I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2886 

To require agency notice and receipt of public comment before using any 

estimate for the social cost of carbon, to require reports on the results 

of and methods used to calculate any cost-benefit or regulatory impact 

analysis, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2013 

Mr. HUNTER (for himself and Mr. CULBERSON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 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 require agency notice and receipt of public comment 

before using any estimate for the social cost of carbon, 

to require reports on the results of and methods used 

to calculate any cost-benefit or regulatory impact analysis, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Social Cost of Carbon 

5 Transparency Enhancement Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NOTICE AND RECEIPT OF PUBLIC COMMENT FOR 

2 SOCIAL COST OF CARBON. 

3 The head of an agency may not use an estimate for 

4 the social cost of carbon until completion of notice and 

5 receipt of public comment with regard to such estimate. 

6 SEC. 3. COST-BENEFIT AND REGULATORY IMPACT REPORT 

7 REQUIREMENT. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after the 

9 completion by an agency of any cost-benefit or regulatory 

10 impact analysis used to promulgate rules or guidelines or 

11 to determine administrative actions, the head of the agen12 cy, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Man13 agement and Budget— 

14 (1) shall submit to the relevant committees of 

15 the House of Representatives and the Senate a re16 port on the result of and methods (including any key 

17 method) used to calculate the cost-benefit or regu18 latory impact analysis; and 

19 (2) shall publish such report in the Federal 

20 Register. 

21 (b) INTERIM PERIOD.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Any cost-benefit or regu23 latory impact analysis that is the subject of a report 

24 submitted pursuant to subsection (a) may not be fi25 nalized during the 60-day period starting on the 

26 date of submission of the report. 


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1 (2) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The head of the 

2 agency concerned may waive the 60-day period de3 scribed in paragraph (1) in an emergency situation 

4 or if required by law to act more quickly. 

5 (c) VALUATION OF BENEFITS.—During the 60-day 

6 period described in subsection (b)(1), the head of each 

7 agency shall evaluate the potential benefits of each cost8 benefit or regulatory impact analysis through the fol9 lowing: 

10 (1) Providing an opportunity for public com11 ment on the results of the cost-benefit or regulatory 

12 impact analysis. 

13 (2) Consideration of public comments. 

14 (3) Publishing a summary of the public com15 ments received and the agency responses to such 

16 comments in the Federal Register. 

17 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

18 In this Act: 

19 (1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 

20 meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, 

21 United States Code, except that the term does not 

22 include an independent regulatory agency as defined 

23 by section 3502(5) of title 44, United States Code. 


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1 (2) KEY METHOD.—The term ‘‘key method’’ in2 cludes any method that determines the social cost of 

3 carbon. 

Æ 


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