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47 Regulation 20 (2024)
Taking the REINS of the Administrative State: Idaho Offers Useful Insights into the Effects of Legislative Review of Regulation

handle is hein.journals/rcatorbg47 and id is 134 raw text is: 20 / Regulation / FALL 2024

Ta ingthe REINS of the
Administrative State
Idaho offers useful insights into the effects of legislative review of regulation.
a© BY ALEX ADAMS AND TIM FROST
or years, congressional Republicans have sought
unsuccessfully to pass the Regulations from the
Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. While
various iterations of the bill have been proposed,
the fundamental principle remains the same: Fed-
eral executive branch agencies may not implement major
regulations meeting a minimum economic threshold without
first obtaining congressional approval.
Proponents of the bill point to the accumulation of federal
regulations in recent decades stemming from Congress's broad
delegation of regulatory authority to federal agencies. While
delegation has the potential advantage of allowing subject t
matter experts within the agencies to work with the regulated
community and craft nuanced regulations, it is believed to
come at the expense of political control. Proponents say the                 x <
REINS Act would stem the tide ofnew regulations by enhanc-
ing congressional oversight and strengthening accountability
for major new regulations.
Those critical of the REINS Act believe it is a recipe for
inaction, further burdening the work of Congress with reg-
ulatory review while delaying the implementation of needed
regulations that can improve public health or safety. Some
of these critics say it would supplant expert judgment and
politicize the regulatory process. Others question its effects
on the proper separation of powers between the executive and         *
legislative branches of government.
Given the absence of a federal REINS Act, arguments for  L
and against it are theoretical. However, we can glean insight
into its effects from the states, where many legislatures require  t
some form oflegislative approval of regulations. Broughel et
al. 2022 report that 43 states have legislative review of regula-

ALEX ADAMS formerly was budget and regulatory chieffor the Idaho Division
of Financial Management. TIM FROST is a senior fellow at the Cicero Institute.

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