119-s1584

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1584 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1584

 To prohibit Federal agencies from considering, in taking any action, 
the social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, the social cost 
 of nitrous oxide, or the social cost of any other greenhouse gas, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 1, 2025

 Mr. Lankford introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To prohibit Federal agencies from considering, in taking any action, 
the social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, the social cost 
 of nitrous oxide, or the social cost of any other greenhouse gas, 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 ``Transparency and Honesty in Energy 
Regulations Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

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

section 551 of title 5, 
 United States Code.

    (2) Social cost of carbon.--The term ``social cost of 
 carbon'' means--
        (A) the estimate of the social cost of carbon 
 described in--
            (i) the document of the Interagency Working 
 Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United States 
 Government, entitled ``Technical Support 
 Document: Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory 
 Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866'' 
 and dated February 2010;
            (ii) the document of the Interagency 
 Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 
 Gases, United States Government, entitled 
 ``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of 
 Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim 
 Estimates under Executive Order 13990'' and 
 dated February 2021;
            (iii) the document of the Interagency 
 Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 
 Gases, United States Government, entitled 
 ``Technical Support Document: Technical Update 
 of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory 
 Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866'', 
 dated May 2013, revised in November 2013 and 
 July 2015, and published and revised in August 
 2016;
            (iv) the document of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency entitled ``Regulatory Impact 
 Analysis for the New Source Performance 
 Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 
 New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-
 Fired Electric Generating Units; Emission 
 Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 
 Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating 
 Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean 
 Energy Rule'' and dated April 2024;
            (v) the document of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency entitled ``Regulatory Impact 
 Analysis for the Final Federal Good Neighbor 
 Plan Addressing Regional Ozone Transport for 
 the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality 
 Standard'' and dated March 2023;
            (vi) the document of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency entitled ``Regulatory Impact 
 Analysis for the Final National Emission 
 Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- 
 and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating 
 Units Review of the Residual Risk and 
 Technology Review'' and dated April 2024;
            (vii) the document of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency entitled ``Benefit and Cost 
 Analysis for Supplemental Effluent Limitations 
 Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric 
 Power Generating Point Source Category'' and 
 dated April 18, 2024; or
            (viii) any successor or substantially 
 related document; and
        (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages 
 associated with an incremental increase in carbon 
 dioxide emissions in a given year.

    (3) Social cost of greenhouse gases.--The term ``social 
 cost of greenhouse gases'' means--
        (A) the estimate of the social cost of any 
 greenhouse gas that is described in--
            (i) the document of the Interagency Working 
 Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United States 
 Government, entitled ``Technical Support 
 Document: Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory 
 Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866'' 
 and dated February 2010;
            (ii) the document of the Interagency 
 Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 
 Gases, United States Government, entitled 
 ``Technical Support Document: Technical Update 
 of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory 
 Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866'', 
 dated May 2013, revised in November 2013 and 
 July 2015, and published and revised in August 
 2016;
            (iii) the document of the Interagency 
 Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 
 Gases, United States Government, entitled 
 ``Addendum to Technical Support Document on 
 Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact 
 Analysis under Executive Order 12866: 
 Application of the Methodology to Estimate the 
 Social Cost of Methane and the Social Cost of 
 Nitrous Oxide'' and dated August 2016;
            (iv) the document of the Interagency 
 Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 
 Gases, United States Government, entitled 
 ``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of 
 Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim 
 Estimates under Executive Order 13990'' and 
 dated February 2021; or
            (v) any successor or substantially related 
 document; and
        (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages 
 associated with an incremental increase in greenhouse 
 gas emissions in a given year.

    (4) Social cost of methane.--The term ``social cost of 
 methane'' means--
        (A) the estimate of the social cost of methane 
 described in--
            (i) the document of the Interagency Working 
 Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases, 
 United States Government, entitled ``Addendum 
 to Technical Support Document on Social Cost of 
 Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis under 
 Executive Order 12866: Application of the 
 Methodology to Estimate the Social Cost of 
 Methane and the Social Cost of Nitrous Oxide'' 
 and dated August 2016;
            (ii) the document of the Interagency 
 Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 
 Gases, United States Government, entitled 
 ``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of 
 Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim 
 Estimates under Executive Order 13990'' and 
 dated February 2021;
            (iii) the document of the Environmental 
 Protection Agency entitled ``Benefit and Cost 
 Analysis for Supplemental Effluent Limitations 
 Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric 
 Power Generating Point Source Category'' and 
 dated April 18, 2024; or
            (iv) any successor or substantially related 
 document; and
        (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages 
 associated with an incremental increase in methane 
 emissions in a given year.

    (5) Social cost of nitrous oxide.--The term ``social cost 
 of nitrous oxide'' means--
        (A) the estimate of the social cost of nitrous 
 oxide described in--
            (i) the document of the Interagency Working 
 Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United States 
 Government, entitled ``Addendum to Technical 
 Support Document on Social Cost of Carbon for 
 Regulatory Impact Analysis under Executive 
 Order 12866: Application of the Methodology to 
 Estimate the Social Cost of Methane and the 
 Social Cost of Nitrous Oxide'' and dated August 
 2016;
            (ii) the document of the Interagency 
 Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United 
 States Government, entitled ``Technical Support 
 Document: Social Cost of Carbon, Methane, and 
 Nitrous Oxide Interim Estimates under Executive 
 Order 13990'' and dated February 2021; or
            (iii) any other successor or substantially 
 related document; and
        (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages 
 associated with an incremental increase in nitrous 
 oxide emissions in a given year.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON CONSIDERING THE SOCIAL COST OF GREENHOUSE GASES, 
 INCLUDING THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON, THE SOCIAL COST OF 
 METHANE, AND THE SOCIAL COST OF NITROUS OXIDE.

 The head of a Federal agency may not consider the social cost of 
carbon, the social cost of methane, the social cost of nitrous oxide, 
or the social cost of greenhouse gases--

    (1) as part of any cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness 
 analysis required under--
        (A) any law;
        (B) Executive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; 
 relating to regulatory planning and review); or
            (C) Executive Order 13563 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; 
 relating to improving regulation and regulatory 
 review);

    (2) in any rulemaking;

    (3) in the issuance of any guidance;

    (4) in taking any other agency action; or

    (5) as a justification for any rulemaking, guidance 
 document, or agency action.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

 Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the head of each Federal agency shall submit to the Committees on 
Environment and Public Works and Energy and Natural Resources of the 
Senate and the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives a report describing the number of 
proposed and final rulemakings, guidance documents, and agency actions 
that, since January 2009, have used the social cost of carbon, the 
social cost of greenhouse gases, the social cost of methane, or the 
social cost of nitrous oxide, including the use of the social cost of 
carbon, the social cost of greenhouse gases, the social cost of 
methane, or the social cost of nitrous oxide as part of any cost-
benefit analysis required under Executive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 
note; relating to regulatory planning and review) or other relevant 
authority.

SEC. 5. PRIORITIZING ACCURACY IN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES.

    (a) Limitation on Permitting and Regulation.--

    (1) In general.--In carrying out any permitting 
 adjudication or regulatory process--
        (A) the head of each Federal agency shall, in 
 taking into account any environmental considerations, 
 only use such environmental considerations as are 
 explicitly required under an Act of Congress; and
        (B) the use of any environmental consideration not 
 described in subparagraph
        (A) is prohibited.

    (2) Use of robust methodologies.--In carrying out paragraph

    (1) , the head of a Federal agency, in the determination of the 
 head of that Federal agency--
        (A) shall strictly use the most robust methodology 
 of assessment available; and
        (B) shall not use any methodology that is arbitrary 
 or ideologically motivated.

    (b) Regulatory Analysis.--The head of each Federal agency shall--

    (1) ensure that any estimates to assess the value of 
 changes in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the actions 
 of that Federal agency, including with respect to the 
 consideration of domestic versus international effects and 
 evaluating appropriate discount rates, are, to the extent 
 permitted by law, consistent with the guidance contained in 
 Office of Management and Budget Circular A-4, dated September 
 17, 2003; and

    (2) as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, 
 initiate a process to make such changes to any rule, 
 regulation, policy, or action of the Federal agency as may be 
 necessary to ensure consistency with Office of Management and 
 Budget Circular A-4, dated September 17, 2003.
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