I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1950 

To abolish certain executive agencies unless Congress disapproves of such 

abolishment, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 22, 2015 

Mr. BYRNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To abolish certain executive agencies unless Congress 

disapproves of such abolishment, 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 ‘‘Sunset Inefficient and 

5 Unaccountable Government Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ABOLISHMENT OF AGENCIES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each agency listed in subsection 

8 (c) shall be abolished on the date set forth in subsection 

9 (c), unless a Federal law disapproving of the abolishment 

10 of the agency is enacted before such date. 

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1 (b) EFFECT OF ABOLISHMENT.—When an agency is 

2 abolished under this Act, the head of such agency may 

3 take such actions as are necessary to dispose of the assets, 

4 obligations, and liabilities of the agency during the one5 year period that begins on the date of such abolishment. 

6 (c) SCHEDULE FOR ABOLISHMENT.— 

7 (1) AGRICULTURE.—The date of abolishment 

8 referred to in subsection (a) is 2 years after the date 

9 of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: 

10 (A) The Department of Agriculture. 

11 (B) Any other agency— 

12 (i) about which Congress has not 

13 passed a concurrent resolution dis14 approving of the abolishment of such agen15 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

16 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

17 referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

18 of the House of Representatives. 

19 (2) COMMERCE.—The date of abolishment re20 ferred to in subsection (a) is 3 years after the date 

21 of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: 

22 (A) The Department of Commerce. 

23 (B) Any other agency— 

24 (i) about which Congress has not 

25 passed a concurrent resolution dismstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 approving of the abolishment of such agen2 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

3 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

4 referred to the Committee on Financial 

5 Services of the House of Representatives. 

6 (C) Any other agency— 

7 (i) about which Congress has not 

8 passed a concurrent resolution dis9 approving of the abolishment of such agen10 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

11 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

12 referred to the Committee on Small Busi13 ness of the House of Representatives. 

14 (D) Any other agency— 

15 (i) about which Congress has not 

16 passed a concurrent resolution dis17 approving of the abolishment of such agen18 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

19 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

20 referred to the Committee on Oversight 

21 and Government Reform of the House of 

22 Representatives. 

23 (3) EDUCATION.—The date of abolishment re24 ferred to in subsection (a) is 4 years after the date 

25 of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: 

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1 (A) The Department of Education. 

2 (B) Any other agency— 

3 (i) about which Congress has not 

4 passed a concurrent resolution dis5 approving of the abolishment of such agen6 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

7 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

8 referred to the Committee on Education 

9 and the Workforce of the House of Rep10 resentatives. 

11 (4) ENERGY.—The date of abolishment referred 

12 to in subsection (a) is 5 years after the date of en13 actment of this Act for the following agencies: 

14 (A) The Department of Energy. 

15 (B) Any other agency— 

16 (i) about which Congress has not 

17 passed a concurrent resolution dis18 approving of the abolishment of such agen19 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

20 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

21 referred to the Committee on Energy and 

22 Commerce of the House of Representa23 tives. 

24 (C) Any other agency— 

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1 (i) about which Congress has not 

2 passed a concurrent resolution dis3 approving of the abolishment of such agen4 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

5 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

6 referred to the Committee on Science, 

7 Space, and Technology of the House of 

8 Representatives. 

9 (5) HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.—The date 

10 of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 6 

11 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the 

12 Department of Health and Human Services. 

13 (6) HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; JU14 DICIARY.—The date of abolishment referred to in 

15 subsection (a) is 7 years after the date of enactment 

16 of this Act for the following agencies: 

17 (A) The Department of Housing and 

18 Urban Development. 

19 (B) Any other agency, other than the De20 partment of Justice— 

21 (i) about which Congress has not 

22 passed a concurrent resolution dis23 approving of the abolishment of such agen24 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

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1 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

2 referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

3 of the House of Representatives. 

4 (7) LABOR.—The date of abolishment referred 

5 to in subsection (a) is 8 years after the date of en6 actment of this Act for the Department of Labor. 

7 (8) INTERIOR.—The date of abolishment re8 ferred to in subsection (a) is 9 years after the date 

9 of enactment of this Act for the following agencies: 

10 (A) The Department of the Interior. 

11 (B) Any other agency— 

12 (i) about which Congress has not 

13 passed a concurrent resolution dis14 approving of the abolishment of such agen15 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

16 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

17 referred to the Committee on Natural Re18 sources of the House of Representatives. 

19 (9) TREASURY; VETERANS AFFAIRS.—The date 

20 of abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 10 

21 years after the date of enactment of this Act for the 

22 following agencies: 

23 (A) Any office of the Department of the 

24 Treasury. 

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1 (B) Any other agency, other than the De2 partment of the Treasury— 

3 (i) about which Congress has not 

4 passed a concurrent resolution dis5 approving of the abolishment of such agen6 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

7 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

8 referred to the Committee on Ways and 

9 Means of the House of Representatives. 

10 (C) The Department of Veterans Affairs. 

11 (D) Any other agency— 

12 (i) about which Congress has not 

13 passed a concurrent resolution dis14 approving of the abolishment of such agen15 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

16 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

17 referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Af18 fairs of the House of Representatives. 

19 (10) TRANSPORTATION; ARMED SERVICES; FOR20 EIGN AFFAIRS; HOMELAND SECURITY.—The date of 

21 abolishment referred to in subsection (a) is 11 years 

22 after the date of enactment of this Act for the fol23 lowing agencies: 

24 (A) The Department of Transportation. 

25 (B) Any other agency— 

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1 (i) about which Congress has not 

2 passed a concurrent resolution dis3 approving of the abolishment of such agen4 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

5 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

6 referred to the Committee on Transpor7 tation and Infrastructure of the House of 

8 Representatives. 

9 (C) Any other agency, except the Depart10 ment of Defense— 

11 (i) about which Congress has not 

12 passed a concurrent resolution dis13 approving of the abolishment of such agen14 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

15 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

16 referred to the Committee on Armed Serv17 ices of the House of Representatives. 

18 (D) Any other agency, except the Depart19 ment of State— 

20 (i) about which Congress has not 

21 passed a concurrent resolution dis22 approving of the abolishment of such agen23 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

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1 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

2 referred to the Committee on Foreign Af3 fairs of the House of Representatives. 

4 (E) Any other agency, except the Depart5 ment of Homeland Security— 

6 (i) about which Congress has not 

7 passed a concurrent resolution dis8 approving of the abolishment of such agen9 cy during the previous 10 years; and 

10 (ii) whose authorizing legislation was 

11 referred to the Committee on Homeland 

12 Security of the House of Representatives. 

13 (F) Any other agency, except the Depart14 ment of Defense, the Department of State, the 

15 Department of Homeland Security, the Depart16 ment of Justice, and the Department of the 

17 Treasury, about which Congress has not passed 

18 a concurrent resolution disapproving of the 

19 abolishment of such agency within the last 10 

20 years. 

21 (d) FUTURE DATES.—On the date that is 10 years 

22 after each date listed in subsection (c) for the abolishment 

23 of an agency, and every 10 years thereafter, if such agency 

24 exists, such agency shall be abolished. 

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1 SEC. 3. SELF-REVIEW OF AGENCIES. 

2 Not later 1 year before the date on which an agency 

3 is scheduled to be abolished pursuant to section 2(a), the 

4 head of such agency shall submit to Congress a report on 

5 the roles and responsibilities of the agency detailing the 

6 agency’s justification for existence, including areas where 

7 the duties of the agency may overlap with the duties of 

8 other agencies. 

9 SEC. 4. AGENCY DEFINED. 

10 The term ‘‘agency’’ has the meaning given the term 

11 ‘‘Executive agency’’ in section 105 of title 5, United States 

12 Code. 

Æ 

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