# 119-s-368: BLOCK Act

119-s-368, BLOCK Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA); status introduced (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-368
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-368
- Congress: 119
- Title: BLOCK Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-03
- Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Makes Congress the gatekeeper for costly federal regulations by requiring formal congressional approval for "major rules."** It also creates a 60-day disapproval route for other rules and forces agencies to publish detailed cost and inflation analyses before and after rulemaking. - Families and businesses: Any rule the Comptroller General finds will cost at least $50 million a year becomes a "major rule" and needs congressional approval. That can delay or change the timing and content of regulations that impose new costs. - Federal agencies: Agencies must file expanded cost benefit and inflation impact reports, publish more pre and post rule information, and face annual review and a five year sunset for many rules. These steps raise paperwork and slow how fast new rules take effect. - Congress and courts: Congress gets structured approval votes for major rules and a fast 60 day disapproval window for nonmajor rules. Courts are limited to checking whether agencies followed the new procedural steps rather than redoing policy judgments.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Congress must approve big rules: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would call a rule "major" if it costs $50,000,000 or more a year to comply. The Comptroller General would decide which rules meet that test. Major rules could not take effect unless Congress passed a joint resolution within 30 days after getting the agency report. Agencies woul…
- Immediate effect for hunting rules: benefit, low. If enacted, rules that set up or change hunting, fishing, or camping programs could take effect when the agency issues them. The bill would also let nonmajor rules with a written good-cause finding take effect immediately. This would speed program changes for hunters and some outdoor businesses.
- Treat agency guidance as rules: cost, high. If enacted, the bill would expand the definition of "rule" to include interpretive rules, general statements of policy, and most guidance documents. Some narrow or internal agency rules and rules that apply only to specific parties would be excluded. Treating guidance as rules would bring many more…
- Annual review and sunsetting of rules: mixed, high. If enacted, six months after enactment each agency would start reviewing at least 20% of its existing rules each year for four years. Agencies would submit reports and those designated rules would face the bill's approval procedures. After five years, any existing rule Congress has not approved wou…
- Congress can disapprove small rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, Congress would have 60 days to introduce a joint resolution to void a nonmajor rule after it gets the agency report. In the Senate, 30 Senators could force a committee discharge after 15 session days and debate would be limited to 10 hours. If Congress passes the resolution, the nonmajo…

## Related bills

- 119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-4065: STAND with Taiwan Act of 2026
- 119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-368 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/368)

## Related
- [119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-688)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-4065: STAND with Taiwan Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4065)
- [119-s-3492: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3492)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-368 (as of 2025-12-21).