SMART Act of 2025

This bill makes federal agencies check whether their biggest rules actually work. When an agency proposes or finalizes a major rule, it must include a plan to measure results, gather data (with public input), and set a deadline to review the rule—no later than 10 years after the rule takes effect. A “major rule” means one likely to affect the economy by $100 million or more, raise costs or prices a lot, or have other big impacts on jobs, competition, health, safety, or the environment.

Agencies must later compare the rule’s real-world benefits and costs to what they expected, decide if the rule still meets its goals or should be changed or dropped, and post the results online within 180 days after the review is done. A federal oversight office will guide agencies and may allow exceptions for emergencies or routine annual rules, and it can extend a deadline by up to 90 days when needed.

• Who is affected: Federal agencies; people and businesses touched by major rules and other affected entities.
• What changes: Agencies must plan up front how to measure success, collect data with public input, compare expected vs. actual results, consider streamlining or modifying rules, and publish findings online .
• When: Starts 1 year after the law takes effect; each review must happen within a set time frame, not more than 10 years after a rule takes effect; if a rule was issued without a proposal first, the review plan must be published within 6 months .