Bill Details
HR.1963 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-03-06 - Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced Date
2025-03-06
Policy Area
Government Operations and Politics
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
6
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would require federal agencies to check the cost of any major new rule before it is issued and to look for existing rules they can repeal to help cover that cost. Agencies would also have to say, when they publish a major rule, whether the rule is “budget neutral,” meaning the cost of the new rule is offset by the savings from repealing other rules. The goal is to make agencies more careful about adding new regulatory costs and more open about how much their rules may cost the public.
- Before issuing a major rule, the agency head must estimate how much the rule will cost the public.
- The agency must identify any existing rule that could be repealed to offset those costs, and then repeal the rule or rules found.
- When the major rule is published in the Federal Register, the agency must include a statement saying whether the rule is budget neutral.
- The bill defines a major rule as one that is expected to have a large economic impact, such as costing $100 million or more a year, raising prices or costs significantly, or hurting competition, jobs, investment, productivity, or innovation.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1963 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1963
To require the heads of agencies identify whether major rules of the
agency are budget neutral, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2025
Ms. Van Duyne introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the heads of agencies identify whether major rules of the
agency are budget neutral, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Agency Accountability and Cost
Transparency Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO IDENTIFY WHETHER MAJOR RULES ARE BUDGET NEUTRAL.
(a) In General.--The head of each agency shall--
(1) before promulgating a major rule--
(A) estimate the cost of the rule;
(B) identify whether any rule of the agency may be
repealed to offset the cost of the major rule; and
(C) repeal any rule identified under subparagraph
(B); and
(2) include a statement along with each major rule
published in the Federal Register that identifies whether the
rule is budget neutral.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The terms ``agency'' has the meaning given
that term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Budget neutral.--The term ``budget neutral'' means that
the cost of the rule is equal to the total amount of costs to
the public eliminated as a result of the repeal of any rule
identified under paragraph (1)(B).
(3) Cost of the rule.--The term ``cost of the rule'' means
the cost to the public of the rule, including any cost incurred
to understand or implement the rule.
(4) Major rule.--The term ``major rule'' means any rule,
including an interim final rule, that the Administrator of the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of
Management and Budget or the Federal agency promulgating such
rule finds has resulted in or is likely to result in--
(A) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million
or more;
(B) a major increase in costs or prices for
consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or
local government agencies, or geographic regions; or
(C) significant adverse effects on competition,
employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or
the ability of United States-based enterprises to
compete with foreign-based enterprises in domestic and
export markets.
(5) Rule.--The term ``rule'' has the meaning given such
term in section 551, except that such term--
(A) includes interpretative rules, general
statements of policy, and all other agency guidance
documents; and
(B) does not include--
(i) any rule of particular applicability,
including a rule that approves or prescribes
for the future rates, wages, prices, services,
or allowances therefore, corporate or financial
structures, reorganizations, mergers, or
acquisitions thereof, or accounting practices
or disclosures bearing on any of the foregoing;
(ii) any rule relating to agency management
or personnel; or
(iii) any rule of agency organization,
procedure, or practice that does not
substantially affect the rights or obligations
of non-agency parties.
<all>