RD361 - 2007 Catalog of State and Federal Mandates on Local Governments


Executive Summary:
Special Notice Regarding Agency Assessment of Mandates on Local Government

In 2006, the Commission on Local Government approved significant changes to the process for agency assessment of state and federal mandates imposed on local government. This action was taken pursuant to the recommendations of a specially convened task force consisting of executive branch state agencies, local governments, the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League.

In essence, the process for agency assessment of mandates was streamlined to focus on the assessment of new, newly identified and, upon request, existing mandates and the mandates’ fiscal impact on localities, with the goal of determining which mandates may be altered or eliminated without interrupting services or threatening public health, safety or welfare.

Consequently, Governor Kaine issued Executive Order 58 on October 11, 2007 in order to establish the new policies and procedures for agency assessment of mandates.(*1) Executive Order 58 rescinded Executive Memorandum 1-98, which guided the assessment process from October 29, 1998 through the most recent assessment period ending on April 30, 2007.

In addition, in future years, with the participation of Virginia’s localities, the added emphasis on the fiscal impact of mandates on localities will culminate in a separate annual report which provides detailed information with respect to fiscal impact.

The 2007 edition of the catalog of state and federal mandates includes information on assessments conducted by agencies through April 30, 2007. The 2007 edition of the catalog does not contain a current schedule for assessment periods. Once the Commission on Local Government establishes and the Governor approves the next schedule for assessment of new and newly identified mandates and reassessment of existing mandates in accordance with Executive Order 58, the schedule will be posted on the Commission’s website and in the Virginia Register of Regulations (General Notices Section).

Finally, the Commission on Local Government wishes to express its sincere appreciation to those who participated on the mandates assessment task force as well as to the 49 state agencies responsible for identifying and assessing the mandates imposed on local government.
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(*1) See Appendix B of the Catalog.