119-hr1226

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1226 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1226

 To sunset new Federal regulatory rules after 5 years, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 12, 2025

 Mr. Stutzman (for himself, Mr. Weber of Texas, and Mr. Norman) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on 
 the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
 Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
 within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To sunset new Federal regulatory rules after 5 years, 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 ``Restoring Checks and Balances Act''.

SEC. 2. SUNSET OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AFTER 5 YEARS.

    (a) Sunset.--Any covered rule issued by an agency after the date of 
the enactment of this Act shall sunset on the date that is five years 
after the effective date of such covered rule, unless specifically 
reauthorized by an Act of Congress.

    (b) After Sunset.--An agency may not reissue, enforce, revise, or 
take other regulatory action related to a covered rule that has sunset 
under subsection

    (a) .
            (c) Oversight by OMB and Heads of Agencies.--The Director of the 
Office of Management and Budget or the head of the relevant agency may 
oversee the sunset of covered rules under subsection

    (a) .

SEC. 3. SUBMISSION OF REQUEST FOR REAUTHORIZATION TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Request for Reauthorization.--If the head of an agency that 
issues covered rules wants to request a reauthorization for such rules, 
such head shall, not later than the December 1 that is one year before 
the date on which the covered rule is scheduled to sunset, submit to 
Congress and any appropriate committee of Congress a report containing 
such request that includes--

    (1) a justification for the reauthorization of each covered 
 rule;

    (2) any related covered rules; and

    (3) any recommendation or request made by the chair or 
 ranking member of an appropriate committee of Congress.

    (b) Single Submission.--The head of an agency submitting a request 
for reauthorization under subsection

    (a) shall make every effort to 
bundle multiple requests for reauthorization in a single submission.
            (c) Public Availability of Reports.--Any report submitted by the 
head of an agency under subsection

    (a) shall be published on the public 
website of the agency.

SEC. 4. RELATIONSHIP TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE.

 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede the provisions 
of chapter 5, 6, or 7 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
 term in 

section 551 of title 5, United States Code.

    (2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
 Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory 
 Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget.

    (3) Covered rule.--The term ``covered rule'' has the 
 meaning given the term ``rule'' in 

section 551 of title 5, 
 United States Code, but does not include a rule--
        (A) issued in accordance with the formal rulemaking 
 provisions of sections 556 and 557 of title 5, United 
 States Code;
        (B) issued with respect to a military or foreign 
 affairs function of the United States;
            (C) that the Administrator certifies in writing is 
 necessary for the enforcement of Federal criminal laws;
            (D) that is limited to agency organization, 
 management, or personnel matters; or
        (E) that is necessary due to an imminent threat to 
 human health or safety or any other emergency.

    (4) Sunset.--The term ``sunset'' means to have no force or 
 effect.
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