Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations

Lightening the Load

The ACIR Conference on Federal Mandates

March 6-7, 1996 at the Washington Hilton Hotel

 Decorative Rule

Overview

ACIR recently hosted its most successful conference ever. Lightening the Load - The ACIR Conference on Federal Mandates, was a two day affair that featured addresses by some of the nation's most outspoken proponents and opponents of mandate reform, and seminars and workshops focusing on various aspects of federal mandate reform. Conference attendees, who numbered more than 200, had the following to say about the conference's seminars and workshops:


Included below is a conference summary, which details conference's schedule and lists the people involved in the various events. Audio transcripts of the conference will be made available through ACIR. To find out more, e-mail ACIR at acir@erols.com.


Conference Summary

Wednesday, March 6, 1996




7:30 am  		Registration



8:30-8:45  		Welcome - Hon. William F. Winter, ACIR Chairman



8:45 - 9:15  		Plenary Session






9:15 - 10:30 	Introduction - Hon. William F. Winter, ACIR Chairman






10:30 - 10:45 		Break



10:45 - 12:15 pm 	Concurrent Seminars



1. Efforts to Relieve Mandate and Regulatory Burdens on State and Local Governments
In addition to the Federal Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995, there are additional Congressional and Administration efforts to lessen regulatory burdens on state and local governments. There are also similar state efforts to reduce mandate burdens on local governments. This seminar will:
Discuss Congressional and Federal agency efforts related to regulatory relief.
Discuss state efforts at mandate relief for local governments.
Look at the influence that Federal mandates have on state regulatory processes.
Moderator:
Hon. Bruce M. Todd, Mayor, City of Austin, TX
Panelists:
Robert E. Greenwood, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Marsha Hosack, Florida ACIR
Thomas E. Kelly, Environmental Protection Agency
John Norman, Tennessee ACIR
Sebastian O'Kelly, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs
Kristine Simmons, House Committee on Reform and Oversight

2. Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Mandates The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 requires ACIR to study the techniques used to assess the costs, benefits, and feasibility of federal mandates. During this seminar, panels of federal, state, and local representatives will:

Review the current methods used to assess regulation.

Discuss the feasibility, approaches, and issues in measuring the costs and benefits of federal mandates.

Moderator:
Lawrence J. Halloran, Staff Director and Counsel, House Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations
Panelists:
Dr. Timothy Conlan, George Mason University
Dr. Adam M. Finkel, U.S. Department of Labor
Theresa Gullo, Congressional Budget Office
Albert Mc Gartland, Environmental Protection Agency
John Ross, Department of Housing and Urban Development
David Russell, Connecticut ACIR
Max Sawicky, Economic Policy Institute



12:30 - 2:15 	Luncheon 






2:30 - 4:45 	Concurrent Workshops



Workshops 1 through 4 will present the findings and recommendations of ACIR's preliminary report on the effects of existing federal mandates on sate and local governments. Each workshop will be moderated by an ACIR Commission member, providing attendees the opportunity to directly communicate their views. Panels will also include members of the public, private, and non-profit sectors who will:
Offer comments on ACIR's preliminary findings and recommendations.
Present materials supporting their individual positions.
Respond to the comments and questions of those who wish to participate in an open discussion.

1. Environmental Mandates

Moderator:
Hon. Gregory Lashutka, Mayor, City of Columbus, OH
Panelists:
John Cruden, U.S. Department of Justice
Robert Davison, U.S. Department of the Interior
Blake Early, American Lung Association
Robert Mulready, City of Lewiston, ME
Erik D. Olson, Natural Resources Defense Council
Robert E. Roberts, The Environmental Council of the States

2. Labor Mandates

Moderator:
Hon. Randall Franke, Commissioner, Marion County, OR
Panelists:
Steve Halford, Anne Arundel County, MD
Marc Lampkin, House Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunity
Donna Lenhoff, Women's Legal Defense Fund
Jeannine Markoe, Government Finance Officers Association
Vince Treacy, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress

3. Individual Rights Mandates

Moderator:
Hon. William F. Winter, ACIR Chairman
Panelists:
Chai Feldblum, Esq., Georgetown University Law Center
Judith E. Heumann, U.S. Department. of Education
James L. Martin, National Governors' Association
Michael Resnick, National School Boards Association
John L. Wodatch, U.S. Department of Justice



5:00 - 6:00 	Reception 



6:00 - 8:00 	Dinner 




Thursday, March 7, 1996




7:00 am 		Registration



7:30 - 9:30 	Breakfast






9:45 - 10:30 	Plenary Session






10:30 - 10:45 	Break 



10:45 -12:15 pm 	Concurrent Seminars



3. The Need for Mandate Relief for the Private Sector
The Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995 largely addresses mandates on state and local governments. The act requires that ACIR's studies look at how efforts to relieve the burdens on state and local governments may impact the private sector, and whether similar relief efforts can be extended to the private sector. This seminar will:
Examine how to mitigate the effects of state and local mandate relief efforts on the private sector.
Look at how similar relief may be extended to the private sector.
Moderator:
Thomas W. Bradshaw, Smith-Barney
Panelists:
George Balog, City of Baltimore, MD, Department of Public Works
Richard Mudge, Apogee Research
Hon. David McIntosh, U.S. House of Representatives (Represented)
4. The Future Federal Role After Current Reforms Are Implemented
Once current reforms are implemented, the federal role will change dramatically. This change will be accelerated by current mandate and regulatory reforms, proposals to transfer federal programs to state and local governments, and the growth of block grants. Panelists from federal, state, and local governments will:
Discuss what the future federal role should be.
Review the effects of federal agencies migrating from micromanagement-style regulation to regulation by performance goals and measures.
Moderator:
Paul L. Posner, Director, Budget Issues, Government Accounting Office
Panelists:
David R. Beam, Illinois Institute of Technology, School of Public Administration
Panelists:
Steve Gold, Urban Institute
James L. Martin, National Governors' Association
Robert Perciasepe, Environmental Protection Agency



12:30 - 2:15 	Luncheon 






2:30 - 4:45 	Concurrent Workshops



4. Health, Transportation and Metric Mandates

Moderator:
Hon. Art Hamilton, Minority Leader, Arizona House of Representatives
Panelists:
Don Johnson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Frank E. Kruesi, U.S. Department of Transportation
Rick Stadelman, National Association of Towns and Townships
Lorelle Young, U.S. Metric Association

5. Impact of Judicial Mandates and Litigation on State and Local Governments In addition to Federal statutory and regulatory burdens, state and local governments face a serious burden resulting from judicial mandates and litigation involving Federal law and regulations. Topics will include a discussion of:

ACIR's inventory of Federal court decisions for 1994 that imposed mandates on state and local governments.

The "common issues" contained in ACIR's Preliminary Mandates Report involving litigation against state and local governments arising from Federal law or regulations.

Moderator:
Hon. Victor Ashe, Mayor, City of Knoxville, TN
Panelists:
Dr. Robert Brauneis, George Washington University, National Law Center
Bruce Brennan, District of Columbia
Elizabeth M. Osenbaugh, U.S. Department of Justice
Robert Van Heuvelen, Environmental Protection Agency

6. Consolidating, Standardizing and Simplifying Federal Regulations for State and Local Governments Part of the Federal mandate burden on state and local governments involves issues that cut across Federal programs, and are a particular problem for smaller local governments. Topics will include a discussion of:

Issues related to and suggestions for consolidating, standardizing and simplifying Federal programs and regulations.

Particular problems related to smaller local governments, and what might be done in this regard.

Moderator:
Hon. John H. Stroger, Jr., President, Cook County Commissioners, IL
Panelists:
Rick Chapman, Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials, Quincy, IL
Elizabeth Lohah Homer, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the American Indian Trust
Chandra Western, Council of State Community Development Agencies
Jeff Yost, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality

 Decorative Rule

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