Bill Details
S.712 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-25 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Introduced Date
2025-02-25
Policy Area
Government Operations and Politics
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
Cosponsors
View cosponsors (2)
5
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would make federal agencies cut old rules before they can add new ones. In general, an agency could not issue a new rule unless it first repeals at least 10 existing rules that are related to the new one, as much as practical. For major rules, the bill adds another limit: the new rule’s cost must be no greater than the cost of the rules being removed, and the Office of Management and Budget would have to certify that. The bill also requires agencies to review their rules and tell Congress which ones are costly, ineffective, duplicate other rules, or are outdated.
- Before issuing most new rules, an agency would need to repeal 10 or more existing rules that are related to the new rule as much as possible.
- For major rules, the agency would also have to show that the new rule does not cost more than the rules it is replacing, and a White House budget office official would have to certify that finding.
- The rule-cutting requirement would apply to rules that place costs or duties on private people, state governments, local governments, or tribes.
- It would not apply to rules about an agency’s internal operations or buying goods and services, and it would not apply when a rule is being changed to make it less burdensome.
- Within 90 days of enactment, each agency head would have to report to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget on rules that are costly, ineffective, duplicate other rules, or are outdated.
- Five years after enactment, the President would have to report to Congress on how many rules are still in place and how much rule reduction has happened over that period.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 712 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 712
To require agencies to repeal ten existing regulations before issuing a
new regulation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 25, 2025
Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Johnson)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require agencies to repeal ten existing regulations before issuing a
new regulation, 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 ``Regulation Decimation Act''.
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF REGULATIONS REQUIRED BEFORE ISSUANCE OF A NEW RULE.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Major rule.--The term ``major rule'' has the meaning
given that term in section 804 of title 5, United States Code.
(3) Rule.--The term ``rule'' has the meaning given that
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, each territory or possession
of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian
Tribe.
(b) Requirement for Rule.--An agency may not issue a rule unless
such agency has repealed 10 or more rules described in subsection (e)
that, to the extent practicable, are related to the rule.
(c) Requirement for Major Rule.--
(1) Repeal required.--An agency may not issue a major rule
unless--
(A) such agency has repealed 10 or more rules
described in subsection (e) that, to the extent
practicable, are related to the major rule; and
(B) the cost of the new major rule is less than or
equal to the cost of the rules repealed.
(2) Certified cost.--For any rule issued in accordance with
paragraph (1), the Administrator of the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget
must have certified that the cost of the new major rule is
equal to or less than the cost of the rules repealed.
(d) Publication Required.--Any rule repealed under subsection (b)
or (c) shall be published in the Federal Register.
(e) Applicability.--This section--
(1) applies to any rule or major rule that imposes a cost
or responsibility on a nongovernmental person or a State or
local government; and
(2) shall not apply to any rule or major rule--
(A) that relates to the internal policy or practice
of an agency or procurement by the agency; or
(B) that is being revised to be less burdensome to
decrease requirements imposed by the rule or cost of
compliance.
(f) Review of Agency Rules.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit to
Congress and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a
report that includes a review of each rule of the agency that
identifies whether that rule is costly, ineffective, duplicative, or
outdated, including a list of any other unnecessary regulatory
restriction of the agency that is costly, ineffective, duplicative, or
outdated.
(g) Report on Rules.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress a report
on the number of rules in effect and the status of the reduction of
rules over the previous 5 years.
<all>