The federal government provides financial support for state and local governments, imposes restrictions on the activities of those governments, and offers incentives for those governments to undertake or not undertake certain activities. The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) ensures that, during the legislative process, the Congress receives information about restrictions on state, local, and tribal governments (and on private entities) known as federal mandates. Specifically, CBO produces mandate statements for each committee-approved bill.
State and Local Governments
featured work
A Review of CBO’s Activities in 2012 Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform ActMar 2013 - Of the 428 bills CBO reviewed in 2012, 68 contained intergovernmental mandates and 80 contained private-sector mandates. Of the 202 public laws enacted, 16 contain intergovernmental mandates and 23 contain private-sector mandates.
Federal Grants to State and Local GovernmentsMar 2013 - In 2011, the federal government provided $607 billion in grants to state and local governments, accounting for 17 percent of federal outlays and a quarter of spending by states and localities. Nearly half of that amount was for Medicaid.
Estimates for the Insurance Coverage Provisions of the Affordable Care Act Updated for the Recent Supreme Court DecisionJul 2012 - Updated estimates of the budgetary effects of the health insurance coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) taking into account the Supreme Court decision that essentially made the expansion of the Medicaid program under the ACA a state option.
Federal Support for State and Local Governments Through the Tax CodeApr 2012 - Testimony by Frank Sammartino, Assistant Director for Tax Analysis, before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate
The Underfunding of State and Local Pension PlansMay 2011 - CBO discusses two approaches to calculating the present value of a plans liabilities.
Fiscal Stress Faced by Local GovernmentsDec 2010 - This brief describes the economic conditions and budgeting practices that can lead to significant budgetary challenges--often termed fiscal stress--at the local level. The brief also reviews the options available to local governments, state governments, and the federal government for addressing such financial difficulty. Last, the brief examines two options that local governments very rarely use: defaulting on their debt or filing for bankruptcy.
latest work
H.R. 899, Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2013
cost estimateAugust 1, 2013S. 162, Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act of 2013
cost estimateJuly 23, 2013H.R. 2318, Federal Facility Accountability Act of 2013
cost estimateJuly 10, 2013H.R. 2226, Federal and State Partnership for Environmental Protection Act of 2013
cost estimateJuly 10, 2013H.R. 1944, Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2013
cost estimateJune 27, 2013S. 743, Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013
cost estimateApril 24, 2013A Review of CBO’s Activities in 2012 Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
reportMarch 29, 2013Federal Grants to State and Local Governments
reportMarch 5, 2013
Use this menu to filter CBO's publications by topic. From January 2011 forward, all the agency's products are categorized by topic. Cost estimates released prior to the 112th Congress are not categorized by topic.