                          TITLE 2--THE CONGRESS
 
                  CHAPTER 25--UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM
 
           SUBCHAPTER I--LEGISLATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY AND REFORM
 
Sec. 1513. Impact on local governments


(a) Findings

    The Senate finds that--
        (1) the Congress should be concerned about shifting costs from 
    Federal to State and local authorities and should be equally 
    concerned about the growing tendency of States to shift costs to 
    local governments;
        (2) cost shifting from States to local governments has, in many 
    instances, forced local governments to raise property taxes or 
    curtail sometimes essential services; and
        (3) increases in local property taxes and cuts in essential 
    services threaten the ability of many citizens to attain and 
    maintain the American dream of owning a home in a safe, secure 
    community.

(b) Sense of Senate

    It is the sense of the Senate that--
        (1) the Federal Government should not shift certain costs to the 
    State, and States should end the practice of shifting costs to local 
    governments, which forces many local governments to increase 
    property taxes;
        (2) States should end the imposition, in the absence of full 
    consideration by their legislatures, of State issued mandates on 
    local governments without adequate State funding, in a manner that 
    may displace other essential government priorities; and
        (3) one primary objective of this chapter and other efforts to 
    change the relationship among Federal, State, and local governments 
    should be to reduce taxes and spending at all levels and to end the 
    practice of shifting costs from one level of government to another 
    with little or no benefit to taxpayers.

(Pub. L. 104-4, title I, Sec. 106, Mar. 22, 1995, 109 Stat. 63.)
