Summary#
This bill would change how Congress can use the Congressional Review Act (the law that lets Congress vote to overturn recently issued federal rules). It lets a single joint resolution of disapproval cover more than one rule when each rule’s required report was submitted during the final year of a President’s term. The broad goal is to make it easier for Congress to overturn multiple “midnight rules” (rules submitted near the end of a President’s term) in one vote.
- Main change: A joint resolution may list and disapprove multiple rules together if each rule’s report was submitted during the final year of a President’s term.
- Practical effect: The bill gives Congress a way to package several late-term rules into one disapproval resolution.
- Scope: The change applies only to rules for which the agency report was submitted during a President’s final year, as described in the bill text.
- What is unclear: The bill does not explain how this interacts with other timing or procedural limits in the current law, or whether there are any limits on how many rules can be combined in one resolution.
What it means for you#
- Members of Congress: They could vote on a single resolution that disapproves several late-term rules at once, rather than needing separate resolutions for each rule.
- Federal agencies: Rules submitted during a President’s final year could be bundled together for congressional disapproval. Agencies could face a higher chance that multiple late-term rules are overturned together.
- Incoming or outgoing administrations: An incoming President (or a President in the final year of a term) may see more of that administration’s late-term rules targeted together for repeal.
- Businesses, states, and the public affected by rules: If several late-term rules you rely on are included in one disapproval resolution, they could be removed together if Congress passes that resolution. This could speed the end of multiple rules at once.
- Courts and lawyers: The change could affect litigation strategy around late-term rules, because several rules might be challenged or struck down together.
- General public: If you follow or are affected by regulations issued late in a President’s final year, those rules may be more likely to be reversed in groups.
Expenses#
No publicly available information.
- The bill text and supplied materials do not include a fiscal note or estimate of administrative costs.
- Possible costs or savings (not stated in the bill) could include congressional staff time to draft bundled resolutions, or agency costs if more rules are rescinded and need replacements, but the bill does not provide numbers or estimates.
Proponents' View#
- The bill appears intended to make it easier for Congress to overturn multiple late-term (so-called “midnight”) rules in one action.
- Supporters may argue this speeds up congressional review and reduces the need for separate votes on each late-term rule.
- This could be seen as increasing accountability by allowing Congress to address a batch of rules produced at the end of a Presidency together.
Opponents' View#
- One concern is that bundling many rules into a single resolution could force a single up-or-down vote on several distinct rules, reducing detailed consideration of each rule.
- The bill does not clearly explain how it interacts with other timing and procedural parts of the existing review process; this could create legal or procedural uncertainty.
- Another possible trade-off is that grouping rules may make it easier to repeal beneficial protections or programs along with rules critics oppose, since votes would cover multiple items at once.
- It is unclear whether there are limits on how many rules may be combined or how complex lists of rules would be handled in practice.