Summary

Requires that certain agency rules receive approval from Congress before taking effect, directs the Government Accountability Office to count currently effective rules and estimate their economic costs, and clarifies how rules that change budget authority are treated for budget scoring. It aims to increase congressional oversight of agency rulemaking and to produce a Congressional vote on rules that would otherwise take effect without direct legislative approval. Direct actions: (1) change the congressional review process for some or all agency rules so Congress must vote to approve them; (2) treat rules that affect budget authority as having budgetary effect unless disapproved by Congress; and (3) direct the Comptroller General to inventory in‑force rules and estimate their total economic cost and report back within one year.

Key Points

• Creates a requirement that certain agency rules must be approved by Congress before taking effect, shifting oversight from agencies to congressional votes.
• Directs the Comptroller General to inventory all rules in force on enactment and estimate their total economic cost, reporting to Congress within one year.
• Treats rules that change budget authority, outlays, or receipts as having budgetary effect for scoring unless disapproved under the new congressional procedure.
• Amends the statutory chapter governing congressional review of agency rulemaking, but the exact replacement text and details were not included in the provided materials.
• Would increase congressional workload and could delay or block agency regulatory actions, raising uncertainty for regulated parties.
• Does not specify an explicit effective date for the new approval process nor provide dollar figures for budget impacts.
• Aims to increase legislative accountability and transparency in the rulemaking process by forcing floor consideration of rules.
• Could shift disputes over policy from administrative rulemaking and courts to the legislative process and floor votes.
• Includes a GAO cost estimate requirement that may inform future oversight and legislative choices about regulatory policy.

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