Kit Bond

Mr. BOND

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I introduce the Federal Government New Program Accountability Act of 1995. This legislation would require on a government-wide basis for each Federal agency and department, upon the submission of legislation to Congress, to include an implementation plan for each new program, project, or activity authorized in the legislation. The implementation plan would be required to include a description of: First, resource requirements of the program, including staff and data system requirements; second, the estimated cost of implementation of the new program, both in the initial year and over a 5-year period; third, an analysis impact statement assessing the ability of the agency or department to manage the operations of all the agency's or department's programs; and fourth, an implementation schedule, including a timetable for the promulgation of regulations. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is time that the administration recognizes that not every good idea is appropriate for legislation; that responsibility of Federal agencies and departments is to assess the capacity of the agency or department to appropriately administer a new program. It is also important that the Congress have adequate information to determine whether an agency or department can correctly administer a new program.

Mr. BOND

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Small Business Committee will hold a full committee organizational meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 1995, at 4 p.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building. For further information, please call Louis Taylor, staff director of the Small Business Committee at 224-5175. committee on rules and administration