Collins Taking the “REINS” Act

9th District U.S. Representative Doug Collins said he is taking over the push to pass a bill that would change how Congress is involved in the nation’s regulatory process.

Collins said he plans to re-introduce the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny, or REINS, Act, on January 3 when the 115th Congress is seated.

The U.S. House has passed the REINS Act three times, but each time the legislation has died in the Senate, according to the Washington Examiner.

That Washington Examiner article said that Collins, who is the House Republican Conference’s new vice chairman, is taking the bill’s reins from Indiana Representative Todd Young, who won a Senate election in November.

According to Young’s website, the REINS Act would make it law that for all new major regulations with an economic impact of $100 million or more, a vote by both the House and Senate and the signature of the President would be required within 70 days in order for the rule to be enforced on the American public.

Collins is quoted in the Washington Examiner article as telling colleagues in a letter seeking co-sponsors for the bill that the country is in desperate need of increased accountability for and transparency in the federal regulatory process.

The Hall County Republican went on to tell the Examiner that he is optimistic with the new administration that the bill could become law.

An opponent of the bill, Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen, said the bill is unnecessary because Congress already has the power to alter and influence federal rule making.

Also, he said Congress relies on agencies with tremendous expertise to write rules and injecting politics into deciding complicated rules could affect the public’s health and safety.