§658b Duties of Congressional committees

Summary

When a House or Senate authorization committee reports a public bill or joint resolution that contains any Federal mandate, the committee must put certain information in its report. The committee must also quickly give the bill to the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and tell the Director what the Federal mandates are. The report must identify and describe the mandates and the direct costs to State, local, and tribal governments and to the private sector. The report must give a plain description of expected costs and benefits, and, if possible, numbers for those costs and benefits, including effects on health, safety, and the environment. The report must explain how the mandate affects public and private sectors and whether paying public costs or changing or ending the mandate under section 658d(a)(2) would change competition between governments and private businesses. The committee must also say what it did to avoid harming the private sector or upsetting that competitive balance. If the mandates are intergovernmental, the report must say how the bill changes authorizations of appropriations for existing or new federal aid that could be used by State, local, or tribal governments. The committee must say whether the mandates are meant to be unfunded and why, and if they are funded how the money will be allocated to match expected direct costs. The report must list other federal aid that could help governments pay those costs. If the bill makes the reduction mentioned in section 658(5)(B)(i)(II), the committee must say how it expects States to carry out that reduction and what flexibility, if any, the bill gives. The committee must include any statement the Director sends under section 658c in the committee report if it is available when the report is printed. If the Director’s statement is not in the report, the committee must publish the statement or a summary in the Congressional Record before the bill is considered on the floor.