Sponsors (21)
Official title: To amend the Clean Air Act to require Congress to approve of the application of certain executive exemptions under that Act, to strike an exemption under that Act, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 21, 2026 by Doris Matsui · Last progress July 21, 2026
The bill increases congressional oversight, transparency, and public enforcement options over Clean Air Act exemptions—potentially strengthening environmental protections and legal clarity—at the cost of added administrative burdens, greater litigation risk, statutory uncertainty, and possible delays that could hamper emergency responses and local air quality protections.
Local communities and the public: by requiring presidential notifications, GAO review, monthly reports, and Federal Register publication, the bill increases congressional oversight and transparency over executive use of Clean Air Act exemptions.
Taxpayers and citizens: the bill creates a private right to sue federal officials who use covered exemptions without enacted congressional approval, expanding enforcement options for the public.
Local communities and the environment: by making certain executive extensions subject to congressional approval and time limits, the bill may preserve environmental protections that could otherwise be extended unilaterally.
Federal agencies and affected communities: requiring prior congressional approval (a joint resolution) for some exemptions can delay time‑sensitive agency responses in emergencies, reducing agility in crises.
Local residents and public health: removing or altering existing statutory paragraph(s) and permitting exemptions without the prior mandatory cross‑reference could weaken enforceable constraints on federal facilities and increase risks to local air quality and health.
Taxpayers: expanding citizen enforcement increases litigation risk and could raise legal costs for the government if agencies are sued over exemptive actions.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires Congress to enact a joint resolution before certain federal Clean Air Act exemptions or extensions take effect, adds GAO review, reporting, and citizen-suit authority for unauthorized exemptions.
Requires Congress to approve certain executive-branch Clean Air Act exemptions or extensions before they take effect, creates a presidential "special message" and GAO review requirement, and adds reporting, expedited congressional procedures, and a citizen enforcement cause of action for unauthorized uses. It also revises and narrows statutory exemption language in Title I and Title III of the Clean Air Act, including changes to timing and reconsideration rules. The bill conditions three existing federal exemptions (executive-branch emissions, federal fleet, and certain listed-substance essential-use/phase-out extensions) on enactment of a joint resolution, changes cross-references and exemption procedures in the Clean Air Act, and permits GAO-initiated review and citizen suits if exemptions are used without prior congressional approval.