing legislation guiding the Federal rulemaking process,

has not been updated in 70 years; and

WHEREAS, The President of the United States has made a strong

commitment to regulatory reform by signing an executive order

requiring that two regulations be cut for each new regulation

proposed; and

its regulatory oversight tools and processes in recent months

and has considered a number of regulatory reform initiatives;

therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the President and Congress of

the United States to continue their commendable efforts to

reduce regulatory burdens and thereby spur job creation and

economic growth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recommend that Congress reaffirm

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to

the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each

member of Congress from Pennsylvania.