Regulatory Review Improvement Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8162
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-30: 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
- 2026-07-10T08:06:09Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Regulatory Review Improvement Act of 2026 (H.R. 8162) aims to enhance the process by which federal agencies periodically review their existing rules. It promotes greater public input, more thorough economic and cost analyses, and stricter timelines to ensure rules remain justified and not overly burdensome.
Key Provisions
- Public Comment Solicitation: Agencies must seek public comments on whether each final rule under review should remain in effect.
- Review Timelines: If an agency delays a review, it must provide a statement explaining the delay, limited to no more than one year (removing prior allowance for up to five years of extensions).
- Expanded Review Factors (under subsection (b)):
- Include agency analyses or summaries from subsection (c).
- Add cost of compliance and number of paperwork hours required by the rule since it took effect.
- Review Process Enhancements (under subsection (c)):
- Require an economic analysis of the rule, alongside considerations of continued need, complaints, and alternatives.
- Before reviewing a rule, agencies must produce a qualitative and quantitative summary of public comments, including the agency's own analysis.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends Section 610 of title 5, U.S. Code (the existing law on agency periodic reviews of rules, often called "10-year lookback reviews"):
- Tightens Delay Rules: Previously, delays could extend up to five years (one year at a time); now capped at one year total, with required explanations.
- Mandates Public Input: Adds explicit requirement to solicit comments on rule continuation, plus pre-review summary and analysis of comments.
- Bolsters Analytical Requirements: Introduces economic analysis, compliance costs, and paperwork burdens as mandatory factors—previously, reviews focused more narrowly on need, complaints, and alternatives.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for reviews due to added analyses, public engagement, and timelines; may lead to more rules being repealed or revised if unjustified.
- Citizens and Businesses: Could reduce regulatory burdens by identifying and eliminating outdated or costly rules, potentially lowering compliance costs and paperwork.
- No Direct International Relations Impact: Focuses on domestic agency rulemaking.
Main Stakeholders
- Federal Agencies: Primary implementers (e.g., EPA, FDA, OSHA) responsible for conducting reviews.
- Small Businesses: Explicitly referenced via committee referral; benefit from scrutiny of compliance costs and paperwork.
- Regulated Industries and General Public: Affected by rules under review; gain voice through comments and potential burden relief.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens administrative law by embedding economic rigor and public participation in reviews, aligning with judicial expectations for reasoned agency decision-making (e.g., under the Administrative Procedure Act).
- Constitutional: Supports separation of powers by checking agency overreach without altering core rulemaking authority.
- Political: Advances regulatory reform agendas by prioritizing cost-benefit scrutiny, potentially reducing federal overregulation; bipartisan sponsorship but targeted at efficiency.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8], Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-30: 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.
- 2026-03-30: 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.
- 2026-03-30: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-30: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Regulatory Review Improvement Act of 2026 — issued 2026-03-30 — PDF (3 pages)