House passes bills to reduce regulatory burdens on businesses

The National Restaurant Association played a key role last week in helping Congress understand the burdens that excessive or costly rules and regulations can impose on businesses.

In several strong pro-business votes, the U.S. House voted late last week to require federal agencies to change the way they measure the impact of new regulations on small businesses.

On Thursday, the House passed the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act by a 263 to 159 vote, and the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 passed by a 253 to 157 vote Friday. The NRA had written to all members of the House urging "yes" votes on the bills.

The NRA also helped organize the nation's business community in a massive employer petition to Congress in support of the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, a bill to ensure that federal agencies measure the indirect as well as direct impact of new rules on businesses. In the end, the NRA helped recruit more than 160 other business associations, representing tens of millions of American businesses, to sign the petition.

The bills face a tough climb in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Leaders in that chamber haven't said when or if they'll consider the legislation.