Unfunded Mandates: Examining Federally Imposed Burdens on State and Local Government

PURPOSE:

• To examine the burdens of unfunded mandates on state and local governments.
• To hear from several state and local officials about how unfunded mandates affect their communities 

BACKGROUND:

• Unfunded mandates are legislative or regulatory requirements that impose implementation and compliance costs on state, local, or tribal governments, or the private sector. 
• To address the rapid expansion of unfunded mandates, Congress enacted the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) of 1995. 
• However, federal agencies have found ways around UMRA and continue to impose burdensome requirements on state and local governments.