Independent Regulatory Agencies Can Reduce Paperwork Burden on Industry
AFMD-81-70
Published: Jul 07, 1981. Publicly Released: Jul 07, 1981.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the progress being made by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in reducing the accounting and financial reporting burden on industries that they regulate. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 was enacted to improve the way the Federal Government collects, uses, and disseminates information. Among other significant provisions, the new law gives the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) authority to review and clear all independent regulatory agency reporting and recordkeeping requirements and requests.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Management and Budget | The Director of OMB should require the CAB, FCC, FERC, FMC, and ICC to strengthen the reports clearance function in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 as a means of verifying the need for the information being collected. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Office of Management and Budget | The Director of OMB should require the CAB, FCC, FERC, FMC, and ICC to effectively implement the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 by limiting the collection of information to that which is necessary for the proper performance of Federal Government functions. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Office of Management and Budget | The Director of OMB should require that the CAB, FCC, FERC, FMC, and ICC make better use of graduated reporting by addressing the effects of inflation on class size and by basing class size on the agency's need for the information rather than on an arbitrary designation. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Office of Management and Budget | The Director of OMB should require the CAB, FCC, FERC, FMC, and ICC to increase the effort and attention given to record-retention programs, especially to revising requirements so they reflect the agency's current need for records and restating record descriptions and retention periods to remove vagueness and ambiguity. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
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Topics
Comparative analysisData collectionFinancial recordsIndependent regulatory commissionsInflationPrivate sectorRecordsRecords retentionRegulatory agenciesReporting requirementsPaperwork reduction