Sponsors
The bill strengthens state-level conflict-of-interest rules to increase impartiality and public trust in utility regulation, at the cost of limiting short-term employment options for former regulators and imposing potential compliance and administrative costs on utilities and state governments.
State governments and utility customers: state regulatory authorities will have stronger conflict-of-interest rules that bar former commissioners and staff from influencing or profiting from matters they previously oversaw for two years, reducing regulatory capture.
Utility customers and the public: temporary restrictions on former regulators lobbying or influencing ratemaking increase impartiality and public trust in utility decisions.
State governments: the bill preserves flexibility by exempting jurisdictions that recently adopted or considered comparable ethics rules, avoiding redundant federal requirements for those states.
Former state regulators, utilities, and ratepayers: former regulators face reduced near-term job opportunities while utilities may lose access to experienced advisers, potentially raising legal/consulting costs that could be passed to customers.
State governments: implementing and adjudicating the new restrictions requires states to hold hearings and make determinations within 1–2 year deadlines, creating additional administrative workload and costs.
Former regulators: a two-year bar on employment or consulting related to prior matters reduces near-term career and income options for individuals leaving regulatory posts.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 22, 2026 by Josh Harder · Last progress January 22, 2026
Creates a federal ethics-style standard that bars former members of State regulatory authorities from lobbying, representing parties, obtaining nonpublic information from, or providing paid services in matters before their former State regulator for two years after leaving office. Requires States that set electric utility rates to initiate consideration of this two-year restriction within 1 year and to complete consideration and reach a determination within 2 years, with limited exceptions where a comparable rule was recently adopted or considered.