Selected Reports by the Commission on Federal Paperwork and Related Issues

One recommendation of the Commission on Federal Paperwork was to establish a new, cabinet-level Department of Administration to absorb a variety of activities which have little, if anything, to do with the central concern of the Commission, which was to reduce the burden of paperwork on both government and nongovernmental entities. Two viable alternatives to the new department would be to consolidate and strengthen the central statistical and paperwork responsibilities in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or to establish a strong independent commission composed of three or five members, serving full time, with staggered terms to ensure the Commission's independence. There is a critical need for Congress to assign committee responsibility to ensure that adequate attention is given to potentially heavy paperwork burdens and statistical problems during the development of legislation. A paperwork impact statement accompanying bills coming to the floor would be a good tool. The recent reorganization of the Executive Office of the President resulted in the transfer of statistical policy functions from OMB to the Department of Commerce. The responsibilities of statistical policy and forms clearance should not be split.