A bill to improve administrative agency efficiency, reduce delay in administrative agency practice and procedure, and for other purposes.
Regulatory Procedures Reform Act - Title I: Planning and Management - Amends the Administrative Procedure Act to establish a single GS-18-level office in each agency to plan and manage the agency's regulatory activities. Requires such office to: (1) adopt deadlines and track the process of regulatory proceedings; (2) establish priorities; (3) improve administrative procedure; (4) periodically review agency regulations and identify those which are inconsistent or no longer necessary; and (5) report annually to Congress on the extent to which the agency has met the deadlines it has set for itself pursuant to this Act for the resolution of matters before it and on the priorities of such agency.
Title II: Administrative Procedures - Requires persons initiating any matter before an agency to submit in writing all the facts and arguments upon which such person proposes to reply.
Requires each agency considering a matter subject to this Act to conduct an informal hearing at the conclusion of which the presiding employee shall designate any disputed question of fact or remaining question of law for resolution in an adjudicative hearing but only if he determines that such a matter can only be resolved with sufficient accuracy in such an adjudicative hearing.
Establishes civil penalties for failure to comply with an agency subpena. Requires each agency to maintain public files of significant agency actions along with copies of the briefs and arguments submitted with respect to such actions.
Authorizes the establishment of employee boards to review decisions of presiding employees. Permits such review only when the agency issues a public finding which specifies the particular issues to be reviewed.
Title III: Administrative Law Judges - Changes references to "hearing examiners" in the Act to "administrative law judges." Establishes procedures for appointing persons as administrative law judges.
Title IV: General Provisions - Establishes the effective date of this Act.
Introduced in Senate
Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.
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