I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9970 

To prohibit Federal agencies from considering, in taking any action, the 

social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, the social cost of 

nitrous oxide, or the social cost of any other greenhouse gas, unless 

compliant with Office of Management and Budget guidance, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 11, 2024 

Mr. HUDSON (for himself, Mr. HERN, Mr. PFLUGER, Mr. CAREY, Mr. BIGGS, 

Mr. RESCHENTHALER, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. LATURNER, Mr. BABIN, Mr. 

LANGWORTHY, Mr. ROY, Ms. LEE of Florida, and Mr. DUNCAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 

A BILL 

To prohibit Federal agencies from considering, in taking 

any action, the social cost of carbon, the social cost 

of methane, the social cost of nitrous oxide, or the social 

cost of any other greenhouse gas, unless compliant with 

Office of Management and Budget guidance, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparency and 

3 Honesty in Energy Regulations Act of 2024’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

7 agency’’ means has the meaning given the term 

8 ‘‘agency’’ in section 551 of title 5, United States 

9 Code. 

10 (2) SOCIAL COST OF CARBON.—The term ‘‘so11 cial cost of carbon’’ means— 

12 (A) the estimate of the social cost of car13 bon described in— 

14 (i) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

15 Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon 

16 for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Ex17 ecutive Order 12866’’, published by the 

18 Interagency Working Group on Social Cost 

19 of Carbon, United States Government, in 

20 February 2010; 

21 (ii) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

22 Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, 

23 Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim Esti24 mates under Executive Order 13990’’, 

25 published by the Interagency Working 

26 Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 


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1 Gases, United States Government, in Feb2 ruary 2021; 

3 (iii) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

4 Support Document: Technical Update of 

5 the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory 

6 Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 

7 12866’’, published by the Interagency 

8 Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon, 

9 United States Government, in May 2013 

10 and revised in November 2013 and July 

11 2015, and published and revised by the 

12 Interagency Working Group on the Social 

13 Cost of Greenhouse Gases, United States 

14 Government, in August 2016; 

15 (iv) the document entitled ‘‘Regu16 latory Impact Analysis for the New Source 

17 Performance Standards for Greenhouse 

18 Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and 

19 Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric 

20 Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for 

21 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Existing 

22 Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating 

23 Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean 

24 Energy Rule’’, published by the AdminisVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:33 Oct 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9970.IH H9970

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1 trator of the Environmental Protection 

2 agency in April 2024; 

3 (v) the document entitled ‘‘Regulatory 

4 Impact Analysis for the Final Federal 

5 Good Neighbor Plan Addressing Regional 

6 Ozone Transport for the 2015 Ozone Na7 tional Ambient Air Quality Standard’’, 

8 published by the Administrator of the En9 vironmental Protection agency in March 

10 2023; 

11 (vi) the document entitled ‘‘Regu12 latory Impact Analysis for the Final Na13 tional Emission Standards for Hazardous 

14 Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Elec15 tric Utility Steam Generating Units Re16 view of the Residual Risk and Technology 

17 Review’’, published by the Administrator of 

18 the Environmental Protection agency in 

19 April 2024; 

20 (vii) the document entitled ‘‘Benefit 

21 and Cost Analysis for Supplemental Efflu22 ent Limitations Guidelines and Standards 

23 for the Steam Electric Power Generating 

24 Point Source Category’’, published by the 


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1 Administrator of the Environmental Pro2 tection agency on April 18, 2024; or 

3 (viii) any successor or substantially 

4 related document; and 

5 (B) any other estimate of the monetized 

6 damages associated with an incremental in7 crease in carbon dioxide emissions in a given 

8 year. 

9 (3) SOCIAL COST OF GREENHOUSE GASES.— 

10 The term ‘‘social cost of greenhouse gases’’ means— 

11 (A) the estimate of the social cost of any 

12 greenhouse gas that is described in— 

13 (i) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

14 Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon 

15 for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Ex16 ecutive Order 12866’’, published by the 

17 Interagency Working Group on Social Cost 

18 of Carbon, United States Government, in 

19 February 2010; 

20 (ii) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

21 Support Document: Technical Update of 

22 the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory 

23 Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 

24 12866’’, published by the Interagency 

25 Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon, 


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1 United States Government, in May 2013 

2 and revised in November 2013 and July 

3 2015, and published and revised by the 

4 Interagency Working Group on the Social 

5 Cost of Greenhouse Gases, United States 

6 Government, in August 2016; 

7 (iii) the document entitled ‘‘Adden8 dum to Technical Support Document on 

9 Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Im10 pact Analysis under Executive Order 

11 12866: Application of the Methodology to 

12 Estimate the Social Cost of Methane and 

13 the Social Cost of Nitrous Oxide’’, pub14 lished by the Interagency Working Group 

15 on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases, 

16 United States Government, in August 

17 2016; 

18 (iv) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

19 Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, 

20 Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim Esti21 mates under Executive Order 13990’’, 

22 published by the Interagency Working 

23 Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 

24 Gases, United States Government, in Feb25 ruary 2021; or 


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1 (v) any successor or substantially re2 lated document; and 

3 (B) any other estimate of the monetized 

4 damages associated with an incremental in5 crease in greenhouse gas emissions in a given 

6 year. 

7 (4) SOCIAL COST OF METHANE.—The term ‘‘so8 cial cost of methane’’ means— 

9 (A) the estimate of the social cost of meth10 ane described in— 

11 (i) the document entitled ‘‘Addendum 

12 to Technical Support Document on Social 

13 Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact 

14 Analysis under Executive Order 12866: 

15 Application of the Methodology to Esti16 mate the Social Cost of Methane and the 

17 Social Cost of Nitrous Oxide’’, published 

18 by the Interagency Working Group on So19 cial Cost of Greenhouse Gases, United 

20 States Government, in August 2016; 

21 (ii) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

22 Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, 

23 Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim Esti24 mates under Executive Order 13990’’, 

25 published by the Interagency Working 


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1 Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 

2 Gases, United States Government, in Feb3 ruary 2021; 

4 (iii) the document entitled ‘‘Benefit 

5 and Cost Analysis for Supplemental Efflu6 ent Limitations Guidelines and Standards 

7 for the Steam Electric Power Generating 

8 Point Source Category’’, published by the 

9 Administrator of the Environmental Pro10 tection agency on April 18, 2024; or 

11 (iv) any successor or substantially re12 lated document; and 

13 (B) any other estimate of the monetized 

14 damages associated with an incremental in15 crease in methane emissions in a given year. 

16 (5) SOCIAL COST OF NITROUS OXIDE.—The 

17 term ‘‘social cost of nitrous oxide’’ means— 

18 (A) the estimate of the social cost of ni19 trous oxide described in— 

20 (i) the document entitled ‘‘Addendum 

21 to Technical Support Document on Social 

22 Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact 

23 Analysis under Executive Order 12866: 

24 Application of the Methodology to Esti25 mate the Social Cost of Methane and the 


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1 Social Cost of Nitrous Oxide’’, published 

2 by the Interagency Working Group on So3 cial Cost of Greenhouse Gases, United 

4 States Government, in August 2016; 

5 (ii) the document entitled ‘‘Technical 

6 Support Document: Social Cost of Carbon, 

7 Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim Esti8 mates under Executive Order 13990’’, 

9 published by the Interagency Working 

10 Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse 

11 Gases, United States Government, in Feb12 ruary 2021; or 

13 (iii) any other successor or substan14 tially related document; and 

15 (B) any other estimate of the monetized 

16 damages associated with an incremental in17 crease in nitrous oxide emissions in a given 

18 year. 


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1 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON CONSIDERING THE SOCIAL COST 

2 OF GREENHOUSE GASES, INCLUDING THE SO3 CIAL COST OF CARBON, THE SOCIAL COST OF 

4 METHANE, AND THE SOCIAL COST OF NI5 TROUS OXIDE. 

6 A Federal agency may not consider the social cost 

7 of carbon, social cost of methane, social cost of nitrous 

8 oxide, or social cost of greenhouse gases— 

9 (1) as part of any cost-benefit or cost-effective10 ness analysis required under— 

11 (A) any law; 

12 (B) Executive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 

13 note; relating to regulatory planning and re14 view); or 

15 (C) Executive Order 13563 (5 U.S.C. 601 

16 note; relating to improving regulation and regu17 latory review); 

18 (2) in any rulemaking; 

19 (3) in the issuance of any guidance; 

20 (4) in taking any other agency action; or 

21 (5) as a justification for any rulemaking, guid22 ance document, or agency action. 

23 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

24 Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment 

25 of this Act, the head of each Federal agency shall submit 

26 to the Committees on Environment and Public Works and 


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1 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 

2 Committees on Energy and Commerce and Natural Re3 sources of the House of Representatives a report describ4 ing the number of proposed and final rulemakings, guid5 ance documents, and agency actions that, since January 

6 2009, have used the social cost of carbon, the social cost 

7 of greenhouse gases, the social cost of methane, or the 

8 social cost of nitrous oxide, including the use of the social 

9 cost of carbon, the social cost of greenhouse gases, the 

10 social cost of methane, or the social cost of nitrous oxide 

11 as part of any cost-benefit analysis required under Execu12 tive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; relating to regu13 latory planning and review) or other relevant authority. 

Æ 


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