Jake LaTurner

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Raskin for his comments. I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans).

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. We were so close, Mr. Speaker. So close. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my House colleagues to support this commonsense government transparency bill to address a relevant national security concern. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7219) to ensure that Federal agencies rely on the best reasonably available scientific, technical, demographic, economic, and statistical information and evidence to develop, issue or inform the public of the nature and bases of Federal agency rules and guidance, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, the Information Quality Assurance Act. Each year, thousands of regulations are imposed as an added burden on the American public. The Code of Federal Regulations, in which these rules are housed, spans 243 volumes that contain over 180,000 single-spaced pages. Agency guidance explaining these regulations to the public likely spans millions more pages. If we must have rules imposed by Federal regulatory agencies, we should, at the very least, ensure that regulatory agencies rely on the best available information. Unfortunately, agencies frequently do not rely on the best available information to create their regulations. Year after year, the Federal courts are clogged with litigation brought by regulated parties who point out that Federal agencies have acted based on flawed information. Over the years, Congress has tried to improve the situation. In 2000, Congress enacted the Information Quality Act, which charged the Office of Management and Budget and each Federal agency to adopt guidelines to ensure agencies rely on high-quality information. In 2015, Congress enacted the Foundations of Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, expanding on the Information Quality Act to further ensure agencies use high-quality information. Still, disputes continue to arise over whether regulators are basing their decisions on the best quality information available. Every year, courts strike down agency rules that do not rely on adequate information. Every year, agency guidance that does not rely on the best information forces regulated parties down pathways that do not make sense. The Information Quality Assurance Act takes several major but straightforward steps to solve that problem. For the first time, it requires that the information on which agencies rest their rules and guidance be the best reasonably available information. It also includes several additional terms to make sure agencies are finally held to that standard. This legislation will improve the quality of agency decisionmaking, improve the acceptability of new rules and guidance, and avoid the need for many disputes over agencies' use of information to go to court. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I thank Representative McClain and Representative Porter for their work on this important bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for making that mistake so that when I make it here in a few bills, it will be easier for me. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain).

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to ensure that agencies rely on the best reasonably available information to create their regulations. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7528) to amend section 206 of the E-Government Act of 2002 to improve the integrity and management of mass comments and computer- generated comments in the regulatory review process, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Every American deserves the opportunity to participate in our political system, which includes sharing their views on agency rulemaking. Agencies are required to provide an opportunity to participate in rulemaking by submitting written views or data on draft rules. Recent advances have expanded the ability for the public to comment on proposed rules electronically. However, agencies may struggle to manage computer-generated or mass comments. H.R. 7528, the Comment Integrity and Management Act, provides additional support to agencies navigating these new challenges by allowing them the flexibility necessary to manage electronic comments. The bill requires agencies to verify that any comment submitted electronically has been submitted by an actual human. The bill also provides agencies with additional authorities to assist in processing and analyzing mass comments submitted electronically. It requires agencies to identify, to the extent practicable, if the comment is a mass comment and indicate this identification on any publicly available copy of the comment. This bill also requires agencies to establish and make public any policies they have regarding how they will handle computer-generated and mass comments in the rulemaking process. Further, this legislation requires the Office of Management and Budget to issue implementing guidance to agencies and requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress. It is time that our Federal agencies adapt their processes to accommodate the latest technologies. I thank Representative Clay Higgins for his idea and work in developing this forward-thinking legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. LaTURNER. In closing, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7528 helps ensure every American is heard and not drowned out by an influx of computer- generated comments. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this necessary legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7527), to direct the United States Postal Service to issue regulations requiring Postal Service employees and contractors to report to the Postal Service traffic crashes involving vehicles carrying mail that result in injury or death, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7527, which requires U.S. Postal Service employees and contractors to report traffic crashes that result in injury or death to the Postal Service. Last year, The Wall Street Journal published an article alleging that the Postal Service contracted with low-cost trucking companies that did not follow highway safety regulations. They also reported that postal contractors have been involved in car crashes that have killed 79 people in the last 3 years. To conduct oversight of this important topic, Congress needs to be informed. The Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act requires the Postal Service to report to Congress any traffic crashes that result in injury or death. Under the bill, Postal Service employees and contractors will have 3 days to report a traffic accident to the Postal Service. These reports will include, at minimum, the date, time, location, nature of the crash, information identifying the contractor, and number of injuries and fatalities. The Postal Service will maintain a comprehensive internal digital database of this information. The Postal Service is also required to compile a publicly available report summarizing annual stats related to injuries and deaths from traffic accidents. I thank Representative Connolly and House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer for bringing this necessary legislation to the consideration of the House. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, the Postal Service is tasked with the challenging job of providing fast, reliable mail service nationwide. While they do so, their safety should be prioritized. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this commonsense bill that increases transparency into the Postal Service's safety record to improve public safety throughout our Nation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7525) to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidance to agencies requiring special districts to be recognized as local government for the purpose of Federal financial assistance determinations.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7525, which establishes a definition in law for special districts and clarifies that special districts are eligible to receive Federal financial assistance. Many Americans receive essential services through special districts, units of local government authorized under State law to deliver specific services to communities. There are approximately 35,000 special districts across the country in every single State. Some examples of special districts are ambulance service districts, drainage districts, emergency service boards, and flood control districts, to name a few. These special districts provide critical services to mostly rural communities across the Nation. The Office of Management and Budget already recognizes special districts as units of local government, similar to townships or villages, yet special districts often struggle to compete for or access Federal funding. The Special District Grant Accessibility Act works to solve this problem and ensures that special districts are on equal footing with other units of local government. This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidance to Federal agencies, emphasizing how special districts should be recognized as a unit of local government. This legislation is supported by the National Special Districts Coalition. I thank Representative Fallon and Representative Pettersen for their work on this important bipartisan bill, which impacts nearly every congressional district in our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Fallon), my friend.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. LaTURNER

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2073) to amend title 31, United States Code, to require agencies to include a list of outdated or duplicative reporting requirements in annual budget justifications, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, every year numerous laws require Federal agencies to produce thousands of reports, with a single report costing tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars. While many reports help inform Congress and the public, some are outdated or duplicative. With nearly 100 agencies issuing annual reports as required under law, there is a great opportunity for cost savings and improving government efficiency by addressing outdated reports. Agencies are already required to compile lists of the reports they generate, but this information is not included in an agency's annual budget document which Congress scrutinizes on an annual basis. The Eliminate the Useless Reports Act requires each agency to identify and reduce the frequency of duplicative or outdated reports in its regular budget justification documents. This bill would increase government efficiency and save taxpayer dollars by eliminating unnecessary reports. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Robert Garcia and Grothman for their leadership on this issue and Budget Committee Chairman Arrington for his collaboration with the House Oversight Committee for advancing this bill today. I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan commonsense bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.