Sponsors (2)
The bill increases transparency and reduces hidden, targeted tax/tariff giveaways through clearer definitions and stricter procedures, but at the cost of limiting members' ability to secure narrow local relief, creating procedural slowdown and some drafting uncertainty.
Taxpayers: The bill makes it harder for measures that operate as targeted tax or tariff giveaways to reach the floor, reducing the chance of hidden or narrowly tailored tax benefits being enacted.
Members of Congress and the public: The bill provides clearer definitions of 'earmark' and creates enforceable procedures (point-of-order, automatic striking, required votes) that increase transparency and force explicit, on-the-record decisions about eligibility of provisions.
Taxpayers and small businesses: Narrowly targeted tax and tariff benefits that affect very few named beneficiaries are more likely to be identified and disclosed, enabling greater public scrutiny of special tax/tariff breaks.
District residents, local governments, and small businesses: Members will have reduced ability to advance narrowly targeted local projects, tax relief, or industry-specific benefits for their districts because such measures may be barred or struck from consideration.
All stakeholders using the House floor: More frequent points of order and automatic striking could slow floor business, causing procedural delays and more repeated privileged motions and votes.
Bill drafters and sponsors: The bright-line prohibition and removal of clause 9 may create uncertainty about what counts as a 'limited' or permissible benefit, inviting more procedural challenges and disputes over interpretation.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits the House from considering measures that include congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits for 10 or fewer beneficiaries, or limited tariff benefits for 10 or fewer entities and sets enforcement procedures.
Official title: To prohibit the consideration in the House of Representatives of any legislation containing an earmark.
Introduced January 13, 2026 by Ralph Norman · Last progress January 13, 2026
Prohibits the House of Representatives from considering any measure or amendment that contains a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit that favors 10 or fewer beneficiaries, or a limited tariff change that benefits 10 or fewer entities. It sets a point-of-order enforcement process that strikes or rejects covered provisions and requires certain procedural steps when those points of order are sustained. Defines key terms used for enforcement: what counts as a "congressional earmark," a "limited tax benefit," and a "limited tariff benefit," and changes House rules to implement the prohibition and related procedures for handling contested provisions.