Sponsors (3)
The bill standardizes and streamlines how CRA disapproval measures are defined and submitted to reduce procedural ambiguity for Congress, but in doing so it risks narrowing Congress's ability to challenge agency rules and creates transitional legal uncertainty that could leave some regulatory actions in effect.
Members of Congress and congressional clerks get clearer, narrower statutory rules on what counts as a "joint resolution" under the Congressional Review Act, reducing ambiguity about which disapproval measures are in order.
House and Senate clerks and committee staff get a uniform, codified resolving-clause text to use when submitting CRA disapproval measures, which should speed and standardize procedural handling.
Members of Congress and taxpayers may lose flexibility to challenge agency rules because a narrower statutory definition of "joint resolution" could make some disapproval measures procedurally invalid.
Regulated entities, small business owners, and the public could be left subject to agency rules that Congress intended to overturn if the new definition excludes creatively drafted or existing disapproval resolutions.
State and local governments, taxpayers, and affected parties may face transitional confusion and legal uncertainty because technical removals and renumbering could prompt challenges over past or pending CRA disapproval actions until courts resolve them.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Narrows the CRA definition of a qualifying "joint resolution" to one introduced after the agency report is received and using an exact, required dispositive clause; removes two subsections and renumbers others.
Official title: To amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide for additional time for Congress to disapprove of rules.
Introduced June 24, 2025 by Derek Schmidt · Last progress June 24, 2025
Changes to the Congressional Review Act narrow what counts as a valid "joint resolution" to disapprove agency rules and remove two subsections of the current statute, shifting later subsection lettering. The bill rewrites the definition so only a joint resolution introduced after the agency report is received and containing a specific dispositive formula (stating Congress disapproves a named rule and that rule shall have no force or effect) qualifies under the Act.