Kempthorne Measure Likely To Pass

Idaho Sen. Dirk Kempthorne’s bill to stop unfunded mandates moved closer Friday to becoming the second “Contract With America” item to pass Congress.

House and Senate conferees on Friday approved a compromise version of the bill.

It now goes back to each chamber for final approval, could come by next week. President Clinton is expected to sign the measure, which received wide support from Democrats as well as Republicans.

“This agreement represents more than two years of hard work to finally end the decades-long practice of passing costs on to our local and state partners,” said Kempthorne, R-Idaho, chairman of the conference committee.

Kempthorne’s bill forces Congress to figure out how much new mandates cost and pay. It covers mandates that will cost state and local government more than $50 million or the private sector more than $100 million.

The requirement can be overruled but only by a majority in the House and Senate.

The bill also requires the Congressional Budget Office to estimate the costs of legislation imposing such mandates.

Laws protecting constitutional rights, civil rights and anti-discrimination efforts are exempted from Kempthorne’s bill.