Pennsylvania lives at risk

The local impact of federal "regulatory reform" proposals

The United States Congress is currently considering so-called “regulatory reform” legislation that would add new bureaucratic hurdles to stall and, in some cases, stop the creation of new safeguards and standards that hold corporations accountable and protect the public. According to our analysis, the result would be demonstrable harm for the people of Pennsylvania.

PennPIRG Education Fund and Demos

The United States Congress is currently considering so-called “regulatory reform” legislation that would add new bureaucratic hurdles to stall and, in some cases, stop the creation of new safeguards and standards that hold corporations accountable and protect the public. According to our analysis, the result would be demonstrable harm for the people of Pennsylvania.

Key “regulatory reform” proposals include:

  • Broad regulatory moratoria proposals such as the Regulatory Time-Out Act of 2011 (S. 1538) and the Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act of 2012 (H.R. 4078)
  • The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (H.R. 10) (S. 299)
  • The Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) (H.R. 3010) (S. 1606)
  • The Regulatory Flexibility Improvement Act (RFIA) (H.R. 527) (S. 1938)

In Pennsylvania, allowing polluters to delay one year in meeting tougher standards limiting soot in our air will cause as many as:

  • 84,539 asthma attacks among children– nearly two cases for every Penn State student
  • 173,403 days of missed work or school due to air pollution-caused ailments–the equivalent of every police officer in the state missing six days of work protecting the public each year
  • 1,886 visits to the hospital and emergency room
  • 236 heart attacks
  • 3,890 premature deaths

In Pennsylvania, allowing food processors to delay one year before using new standards from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safe handling of produce will cause approximately*:

  • 414,000 local cases of foodborne illness–more than the entire city of Pittsburgh

In Pennsylvania, delaying the Affordable Care Act’s ban on health insurance companies discriminating against patients with pre-existing conditions for one year will put:

  • 78,030 newly diagnosed cancer patients at risk of being denied health insurance
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