SLC Times

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Modernizing Retrospective Regulatory Review Act today, aimed at directing the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to use technology to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of reviews on outdated and redundant regulations. The legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is leading the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

"Americans deserve a government that moves at the speed of business, not the speed of bureaucracy," said Sen. Lee. "By using modern technology to refine our regulatory framework, we can boost economic growth and ensure that our government regulations reflect today's realities."

“The federal government should not be an ever-growing beast hindering innovation with red tape and procedural hurdles,” said Sen. Lummis. “The Modernizing Retrospective Review Act will bring the federal government into the 21st century by utilizing modern technology to identify and eliminate unnecessary federal regulations to streamline the regulatory process that has ballooned into a 20-year slog for some industries. It should not take a Washington regulator longer to greenlight a project than it did for someone in Wyoming to come up with the idea.”

“American businesses must be given the opportunity to thrive without overbearing, costly, contradictory, and duplicative regulations mandated by the DC Swamp,” said Rep. Biggs. “Federal overregulation takes a colossal toll on the U.S. economy. Thousands of new regulations go into effect every year, and there simply isn’t enough manpower or existing technology to sift through previously issued regulations. AI technology is an effective tool that can save taxpayer dollars, benefit American business owners, and promote economic growth.”

Key features of the bill include:

- A mandate for OIRA to issue guidance on employing modern technology, like Artificial Intelligence, to refine regulatory reviews.

- A requirement for federal agencies to develop and submit a "Retrospective Review Plan," detailing their strategies for implementing OIRA's guidance.

- An obligation for OIRA to report to Congress on the availability of federal regulations in a machine-readable format.

The introduction of this bill aligns with broader goals from previous administrations' deregulatory agendas and leverages advancements in technology to identify numerous rules and regulations that could be eliminated.

For bill text, click HERE.