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Comment by glass_of_water | Hacker News Reader

> ... decades of dealing with the public and the public servants have led to an accumulation of rules, regulations, practices and traditions clinging to everything like barnacles to a medieval man o’ war.

I strongly feel that "garbage collection" is grossly neglected in almost every organization and is part of the reason firms slow down as they grow older.

The article mentioned simplification of the Norwegian tax code. Are there governments with garbage collection and simplification of laws built into the legislative process?

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In Texas, all state agencies other than those listed in the state constitution will be automatically abolished at some future date unless the legislature extends their mandate.

Prior to each agency's expiration, the Sunset Commission reviews their purpose and effectiveness and then makes a recommendation to the legislature to abolish the organization, continue with modifications, merge the agency under review with another or let it expire.

Agencies subject to sunset review: https://www.sunset.texas.gov/reviews-and-reports/agencies

Since the commission was created ~40 years ago, they've abolished 79 state agencies.

Personally, I'd like to see a US constitutional amendment more or less along the lines of:

> Any law that isn't routinely and consistently enforced is invalid.

...since in my view unenforced laws don't do anything except invite corruption.

This really bothers me, too. Common Good, started by Philip K. Howard, is one of the few organizations focused on the fact we're "drowning in law":

http://www.commongood.org/pages/the-problem

I'm a supporter.

> Are there governments with garbage collection and simplification of laws built into the legislative process?

I've often been thinking about the same thing. I think that most laws should have an expiration date, especially those that were enacted during "emergency" periods (e.g. everything legislated as a response to the Great Recession). The only reasonable exception are the core laws (e.g. the Penal Code), which should be replaced (not amended) by newer versions every so often.

> Are there governments with garbage collection and simplification of laws built into the legislative process?

Sort of, e.g. see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30334812

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