,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aifc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #f1 #bjbe,ms4 
,van ,duyne introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to require the heads of agencies       
identify whether major rules of the     
agency are budget neutral1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,agency             
,accountability and ,cost ,transparency 
,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,requirement to     
identify whether major rules are budget 
neutral  7a7 ,in general ,the head of   
each agency shall-- 7#a7 before         
promulgating a major rule-- 7,a7        
estimate the cost of the rule2  7,b7    
identify whether any rule of the agency 
may be repealed to offset the cost of   
the major rule2 and  7,c7 repeal any    
rule identified under subparagraph 7,b72
 and  7#b7 include a statement along    
with each major rule published in the   
,federal ,register that identifies      

whether the rule is budget neutral4  7b7
 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7    
,agency ,the terms agency has the       
meaning given that term in section #eea 
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4     
7#b7 ,budget neutral ,the term budget   
neutral means that the cost of the rule 
is equal to the total amount of costs to
 the public eliminated as a result of   
the repeal of any rule identified under 
paragraph 7#a77;,b74  7#c7 ,cost of the 
rule ,the term cost of the rule means   
the cost to the public of the rule1     
including any cost incurred to          
understand or implement the rule4  7#d7 
,major rule ,the term major rule means  
any rule1 including an interim final    
rule1 that the ,administrator of the    
,office of ,information and ,regulatory 
,affairs of the ,office of ,management  
and ,budget or the ,federal agency      
promulgating such rule finds has        
resulted in or is likely to result in-- 
7,a7 an annual effect on the economy of 
#ajj million or more2  7,b7 a major     

increase in costs or prices for         
consumers1 individual industries1       
,federal1 ,state1 or local government   
agencies1 or geographic regions2 or     
7,c7 significant adverse effects on     
competition1 employment1 investment1    
productivity1 innovation1 or the ability
 of ,united ,states-based enterprises to
 compete with foreign-based enterprises 
in domestic and export markets4  7#e7   
,rule ,the term rule has the meaning    
given such term in section #eea1 except 
that such term-- 7,a7 includes          
interpretative rules1 general statements
 of policy1 and all other agency        
guidance documents2 and  7,b7 does not  
include-- 7i7 any rule of particular    
applicability1 including a rule that    
approves or prescribes for the future   
rates1 wages1 prices1 services1 or      
allowances therefore1 corporate or      
financial structures1 reorganizations1  
mergers1 or acquisitions thereof1 or    
accounting practices or disclosures     
bearing on any of the foregoing2  7ii7  

any rule relating to agency management  
or personnel2 or  7iii7 any rule of     
agency organization1 procedure1 or      
practice that does not substantially    
affect the rights or obligations of     
non-agency parties4