RD91 - January 2009 Federal Mandate Report


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 14th, 2008 to January 1st, 2009. Of the bills reviewed by the CBO one (1) has become public law, while five (5) have passed at least one chamber of congress. Likewise, the RISC identified a total of forty-nine (49) completed federal regulations affecting States, all of which may impact the Commonwealth.