NRCA Supports Regulatory Reform

This statement is attributable to: William Good, Executive Vice President, National Roofing Contractors Association

NRCA commends the House for its approval of the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 (H.R. 185). This legislation is desperately needed to provide businesses with relief from excessive government regulations. The House approved the bill on a bipartisan vote of 250-175.

Roofing contractors face an unprecedented combination of regulations issued by the federal government, including rules issued by the Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and National Labor Relations Board, among others. The cumulative burden of counterproductive regulations is highly disruptive to entrepreneurs seeking to start or grow a business. Moreover, some regulations that have been issued in recent years provide little or no benefits to the public and can even be counterproductive in efforts to maintain a safe working environment in the roofing industry.

As such, NRCA strongly supports regulatory reform to provide small and mid-sized businesses with much needed relief from excessive regulations. The Regulatory Accountability Act will update the regulatory process that has been in place for more than 65 years under the Administrative Procedure Act. Among other reforms, H.R. 185 will hold agencies more accountable by providing on-the-record administrative hearings, requiring agencies to present supporting data to the public before a regulation is formally proposed, providing more rigorous rules for agency use of guidance documents, and requiring agencies to justify regulations as the best alternative among a range of options.

With these and other reforms, this legislation will provide more opportunities for public input during the development of regulations, minimizing the potential for rules that are burdensome to employers. The reforms implemented by this legislation also will greatly enhance the opportunity for success in legal challenges to regulations.

Again, NRCA applauds House passage of this bipartisan legislation that will inject greater transparency and accountability into the federal regulatory process, and looks forward to working with senators to advance this or similar legislation in the Senate.