Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4626
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-25: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-11T23:26:37Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act (H.R. 4626) aims to protect consumers from burdensome energy conservation standards for home appliances by ensuring that any new or updated rules set by the Department of Energy (DOE) are both technologically possible (meaning the technology exists to meet them) and economically justified (meaning they save money for users without adding net costs). It seeks to prioritize consumer affordability, limit regulatory overreach, and allow for the review or removal of existing standards that no longer meet these criteria.
Key Provisions
- Process for New or Amended Standards:
- The DOE Secretary can propose new standards only after following specific procedures, including public notice and comment periods.
- Final rules must be published within 2 years of a proposal, and the standards apply to products made 5 years after the rule's publication.
- Petitions for Changes to Standards:
- Allows interested parties (e.g., manufacturers or consumers) to petition the DOE to amend or revoke existing standards if they provide evidence that the standards increase costs, fail to save significant energy or water, are not technologically feasible, or make products unavailable in the U.S.
- The DOE must respond within 3 years for amendments or 180 days for revocations, with no presumption favoring the petition in broader rulemakings.
- Revoked standards remain in effect for enforcement purposes under certain sections of the law.
- Criteria for Standards:
- Standards must achieve maximum feasible efficiency improvements without lessening product performance or utility (e.g., compatibility with existing systems, lifespan, or operating conditions).
- Requires a quantitative economic analysis before finalizing standards, covering consumer costs (including for low-income and rural households), employment effects, and lifecycle costs (purchase, installation, maintenance, disposal, and replacement).
- Standards cannot be set if they do not result in significant savings (at least 0.3 quadrillion BTUs of site energy over 30 years or a 10% reduction in energy/water use) or if they impose net additional costs on consumers.
- Prohibits considering social costs of greenhouse gas emissions in justifications.
- Mandates public disclosure of any meetings in the prior 5 years with entities tied to China, those advocating energy restrictions, or recipients of federal funds.
- Requires Attorney General input on potential impacts on market competition.
- Post-Implementation Review:
- Within 2 years of a final rule, the DOE must evaluate if the standard remains feasible and justified; if not, it loses force (but stays in effect for enforcement) and can be amended.
- Specific Product Rules:
- Bans any new or revised energy standards for distribution transformers (electrical devices that adjust voltage in power lines).
- For dishwashers and clothes washers, allows flexible standards including design requirements, minimum efficiency levels, maximum energy/water use limits, or combinations thereof.
- Updates regional standards to apply based on manufacture or import date rather than installation date.
- Technical Updates:
- Makes conforming changes to definitions and procedures in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to include water efficiency where applicable and remove outdated references to specific appliances.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Stricter Justification Requirements: Amends EPCA Section 325(o) to explicitly prohibit standards unless they are technologically feasible, economically justified, and result in significant conservation. Adds consumer cost protections, such as ensuring energy savings exceed added costs within 3 years of purchase.
- Easier Revocation Process: Expands EPCA Section 325(n) to allow petitions for revocation, with faster timelines (180 days) and new evidence thresholds focused on consumer harm and availability.
- Ban on Certain Standards: Introduces a complete prohibition on new standards for distribution transformers, overriding prior testing requirements.
- Economic Focus: Removes consideration of broader social benefits (e.g., climate impacts) and mandates detailed, consumer-centric economic analyses with public comment periods.
- Flexibility for Appliances: Provides more options for standards on dishwashers and clothes washers, moving away from rigid efficiency mandates.
- Review Mechanism: Adds a mandatory 2-year post-rule evaluation, allowing standards to be nullified if they fail updated criteria—a new accountability layer not in prior law.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The DOE faces increased procedural hurdles, analysis requirements, and timelines, potentially slowing rulemaking and requiring more resources for reviews and disclosures. This could reduce the agency's ability to implement aggressive energy efficiency policies.
- On Citizens: Consumers may benefit from lower upfront costs and availability of affordable appliances, especially low-income and rural households, but could see reduced long-term energy savings and higher utility bills if fewer efficiency standards are adopted. Water efficiency rules for certain products remain applicable.
- On International Relations: Disclosure requirements for meetings with China-linked entities could strain U.S.-China energy policy dialogues and highlight geopolitical tensions in appliance manufacturing supply chains, where China is a major producer.
- Broader Effects: May slow national progress toward energy conservation goals, potentially increasing overall energy consumption and environmental impacts, while easing burdens on U.S. manufacturers reliant on imports.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Consumers: Primary beneficiaries through cost protections, but potentially harmed by less efficient products.
- Appliance Manufacturers and Retailers: Gain regulatory relief, reduced compliance costs, and easier market entry, especially for U.S.-based firms competing with imports.
- Department of Energy (DOE): Directly constrained in setting standards, with added administrative duties.
- Environmental and Energy Advocacy Groups: Likely opposed, as the bill limits tools for reducing energy use and emissions.
- Utilities and Energy Providers: Could face higher demand if efficiency standards are revoked or not updated.
- International Entities: Chinese manufacturers or affiliates may face scrutiny due to disclosure rules, affecting trade in appliances.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens administrative law by mandating rigorous economic analyses and public disclosures, potentially inviting more lawsuits over DOE decisions (e.g., challenges to revocations or analyses). The revocation process creates a "no presumption" rule to avoid biasing future rulemakings, ensuring procedural fairness.
- Constitutional: Aligns with separation of powers by requiring Attorney General involvement in competition assessments, but could raise questions about executive overreach if disclosures infringe on free speech or association rights for entities meeting with DOE.
- Political: Reflects a deregulatory approach favoring consumer and industry interests over environmental goals, likely sparking partisan debate—supporters see it as affordability protection, critics as a rollback of climate policy. The China-specific provisions add a national security angle, potentially influencing U.S. trade and energy independence discussions. No direct impact on federalism, though regional standards are clarified.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-25: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2026-02-24: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2026-02-24: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 190 (Roll no. 76). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H4679-4681) (Roll call 76)
- 2026-02-24: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 217 - 190 (Roll no. 76). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H4679-4681) (Roll call 76)
- 2026-02-24: On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 197 - 208 (Roll no. 75). (CR H2285) (Roll call 75)
- 2026-02-24: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2279-2286)
- 2026-02-24: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 4626, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced the noes had prevailed. Mr. Suozzi demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
- 2026-02-24: The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
- 2026-02-24: Mr. Suozzi moved to recommit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (CR H2285)
- 2026-02-24: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- 2026-02-24: DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4626.
- 2026-02-24: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4626 and H.R. 4758. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4626 and H.R. 4758 under a closed rule with one motion to recommit for each bill. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on each bill.
- 2026-02-24: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1075. (consideration: CR H2269-2276)
- 2026-02-24: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1075 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4626 and H.R. 4758. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4626 and H.R. 4758 under a closed rule with one motion to recommit for each bill. The resolution provides for one hour of general debate on each bill.
- 2026-01-30: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 401.
Bill Versions
- Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act — issued 2026-02-24 — PDF (24 pages)
- Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act — issued 2025-07-23 — PDF (15 pages)
- Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act — issued 2026-02-25 — PDF (22 pages)
- Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act — issued 2026-01-30 — PDF (24 pages)