Risk Assessment and Regulation in the Federal Government: A Brief Overview (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
March 13, 2003 |
| Report Number |
RL31781 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Rob Buschmann, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
An important function of the regulatory process on the federal level is to assess and control
risks--damage from events that may or may not occur--that confront the citizenry. Some agencies
use risk assessment methods to help understand and control risks; they then use the rulemaking
process to select which methods of risk control to use. Risk assessment, the rulemaking process, and
methods of risk control all generate controversy. Congress sometimes mandates which risks federal
agencies address, to what extent they are controlled, and how they are controlled. Congress may
change how agencies perform these tasks by changing either the law governing how a specific risk
is handled, or the regulatory process through which risks are understood, analyzed, and controlled.
Legislation in the 108th Congress dealing with risk assessment and regulation includes homeland
security bills, such as S. 6 , S. 104 , and S. 157 , and bills
addressing a range of other issues, including S. 337 , H.R. 716 , and
H.J.Res. 2 . This report will be updated to reflect pertinent legislative and regulatory
developments.
