___ Act of 2025

Bill Number: H.R. 6971
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Congress
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-01-07: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, the Budget, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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: 2026-04-21T15:04:12Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This bill aims to require congressional approval for major Executive Orders (directives from the President) and major rules (significant regulations from federal agencies) before they can take effect. It shifts the balance of power by making Congress actively approve big actions rather than just allowing it to block them. Nonmajor actions face lighter review, including possible disapproval.

Key Provisions

Executive Orders (Sec. 2-3):
President must submit a detailed report to Congress and the Comptroller General (head of the Government Accountability Office) before any Executive Order takes effect, including data, studies, cost-benefit analysis (comparison of costs vs. benefits), and classification as major or nonmajor.
Major Executive Orders (those with large economic impact, similar to major rules) need a joint resolution of approval from both House and Senate within 70 session/legislative days (excluding short breaks) or they do not take effect.
Fast-track procedures: Automatic introduction by leaders, limited debate (e.g., 2 hours in Senate), no amendments, guaranteed floor votes.
Nonmajor Executive Orders take effect after submission.
Exceptions: Temporary 90-day effect for emergencies, national security, criminal law enforcement, or trade agreements.
End-of-session rules allow review in the next Congress.

Agency Rules (Sec. 4, amends Congressional Review Act - CRA):
Agencies must submit similar detailed reports for all rules.
Major rules (defined as having ≥$100M annual economic effect, major cost increases, or significant harm to competition/jobs/innovation) need joint approval like major Executive Orders.
Nonmajor rules take effect unless Congress passes a joint disapproval resolution (within 60 days).
Comptroller General reviews major rules for compliance and impacts.
Similar fast-track procedures, judicial review limits, exemptions (e.g., monetary policy by Federal Reserve, certain hunting/fishing rules).
Rules near end-of-session carry over to next Congress.

Budget Effects (Sec. 5): Unapproved major rules with budget impacts are treated as ineffective in budget calculations.
GAO Study (Sec. 6): Government Accountability Office to report within 1 year on total existing rules, major rules, and their economic costs.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Expands CRA: Current CRA (Chapter 8, Title 5 USC) only allows Congress to disapprove rules via joint resolution; this flips it to require approval for major rules, making them ineffective without Congress.
New Review for Executive Orders: No prior statutory requirement for congressional pre-approval of any Executive Orders.
Enhanced Reporting: Adds mandatory public access to supporting data/studies and Comptroller General assessments.
Budget Integration: Ties unapproved rules to deficit control laws, preventing their assumed budgetary effects.
Procedural Overhaul: Introduces stricter timelines, discharge rules (forcing committee action), and limits on debate/amendments to ensure votes.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies/President: Slows or blocks major regulations and Executive Orders, requiring congressional buy-in; temporary exceptions for crises.
Congress: Increases workload with mandatory reviews/votes but streamlines procedures for efficiency.
Citizens/Businesses: Could reduce regulatory burdens from costly rules (e.g., fewer new mandates on industries), but delay beneficial rules (e.g., safety standards); GAO study informs future reforms.
Budget Process: Limits automatic inclusion of unapproved rules' costs in federal spending projections.
No direct international relations impact, though trade-related rules have exceptions.

Main Stakeholders

Congress: Gains oversight power over executive actions.
President and Executive Branch: Loses unilateral authority for major actions.
Federal Agencies: Face hurdles implementing significant regulations.
Businesses and Industries: Potentially benefit from blocked costly rules affecting costs, jobs, competition.
General Public: Affected by delayed/approved regulations on health, safety, environment, economy.
Comptroller General/GAO: New reporting duties.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Constitutional: Asserts Congress's legislative authority under Article I, potentially checking executive overreach via separation of powers; upheld as internal rulemaking with explicit change rights.
Legal: Limits judicial review (courts can't second-guess approvals/disapprovals but can check procedural compliance); approval doesn't validate rule legality.
Political: Could cause gridlock if Congress is divided; favors status quo (no new major rules without bipartisan support); end-of-session carryover prevents "midnight" actions.

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

Sponsor

Rep. Rogers, Mike D. [R-AL-3]

Recent Actions

2026-01-07: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, the Budget, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
2026-01-07: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, the Budget, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
2026-01-07: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, the Budget, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
2026-01-07: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, the Budget, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
2026-01-07: Introduced in House
2026-01-07: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

___ Act of 2025 — issued 2026-01-07 — PDF (33 pages)