Sponsors (2)
The bill increases procedural protections, transparency, and accountability for grant recipients and strengthens oversight of EPA actions, but it also shifts decisionmaking power to Congress, raises litigation and taxpayer exposure, constrains agency flexibility (including on economic analyses), and creates near‑term uncertainty by sunsetting many authorities in 2029.
Regulated businesses, state and local governments, and taxpayers: EPA rulemakings will use a single, specified economic‑analysis framework, increasing consistency and predictability in benefit‑cost treatment across rules.
Taxpayers and affected communities: Requiring recognized methodological guidance improves transparency of benefit‑cost calculations so the public can better see how health and environmental benefits are monetized.
States, local governments, and nonprofits: EPA may not terminate grants without Office of General Counsel (OGC) legal review, giving recipients stronger procedural protection against potentially improper or legally vulnerable terminations.
All affected programs and authorities under the Act will end on Jan 20, 2029 unless separately extended, creating significant uncertainty and potential disruption to services, funding, and regulatory status for many recipients and stakeholders.
EPA, regulated entities, and public health stakeholders: Requiring congressional approval before the EPA can dismiss or withdraw covered carcinogen claims risks politicizing scientific enforcement decisions, delaying case resolution and increasing legal and regulatory uncertainty.
Public health and the environment: Binding EPA to specific editions of economic‑analysis guidance could limit agency flexibility to use newer methods or tailor analyses to emerging science, potentially understating harms and biasing rule outcomes.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Requires congressional approval before EPA dismisses certain enforcement suits or withdraws DOJ referrals, restricts grant terminations, binds EPA to specified economic guidance, and creates private damages and pay penalties; sunsets 1/20/2029.
Official title: To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to seek congressional approval prior to dismissing lawsuits, or withdrawing referrals to the Department of Justice of claims, relating to the release of certain carcinogens, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 22, 2026 by Troy Carter · Last progress April 22, 2026
Requires the EPA Administrator to get prior notice to Congress and an enacted joint resolution of approval before dismissing certain EPA-filed lawsuits or withdrawing DOJ referrals, restricts the agency’s ability to terminate or deobligate grants while disputes are pending, binds EPA to specific OMB and EPA economic-analysis guidance, creates a private right of action with statutory damages and fee-shifting, and authorizes courts to reduce the Administrator’s pay to $1 if violations are found. The Act’s requirements expire on January 20, 2029.