§2204e Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-benefit Analysis

Summary

Creates an Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis inside the Department of Agriculture, run by a Director the Secretary appoints. The Director must make sure every regulatory analysis includes a risk assessment and a cost-benefit study using reasonably available, reliable scientific, technical, economic, and other data. Starting six months after October 13, 1994, for each proposed major rule from the Department that mainly deals with human health, safety, or the environment and is issued after October 13, 1994, the Secretary must publish a detailed analysis in the Federal Register. The analysis must describe the risk and its effects (including groups more exposed or sensitive), the costs to implement and comply, a useful comparison to similar risks when appropriate, and the benefits including how much risk the rule will reduce or prevent. The Secretary must also state whether the rule will protect against the risk and whether it will do so in a cost-effective way for governments and others. This law does not change other statutes, cannot be reviewed by courts, does not give anyone a right to sue, and the required analyses must not delay rules that statutes or courts already require. A "major regulation" means one likely to affect the U.S. economy by $100,000,000 per year in 1994 dollars.