119-s973

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 973 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 973

 To establish a task force for regulatory oversight and review.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 12, 2025

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish a task force for regulatory oversight and review.

 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 ``Locating the Inefficiencies of 
Bureaucratic Edicts to Reform And Transform the Economy Act'' or the 
``LIBERATE Act''.

SEC. 2. REGULATORY OVERSIGHT AND REVIEW TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a task force to be known 
as the ``Regulatory Oversight and Review Task Force'' (referred to in 
this section as the ``Task Force'').

    (b) Membership.--

    (1) In general.--The Task Force shall be composed of--
        (A) the Director of the Office of Management and 
 Budget, who shall serve as the Chairperson of the Task 
 Force;
        (B) 1 representative of the Office of Information 
 and Regulatory Affairs; and
            (C) 16 individuals from the private sector, of 
 whom--
            (i) 4 shall be appointed by the majority 
 leader of the Senate;
            (ii) 4 shall be appointed by the minority 
 leader of the Senate;
            (iii) 4 shall be appointed by the Speaker 
 of the House of Representatives; and
            (iv) 4 shall be appointed by the minority 
 leader of the House of Representatives.

    (2) Qualifications of private sector members.--
        (A) Expertise.--Each member of the Task Force 
 appointed under paragraph

    (1)
            (C) shall be an individual 
 with expertise in Federal regulatory policy, Federal 
 regulatory compliance, economics, law, or business 
 management.
        (B) Small business concerns.--Not fewer than 2 of 
 the members of the Task Force appointed under each 
 clause of paragraph

    (1)
            (C) shall be representatives of 
 a small business concern, as defined in 

section 3 of 
 the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
            (C) Political affiliation.--Not more than 2 of the 
 members of the Task Force appointed under each clause 
 of paragraph

    (1)
            (C) may be affiliated with the same 
 political party.

    (3) Appointment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint each member 
 of the Task Force under paragraph

    (1)
            (C) .
            (c) Consultation With GAO.--In carrying out its functions under 
this section, the Task Force shall consult with the Government 
Accountability Office.
            (d) No Compensation.--A member of the Task Force may not receive 
any compensation for serving on the Task Force.

    (e) Evaluation of Regulations.--The Task Force shall evaluate, and 
provide recommendations for modification, consolidation, harmonization, 
or repeal of, Federal regulations that--

    (1) exclude or otherwise inhibit competition, causing 
 industries of the United States to be less competitive with 
 global competitors;

    (2) create barriers to entry for United States businesses, 
 including entrepreneurs and startups;

    (3) increase the operating costs for domestic 
 manufacturing;

    (4) impose substantial compliance costs and other burdens 
 on industries of the United States, making those industries 
 less competitive with global competitors;

    (5) impose burdensome and lengthy permitting processes and 
 requirements;

    (6) impact energy production by United States businesses 
 and make the United States dependent on foreign countries for 
 energy supply;

    (7) restrict domestic mining, including the mining of 
 critical minerals; or

    (8) inhibit capital formation in the economy of the United 
 States.

    (f) Website.--The Task Force shall establish and maintain a user-
friendly, public-facing website to be--

    (1) a portal for the submission of written recommendations 
 under subsection

    (h) ; and

    (2) a gateway for reports and key information.

    (g) Duty of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Task Force, a 
Federal agency shall provide applicable documents and information to 
help the Task Force carry out its functions under this section.

    (h) Written Recommendations.--

    (1) In general.-- Not later than 15 days after the first 
 meeting of the Task Force, the Task Force shall initiate a 
 process to solicit and collect written recommendations 
 regarding regulations described in subsection

    (e) from the 
 general public, interested parties, Federal agencies, and other 
 relevant entities.

    (2) Manner of submission.--The Task Force shall allow 
 written recommendations under paragraph

    (1) to be submitted 
 through--
        (A) the website of the Task Force;
        (B) regulations.gov;
            (C) the mail; or
            (D) other appropriate written means.

    (3) Publication.--The Task Force shall publish each 
 recommendation submitted under paragraph

    (1) --
        (A) in the Federal Register;
        (B) on the website of the Task Force; and
            (C) on regulations.gov.

    (4) Public outreach.--In addition to soliciting and 
 collecting written recommendations under paragraph

    (1) , the 
 Task Force shall conduct public outreach and convene focus 
 groups in geographically diverse areas throughout the United 
 States to solicit feedback and public comments regarding 
 regulations described in subsection

    (e) .

    (5) Review and consideration.--The Task Force shall review 
 the information received under paragraphs

    (1) and

    (4) and 
 consider including that information in the reports and special 
 message required under subsections
            (i) and

    (j) , respectively.
            (i) Reports.--

    (1) In general.--The Task Force shall submit quarterly and 
 annual reports to Congress on the findings of the Task Force 
 under this section.

    (2) Contents.--Each report submitted under paragraph

    (1) shall--
        (A) analyze the Federal regulations identified in 
 accordance with subsection

    (e) ; and
        (B) provide recommendations for modifications, 
 consolidation, harmonization, and repeal of the 
 regulations described in subparagraph
        (A) of this 
 paragraph.

    (j) Special Message to Congress.--

    (1) === Definition. ===
-In this subsection, the term ``covered 
 resolution'' means a joint resolution--
        (A) the matter after the resolving clause of which 
 contains only--
            (i) a list of some or all of the 
 regulations that were recommended for repeal in 
 a special message submitted to Congress under 
 paragraph

    (2) ; and
            (ii) a provision that immediately repeals 
 the listed regulations upon enactment of the 
 joint resolution; and
        (B) upon which Congress completes action before the 
 end of the first period of 60 calendar days after the 
 date on which the special message described in 
 subparagraph
        (A)
            (i) of this paragraph is received by 
 Congress.

    (2) Submission.--
        (A) In general.--Not later than the first day on 
 which both Houses of Congress are in session after May 
 1 of each year, the Director of the Office of 
 Management and Budget shall submit to Congress, on 
 behalf of the Task Force, a special message that--
            (i) details each regulation that the Task 
 Force recommends for repeal; and
            (ii) explains why each regulation should be 
 repealed.
        (B) Delivery to house and senate; printing.--Each 
 special message submitted under subparagraph
        (A) shall 
 be--
            (i) delivered to the Clerk of the House of 
 Representatives and the Secretary of the 
 Senate; and
            (ii) printed in the Congressional Record.

    (3) Procedure in house and senate.--
        (A) Referral.--A covered resolution shall be 
 referred to the appropriate committee of the House of 
 Representatives or the Senate, as the case may be.
        (B) Discharge of committee.--If the committee to 
 which a covered resolution has been referred has not 
 reported the resolution at the end of 25 calendar days 
 after the introduction of the resolution--
            (i) the committee shall be discharged from 
 further consideration of the resolution; and
            (ii) the resolution shall be placed on the 
 appropriate calendar.

    (4) Floor consideration in the house.--
        (A) Motion to proceed.--
            (i) In general.--When the committee of the 
 House of Representatives has reported, or has 
 been discharged from further consideration of, 
 a covered resolution, it shall at any time 
 thereafter be in order (even though a previous 
 motion to the same effect has been disagreed 
 to) to move to proceed to the consideration of 
 the resolution.
            (ii) Privilege.--A motion described in 
 clause
            (i) shall be highly privileged and not 
 debatable.
            (iii) No amendment or motion to 
 reconsider.--An amendment to a motion described 
 in clause
            (i) shall not be in order, nor shall 
 it be in order to move to reconsider the vote 
 by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed 
 to.
        (B) Debate.--
            (i) In general.--Debate in the House of 
 Representatives on a covered resolution shall 
 be limited to not more than 2 hours, which 
 shall be divided equally between those favoring 
 and those opposing the resolution.
            (ii) No motion to reconsider.--It shall not 
 be in order in the House of Representatives to 
 move to reconsider the vote by which a covered 
 resolution is agreed to or disagreed to.
            (C) No motion to postpone consideration or proceed 
 to consideration of other business.--In the House of 
 Representatives, motions to postpone, made with respect 
 to the consideration of a covered resolution, and 
 motions to proceed to the consideration of other 
 business, shall not be in order.
            (D) Appeals from decisions of chair.--An appeal 
 from the decision of the Chair relating to the 
 application of the Rules of the House of 
 Representatives to the procedure relating to a covered 
 resolution shall be decided without debate.

    (5) Floor consideration in the senate.--
        (A) Motion to proceed.--
            (i) In general.--Notwithstanding Rule XXII 
 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, when the 
 committee of the Senate to which a covered 
 resolution is referred has reported, or has 
 been discharged from further consideration of, 
 a covered resolution, it shall at any time 
 thereafter be in order (even though a previous 
 motion to the same effect has been disagreed 
 to) to move to proceed to the consideration of 
 the resolution and all points of order against 
 the covered resolution are waived.
            (ii) Division of time.--A motion to proceed 
 described in clause
            (i) is subject to 4 hours 
 of debate divided equally between those 
 favoring and those opposing the covered 
 resolution.
            (iii) No amendment or motion to postpone or 
 proceed to other business.--A motion to proceed 
 described in clause
            (i) is not subject to--
            (I) amendment;
            (II) a motion to postpone; or
            (III) a motion to proceed to the 
 consideration of other business.
        (B) Floor consideration.--
            (i) General.--In the Senate, a covered 
 resolution shall be subject to 10 hours of 
 debate divided equally between those favoring 
 and those opposing the covered resolution.
            (ii) Amendments.--In the Senate, no 
 amendment to a covered resolution shall be in 
 order, except an amendment that strikes from or 
 adds to the list required under paragraph

    (1)
        (A)
            (i) a regulation recommended for repeal 
 by the Task Force.
            (iii) Motions and appeals.--In the Senate, 
 a motion to reconsider a vote on final passage 
 of a covered resolution shall not be in order, 
 and points of order, including questions of 
 relevancy, and appeals from the decision of the 
 Presiding Officer, shall be decided without 
 debate.

    (6) Receipt of resolution from other house.--If, before 
 passing a covered resolution, one House receives from the other 
 a covered resolution--
        (A) the covered resolution of the other House shall 
 not be referred to a committee and shall be deemed to 
 have been discharged from committee on the day on which 
 it is received; and
        (B) the procedures set forth in paragraph

    (4) or

    (5) , as applicable, shall apply in the receiving House 
 to the covered resolution received from the other House 
 to the same extent as those procedures apply to a 
 covered resolution of the receiving House.

    (7) Rules of the house of representatives and the senate.--
 Paragraphs

    (2) through

    (6) are enacted by Congress--
        (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
 House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, 
 and as such are deemed a part of the rules of each 
 House, respectively, but applicable only with respect 
 to the procedures to be followed in the House in the 
 case of covered resolutions, and supersede other rules 
 only to the extent that they are inconsistent with such 
 other rules; and
        (B) with full recognition of the constitutional 
 right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
 relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 
 in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the 
 case of any other rule of that House.

    (k) Funding.--

    (1) No additional amounts authorized.--No additional 
 amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
 section.

    (2) Other funding.--The Task Force shall use amounts 
 otherwise available to the Office of Management and Budget to 
 carry out this section.
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