Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Foxx
In Committee
Summary
Tighten regulatory cost-benefit analysis for major federal rules. This bill would expand the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act so agencies must produce detailed, quantified regulatory impact analyses and broaden stakeholder input for any rule that meets a $100,000,000 annual economy-wide impact threshold.
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- Agencies would have to publish initial and final regulatory impact analyses that quantify benefits and costs to the extent feasible. They must analyze a reasonable set of alternatives, include market-based and flexible options, assess distributional effects across regions and sectors, and estimate potential job creation or loss.
- States, Tribal and local governments, small businesses, and other affected parties would get earlier and ongoing consultation, a required 90-day initiation notice in the Federal Register, and mandatory summaries of prior consultations and public comments.
- The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs would gain new oversight tools and must report to Congress annually. The bill expands UMRA to independent agencies and private-sector mandates, allows judicial challenges to major rules, and sets parts of the law to take effect 120 days after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
New $100M rule threshold
If enacted, a rule would be "major" if it is likely to affect the economy by $100,000,000 or more per year. The $100,000,000 floor would be updated every 5 years using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The OIRA Administrator would also be able to declare a rule major if it causes big cost or price increases or harms competition, jobs, investment, innovation, productivity, public health and safety, or U.S. firms' international competitiveness.
Stronger impact analysis and oversight
If enacted, agencies would have to publish a detailed initial regulatory impact analysis with the proposed major rule and a final analysis with the final major rule. Analyses would, when feasible, put numbers on benefits and costs, look at reasonable alternatives, estimate job and budget effects, and summarize prior consultations and public comments. Agencies would generally have to choose the alternative that maximizes net benefits, but the OIRA Administrator could approve departures with written justification. The bill would give OIRA new oversight duties, require annual reports to Congress on agency compliance, and create a private right to sue over failures to follow the Act. Key procedural and oversight changes would take effect 120 days after enactment.
Independent agencies now covered
If enacted, independent regulatory agencies would be covered by a provision they had been excluded from, broadening oversight and budget‑act coverage. At the same time, the bill would explicitly say that rules about monetary policy from the Federal Reserve or its committee are not subject to titles II–IV of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
Congressional point of order for businesses
If enacted, Congress would be able to raise a point of order against federal private‑sector mandates the same way it does against intergovernmental mandates. This would give businesses a legislative tool to block or slow costly federal requirements.
Earlier consultations and dockets
If enacted, agencies that may make a major rule would have to open an electronic docket and publish a notice at least 90 days before a proposed rule. Agencies would also have to consult early and often with State, local, and Tribal officials and impacted private‑sector parties, including small businesses. Consultations would ask about costs, benefits, risks, alternatives, cumulative impacts, and possible flexibilities.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Foxx
NC • R
Cosponsors
Cuellar
TX • D
Sponsored 1/21/2025
Golden (ME)
ME • D
Sponsored 1/21/2025
Hinson
IA • R
Sponsored 1/21/2025
Sessions
TX • R
Sponsored 1/21/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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