RESTART SUNSET Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 4770

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-07-25: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Last Updated

2026-03-27T13:09:45Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The RESTART SUNSET Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the process for federal agencies to periodically review their regulations (called "rules") to ensure they remain necessary and do not unnecessarily burden small businesses. It updates existing laws to require more timely reviews and adds stricter consequences for agencies that fail to comply, promoting accountability in rulemaking.

Key Provisions

• Periodic Review Requirements (amending Section 610 of Title 5, U.S. Code):
• Agencies must review all existing rules as of the bill's enactment date within 10 years.
• New rules adopted after enactment must be reviewed within 10 years of their final publication.
• Agencies must annually publish in the Federal Register a list of rules that do not have a "significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities" (a term from the Regulatory Flexibility Act meaning rules that do not heavily affect many small businesses), including the reasoning for this determination.
• Judicial Review Enhancements (amending Section 611 of Title 5, U.S. Code):
• If a court finds that an agency failed to conduct the required review under Section 610 for a specific rule, the court must issue an order prohibiting enforcement of that rule.
• This creates a new, mandatory remedy separate from other judicial options, such as remanding the rule back to the agency for further analysis.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Under current law (the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980), agencies are required to develop a plan for reviewing rules impacting small businesses, with all rules reviewed within 10 years of the law's effective date or their adoption. The bill replaces this one-time planning requirement with ongoing, mandatory 10-year review cycles tied to the bill's enactment date.
• It eliminates the need for an initial 180-day plan publication and shifts focus to direct, periodic reviews.
• A major addition is the automatic enforcement ban for unreviewed rules, which goes beyond existing judicial remedies that typically allow courts to order agencies to reconsider rules without halting enforcement.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Increases administrative workload by mandating systematic, time-bound reviews of all rules and annual reporting. Non-compliance could lead to courts blocking rule enforcement, potentially disrupting agency operations and requiring more resources for compliance.
• On Citizens and Small Businesses: Provides stronger protections for small entities by ensuring rules are regularly evaluated for ongoing relevance and burden. This could reduce regulatory costs for small businesses if outdated rules are revised or eliminated, benefiting entrepreneurs and local economies.
• On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though it may indirectly affect U.S. trade or regulatory alignment with international standards if rules involving global commerce (e.g., imports/exports) are reviewed and altered.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Agencies: Primary implementers, facing new review obligations and risks of judicial intervention.
• Small Businesses and Entities: Key beneficiaries, as the law focuses on minimizing unnecessary regulatory impacts on them.
• The Judiciary: Gains expanded authority to enforce compliance through prohibition orders.
• Congress and Oversight Bodies: Committees like the House Judiciary and Small Business Committees (to which the bill was referred) will monitor implementation.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal Implications: Strengthens judicial oversight of administrative actions, potentially leading to more litigation challenging agency compliance. The enforcement prohibition could create uncertainty in regulatory stability, as rules might be paused without agency input.
• Constitutional Implications: Aligns with separation of powers by empowering courts to check executive branch rulemaking, but it does not alter core constitutional structures. It upholds due process for regulated parties by ensuring rules are not perpetually enforced without review.
• Political Implications: Supports deregulatory efforts by imposing "sunset" mechanisms (automatic expiration or non-enforcement for unreviewed rules), which could appeal to those favoring reduced government intervention. However, it may face opposition from agencies or advocates for robust regulations in areas like environment or health.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-1]

Recent Actions

• 2025-07-25: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-07-25: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-07-25: Introduced in House
• 2025-07-25: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Regulatory Evidence-based Standards for Thorough Accountability and Reassuring Tests—Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely Act of 2025 — issued 2025-07-25 — PDF (3 pages)