The federal government—through laws and regulations—sometimes imposes requirements on state, local, and tribal governments and entities in the private sector to achieve national goals. The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) ensures that, during the legislative process, the Congress receives information about such proposed requirements, known as federal mandates, and their costs before enacting a piece of legislation. CBO prepares
mandate statements for
bills that are approved by authorizing committees and also issues an annual review of its activities under UMRA.