RD15 - Biannual Report on the Federal Mandates and Regulations that May Have an Effect on the Commonwealth (January, 2007)


Executive Summary:
The Federal Mandate Report is published semiannually by the Virginia Liaison Office (VLO). This report provides reviews of federal legislation containing unfunded mandates that have become public law (Part I), or passed at least one chamber of Congress (Part II). The report also provides reviews of federal regulatory action completed that may affect the Commonwealth (Part III). The VLO relies on the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) interpretations of the Federal Unfunded Mandate Reform Act (UMRA) to determine what legislation contains intergovernmental mandates. Descriptions of the mandates provided in this analysis are based upon, or excerpted from, these CBO documents. Likewise the VLO relies on the recommendations of the Regulatory Information Service Center (RISC) of the General Services Administration to determine which federal regulatory actions may affect the states.

This edition of the Federal Mandate Report is intended to provide an overview of the legislative and regulatory requirements imposed upon the Commonwealth for the period from July 1, 2006, to January 3rd, 2007.

Of the bills reviewed by the CBO that have become public law, six (6) contain mandates of consequence to Virginia.

Likewise, the RISC identified a total of ninety eight (98) completed federal regulations affecting States, ninety two (92) of which may have an effect on the Commonwealth.