Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Rand Paul
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create a new system centered on congressional approval and budgeting of major federal rules and would bring significant guidance documents and existing major rules into a stricter oversight, planning, and publication regime.
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- It would require Congress to pass a joint resolution of approval before a "major rule" could take effect, and a "major rule" would include any action with an annual economic effect of $100 million or large effects on families, workers, employment, or competition.
- Agencies would have to send Congress and the Comptroller General a full rule package with cost–benefit analyses and related materials, and the Office of Management and Budget Director would set incremental regulatory cost allowances (defaulting to zero) while the Comptroller General must report on major-rule submissions within 15 days.
- Major rules would automatically expire after 10 years unless reapproved, and the Director would review at least 10 percent of eligible rules each year; the bill also creates a private right of action to challenge agency compliance and limited judicial review and agency affirmative defenses.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 5 mixed.
Major rules expire after ten years
This bill would make each major rule stop having effect 10 years after Congress approved it unless Congress reauthorizes it. Agencies must send a report at least 180 days before a rule's expiration. The President could delay the expiration of one rule per Congress for up to 30 days for certain emergencies. Agencies must review at least 10% of eligible major rules each year starting six months after enactment.
More rules counted as major
This bill would make many agency actions count as "major rules." A rule or guidance that likely affects the economy by $100,000,000 or more per year could be treated as a major rule. Significant guidance would be treated like a rule unless specifically excluded. Some guidance categories, like internal personnel and most military or foreign affairs guidance, would be exempted.
Stronger congressional review for major rules
This bill would require Congress to pass a joint resolution to approve any major rule before it can take effect. If Congress does not approve within 70 session or legislative days, the rule could not take effect. Agencies would have to submit full rule text, cost‑benefit analyses including job effects, and other supporting materials to each House and GAO. GAO would report on each major rule to committees within 15 calendar days of submission.
Federal regulatory budget and offsets
This bill would require OMB to set a yearly Federal Regulatory Budget that limits net incremental regulatory costs for the government and each agency. If OMB sets no allowance for an agency, that agency's default allowed net regulatory cost would be zero. Agencies could not issue a significant rule unless they offset its costs with at least one deregulatory action on the same schedule or obtain written OMB approval. OMB must issue costing guidance within 90 days.
Central regulatory agenda and guidance site
This bill would require OMB to publish a unified regulatory agenda every April and October. Agencies would send their agendas at least 60 days beforehand and include estimated costs, benefits, deregulatory actions, and job effects or a statement that the data were not considered. OMB would set up a central website within 90 days and agencies must post guidance in effect on enactment within 180 days.
Budget scoring assumes rules are effective
This bill would change budget scoring so that any rule subject to the congressional approval process that affects budget authority, outlays, or receipts is assumed to be effective for scorekeepers unless Congress disapproves it. This would change how rule costs or savings appear in budget estimates.
GAO study on rule costs
This bill would require the Comptroller General to count how many rules are in effect, how many are "major," and estimate the total economic cost of those rules as of the date of enactment. GAO must send a report to Congress within one year.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rand Paul
KY • R
Cosponsors
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Katie Britt
AL • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Ted Budd
NC • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Kevin Cramer
ND • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Mike Crapo
ID • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
James Lankford
OK • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Mike Lee
UT • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Cynthia Lummis
WY • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Roger Marshall
KS • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Bernie Moreno
OH • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
James Risch
ID • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Rick Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Eric Schmitt
MO • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Tim Sheehy
MT • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Tommy Tuberville
AL • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Chuck Grassley
IA • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
Steve Daines
MT • R
Sponsored 2/6/2025
John Curtis
UT • R
Sponsored 2/12/2025
Todd Young
IN • R
Sponsored 2/12/2025
Jon Husted
OH • R
Sponsored 3/26/2025
John Barrasso
WY • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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