Sponsors (3)
The bill increases congressional control, transparency, and potential regulatory relief through automatic sunsets and reporting requirements, but it risks losing protections, creating legal gaps and delays, and concentrating review power at OMB.
Taxpayers and small-business owners will face fewer long-standing federal regulations automatically in force, reducing regulatory compliance burdens for some businesses and individuals.
Taxpayers and federal employees: Congress gains more direct control and oversight over whether major rules remain in effect because agencies must provide timely written justifications and seek reauthorization, increasing legislative accountability and transparency.
Federal and state officials will have reduced duplicate paperwork because agencies can consolidate multiple reauthorization requests into a single submission, streamlining congressional review.
Taxpayers and the public may lose consumer, environmental, or safety protections when rules automatically expire after five years unless Congress reauthorizes them.
Small-business owners and state governments could face legal uncertainty and disruptive gaps if Congress fails to act before rules expire, harming regulated industries and public programs.
Federal employees and the public could see reduced ability to respond quickly to emerging risks because agencies are restricted from revising or reissuing sunset rules between congressional actions.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Most federal rules will automatically expire five years after their effective date unless Congress reauthorizes them; agencies must request reauthorization one year before sunset.
Introduced February 12, 2025 by Marlin A. Stutzman · Last progress February 12, 2025
Requires most federal rules issued after the law takes effect to automatically expire five years after their effective date unless Congress explicitly reauthorizes them, and bars agencies from reissuing, enforcing, or revising rules that have sunset. Agencies must submit a written reauthorization request to Congress at least one year before a rule’s scheduled sunset, justify continued need, bundle related requests, and publish the request publicly; certain rules (e.g., emergency, military/foreign affairs, criminal enforcement, personnel/organization, formal adjudication) are excluded. Preserves existing Administrative Procedure Act procedures and gives the Office of Management and Budget (OIRA) or agency heads authority to oversee sunsets and reauthorizations. The law defines covered terms and sets the procedural timeline for agencies and Congress to act to keep rules in force past five years.