Regulatory Effects on R&D Are Better Assessed As Part of the Innovation Process

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the federal regulatory process and the effect of this process on private sector research and development (R&D) activity. R&D is part of a complex sequence of events called innovation, which is the process by which inventions and new ideas are redesigned and embodied in various outputs until something of commercial value is produced. This report focuses on the effects of federal environmental safety and health regulations on R&D.