Sponsors (9)
The bill increases clarity, periodic review, and transparency for covered energy and environmental rules—potentially cutting outdated regulations—but risks near-term expiration of protections, regulatory gaps, higher agency burden, and reduced avenues for legal accountability.
Taxpayers and small-business owners will see some outdated or costly major rules reviewed and potentially removed thanks to required periodic review and justification of major rules.
Utilities, energy companies, and federal regulators get clearer notice because the bill defines which agencies, statutes, and discrete parts/subparts/provisions are covered, reducing legal ambiguity about scope.
Small-business owners and taxpayers gain more transparency because agencies must solicit public comment on costs and benefits before extending rules.
Taxpayers, small-business owners, and state governments risk losing consumer, worker, and environmental protections because many existing rules could expire within a year unless affirmatively extended.
Small-business owners and federal agencies will face greater regulatory uncertainty and higher compliance/planning costs if rules are removed or allowed to lapse.
Taxpayers and small-business owners could have reduced accountability and fewer legal remedies because the Act limits private causes of action and may reduce judicial oversight of agency implementation.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Requires automatic expiration dates for many DOE, Interior, and FERC regulations and forces periodic reauthorization or lapse if not extended.
Official title: To require certain agencies to impose extendable sunset dates on certain regulations, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 17, 2026 by Craig A. Goldman · Last progress February 17, 2026
Imposes automatic expiration (sunset) dates on many existing and new energy-related regulations from DOE, Interior energy offices, and FERC, forcing agencies to reauthorize rules periodically or let them lapse. Agencies must amend existing covered rules within 90 days so those rules expire one year later; new rules generally expire within five years unless the agency head finds and documents a net deregulatory effect. Extensions are allowed only after public comment on costs and benefits and are limited to five-year increments. If an expiration is not timely extended, the rule ceases to have effect and must be removed from the CFR. The act applies a narrow set of covered statutes and agency programs (listed in the bill) and preserves executive authority while denying any private right to sue under the statute; it also contains a severability clause. The net effect is a recurring requirement for energy agencies to justify and reissue regulations, increasing administrative review and creating periodic regulatory uncertainty for regulated parties and agencies alike.