Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
This bill (Regulatory Accountability Act) amends the Administrative Procedure Act and related statutes to impose new procedural requirements on federal rulemaking. It defines "guidance," "major guidance," and "major rule," raises analytic and public‑notice obligations (cost‑benefit, alternatives, data transparency, longer comment periods, advanced notices), centralizes review and oversight with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA/Administrator), and adds retrospective assessment and publication requirements for major rules.
Progressives emphasize risk of delayed or weakened health and environmental rules
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a detailed, procedurally focused revision of administrative rulemaking law that specifies definitions, review steps, analytic requirements, and OIRA oversight while also adding reporting and retrospective-assessment obligations.
This bill (Regulatory Accountability Act) amends the Administrative Procedure Act and related statutes to impose new procedural requirements on federal rulemaking.
It defines "guidance," "major guidance," and "major rule," raises analytic and public‑notice obligations (cost‑benefit, alternatives, data transparency, longer comment periods, advanced notices), centralizes review and oversight with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA/Administrator), and adds retrospective assessment and publication requirements for major rules.
It also restricts certain agency public advocacy after a proposed rule, tightens publication and timing rules for final, interim, and direct final rules, and changes standards and limits for judicial review.
Substantial, ideologically loaded procedural reforms with high complexity and broad statutory reach lower enactment odds absent strong bipartisan buy‑in or alignment with majority priorities.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a detailed, procedurally focused revision of administrative rulemaking law that specifies definitions, review steps, analytic requirements, and OIRA oversight while also adding reporting and retrospective-assessment obligations.
Progressives emphasize risk of delayed or weakened health and environmental rules
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize risk of delayed or weakened health and environmental rules
Likely critical.
The persona would see the bill as creating procedural barriers that could delay or weaken public‑health, environmental, labor, and civil‑rights protections.
They would be concerned about concentrated review authority at OIRA and limits on agency guidance and outreach.
Cautiously receptive but concerned.
The persona would appreciate clearer analytic standards, transparency, and predictability, while worrying about added delays, resource needs for thorough analyses, and potential for politicized central review.
They'd weigh process improvements against real‑world implementation costs.
Favorable.
The persona would view the bill as a useful check on regulatory overreach, improving economic analysis, reducing unexpected burdens, and increasing executive branch oversight through OIRA.
They would welcome limits on guidance and stronger cost‑benefit rules.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Substantial, ideologically loaded procedural reforms with high complexity and broad statutory reach lower enactment odds absent strong bipartisan buy‑in or alignment with majority priorities.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Progressives emphasize risk of delayed or weakened health and environmental rules
Substantial, ideologically loaded procedural reforms with high complexity and broad statutory reach lower enactment odds absent strong bipa…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a detailed, procedurally focused revision of administrative rulemaking law that specifies definitions, review steps, analytic requirements, and OIRA oversight whil…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.