118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 277 
AN ACT 
To amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide 
that major rules of the executive branch shall have no 
force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is 
enacted into law. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Regulations from the 
Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023’’ or the 
‘‘REINS Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to increase accountability 
for and transparency in the Federal regulatory process. 
Section 1 of article I of the United States Constitution 
grants all legislative powers to Congress. Over time, Con-
gress has excessively delegated its constitutional charge 
while failing to conduct appropriate oversight and retain 
accountability for the content of the laws it passes. By 
requiring a vote in Congress, the REINS Act will result 
in more carefully drafted and detailed legislation, an im-
proved regulatory process, and a legislative branch that 
is truly accountable to the American people for the laws 
imposed upon them. 
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF AGENCY RULE-
MAKING. 
Chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘CHAPTER 8—CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW 
OF AGENCY RULEMAKING 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘801. Congressional review. 
‘‘802. Congressional approval procedure for major rules. 
‘‘803. Congressional disapproval procedure for nonmajor rules. 
‘‘804. Definitions.
‘‘805. Judicial review. 
‘‘806. Exemption for monetary policy. 
‘‘807. Effective date of certain rules. 
‘‘808. Review of rules currently in effect. 
‘‘§ 801. Congressional review 
‘‘(a)(1)(A) Before a rule may take effect, the Federal 
agency promulgating such rule shall publish in the Federal 
Register a list of information on which the rule is based, 
including data, scientific and economic studies, and cost- 
benefit analyses, and identify how the public can access 
such information online, and shall submit to each House 
of the Congress and to the Comptroller General a report 
containing— 
‘‘(i) a copy of the rule; 
‘‘(ii) a concise general statement relating to the 
rule; 
‘‘(iii) a finding, rendered in consultation with 
the Administrator of the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and 
Budget, whether the rule is a major or nonmajor 
rule, including an explanation of the finding specifi-
cally addressing each criteria for a major rule con-
tained within subparagraphs (A) through (C) of sec-
tion 804(2); 
‘‘(iv) a list of any other related regulatory ac-
tions intended to implement the same statutory pro-
vision or regulatory objective as well as the indi-
vidual and aggregate economic effects of those ac-
tions; 
‘‘(v) the proposed effective date of the rule; and 
‘‘(vi) a statement of the constitutional authority 
authorizing the agency to make the rule. 
‘‘(B) On the date of the submission of the report 
under subparagraph (A), the Federal agency promulgating 
the rule shall submit to the Comptroller General and make 
available to each House of Congress (and to each com-
mittee of jurisdiction in each House)— 
‘‘(i) a complete copy of the cost-benefit analysis 
of the rule, if any, including an analysis of any jobs 
added or lost, differentiating between public and pri-
vate sector jobs; 
‘‘(ii) the agency’s actions pursuant to sections 
603, 604, 605, 607, and 609 of this title; 
‘‘(iii) the agency’s actions pursuant to sections 
202, 203, 204, and 205 of the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act of 1995; 
‘‘(iv) an estimate of the effect on inflation of 
the rule; and 
‘‘(v) any other relevant information or require-
ments under any other Act and any relevant Execu-
tive orders.
‘‘(C) Upon receipt of a report submitted under sub-
paragraph (A), each House shall provide copies of the re-
port to the chairman and ranking member of each stand-
ing committee with jurisdiction under the rules of the 
House of Representatives or the Senate to report a bill 
to amend the provision of law under which the rule is 
issued. 
‘‘(D) If requested in writing by a member of Con-
gress— 
‘‘(i) the Comptroller General shall make a de-
termination whether an agency action qualifies as a 
rule for purposes of this chapter, and shall submit 
to Congress this determination not later than 60 
days after the date of the request; and 
‘‘(ii) the Comptroller General, in consultation 
with the Director of the Congressional Budget Of-
fice, shall make a determination whether a rule is 
considered a major rule under the provisions of this 
act, and shall submit to Congress this determination 
not later than 90 days after the date of the request. 
For purposes of this section, a determination under this 
subparagraph shall be deemed to be a report under sub-
paragraph (A). 
‘‘(2)(A) The Comptroller General shall provide a re-
port on each major rule to the committees of jurisdiction
‘‘(C) includes after its resolving clause only the 
following (with blanks filled as appropriate): ‘That 
Congress approves the rule submitted by lll re-
lating to lll.’; and 
‘‘(D) is introduced pursuant to paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) After a House of Congress receives a report 
classifying a rule as major pursuant to section 
801(a)(1)(A)(iii), the majority leader of that House (or 
his or her respective designee) shall introduce (by request, 
if appropriate) a joint resolution described in paragraph 
(1)— 
‘‘(A) in the case of the House of Representa-
tives, within 3 legislative days; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of the Senate, within 3 session 
days. 
‘‘(3) A joint resolution described in paragraph (1) 
shall not be subject to amendment at any stage of pro-
ceeding. 
‘‘(b) A joint resolution described in subsection (a) 
shall be referred in each House of Congress to the commit-
tees having jurisdiction over the provision of law under 
which the rule is issued. 
‘‘(c) In the Senate, if the committee or committees 
to which a joint resolution described in subsection (a) has 
been referred have not reported it at the end of 15 session
days after its introduction, such committee or committees 
shall be automatically discharged from further consider-
ation of the resolution and it shall be placed on the cal-
endar. A vote on final passage of the resolution shall be 
taken on or before the close of the 15th session day after 
the resolution is reported by the committee or committees 
to which it was referred, or after such committee or com-
mittees have been discharged from further consideration 
of the resolution. 
‘‘(d)(1) In the Senate, when the committee or com-
mittees to which a joint resolution is referred have re-
ported, or when a committee or committees are discharged 
(under subsection (c)) from further consideration of a 
joint resolution described in subsection (a), it is at any 
time thereafter in order (even though a previous motion 
to the same effect has been disagreed to) for a motion 
to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution, and 
all points of order against the joint resolution (and against 
consideration of the joint resolution) are waived. The mo-
tion is not subject to amendment, or to a motion to post-
pone, or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of 
other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which 
the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in 
order. If a motion to proceed to the consideration of the 
joint resolution is agreed to, the joint resolution shall re-
main the unfinished business of the Senate until disposed 
of. 
‘‘(2) In the Senate, debate on the joint resolution, 
and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection 
therewith, shall be limited to not more than 2 hours, which 
shall be divided equally between those favoring and those 
opposing the joint resolution. A motion to further limit 
debate is in order and not debatable. An amendment to, 
or a motion to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the 
consideration of other business, or a motion to recommit 
the joint resolution is not in order. 
‘‘(3) In the Senate, immediately following the conclu-
sion of the debate on a joint resolution described in sub-
section (a), and a single quorum call at the conclusion of 
the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the 
Senate, the vote on final passage of the joint resolution 
shall occur. 
‘‘(4) Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating 
to the application of the rules of the Senate to the proce-
dure relating to a joint resolution described in subsection 
(a) shall be decided without debate. 
‘‘(e) In the House of Representatives, if any com-
mittee to which a joint resolution described in subsection 
(a) has been referred has not reported it to the House 
at the end of 15 legislative days after its introduction,
such committee shall be discharged from further consider-
ation of the joint resolution, and it shall be placed on the 
appropriate calendar. On the second and fourth Thursdays 
of each month it shall be in order at any time for the 
Speaker to recognize a Member who favors passage of a 
joint resolution that has appeared on the calendar for at 
least 5 legislative days to call up that joint resolution for 
immediate consideration in the House without intervention 
of any point of order. When so called up a joint resolution 
shall be considered as read and shall be debatable for 1 
hour equally divided and controlled by the proponent and 
an opponent, and the previous question shall be considered 
as ordered to its passage without intervening motion. It 
shall not be in order to reconsider the vote on passage. 
If a vote on final passage of the joint resolution has not 
been taken by the third Thursday on which the Speaker 
may recognize a Member under this subsection, such vote 
shall be taken on that day. 
‘‘(f)(1) If, before passing a joint resolution described 
in subsection (a), one House receives from the other a 
joint resolution having the same text, then— 
‘‘(A) the joint resolution of the other House 
shall not be referred to a committee; and 
‘‘(B) the procedure in the receiving House shall 
be the same as if no joint resolution had been re-
ceived from the other House until the vote on pas-
sage, when the joint resolution received from the 
other House shall supplant the joint resolution of 
the receiving House. 
‘‘(2) This subsection shall not apply to the House of 
Representatives if the joint resolution received from the 
Senate is a revenue measure. 
‘‘(g) If either House has not taken a vote on final 
passage of the joint resolution by the last day of the period 
described in section 801(b)(2), then such vote shall be 
taken on that day. 
‘‘(h) This section and section 803 are enacted by 
Congress— 
‘‘(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the Senate and House of Representatives, respec-
tively, and as such are deemed to be part of the 
rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only 
with respect to the procedure to be followed in that 
House in the case of a joint resolution described in 
subsection (a) and superseding other rules only 
where explicitly so; and 
‘‘(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of either House to change the rules (so far as 
they relate to the procedure of that House) at any
time, in the same manner and to the same extent as 
in the case of any other rule of that House. 
‘‘§ 803. 
Congressional 
disapproval 
procedure 
for 
nonmajor rules 
‘‘(a) For purposes of this section, the term ‘joint res-
olution’ means only a joint resolution introduced in the 
period beginning on the date on which the report referred 
to in section 801(a)(1)(A) is received by Congress and 
ending 60 days thereafter (excluding days either House 
of Congress is adjourned for more than 3 days during a 
session of Congress), the matter after the resolving clause 
of which is as follows: ‘That Congress disapproves the 
nonmajor rule submitted by the lll relating to 
lll, and such rule shall have no force or effect.’ (The 
blank spaces being appropriately filled in). 
‘‘(b) A joint resolution described in subsection (a) 
shall be referred to the committees in each House of Con-
gress with jurisdiction. 
‘‘(c) In the Senate, if the committee to which is re-
ferred a joint resolution described in subsection (a) has 
not reported such joint resolution (or an identical joint 
resolution) at the end of 15 session days after the date 
of introduction of the joint resolution, such committee may 
be discharged from further consideration of such joint res-
olution upon a petition supported in writing by 30 Mem-
bers of the Senate, and such joint resolution shall be 
placed on the calendar. 
‘‘(d)(1) In the Senate, when the committee to which 
a joint resolution is referred has reported, or when a com-
mittee is discharged (under subsection (c)) from further 
consideration of a joint resolution described in subsection 
(a), it is at any time thereafter in order (even though a 
previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) 
for a motion to proceed to the consideration of the joint 
resolution, and all points of order against the joint resolu-
tion (and against consideration of the joint resolution) are 
waived. The motion is not subject to amendment, or to 
a motion to postpone, or to a motion to proceed to the 
consideration of other business. A motion to reconsider the 
vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall 
not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the consideration 
of the joint resolution is agreed to, the joint resolution 
shall remain the unfinished business of the Senate until 
disposed of. 
‘‘(2) In the Senate, debate on the joint resolution, 
and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection 
therewith, shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, 
which shall be divided equally between those favoring and 
those opposing the joint resolution. A motion to further 
limit debate is in order and not debatable. An amendment
‘‘(f) If, before the passage by one House of a joint 
resolution of that House described in subsection (a), that 
House receives from the other House a joint resolution 
described in subsection (a), then the following procedures 
shall apply: 
‘‘(1) The joint resolution of the other House 
shall not be referred to a committee. 
‘‘(2) With respect to a joint resolution described 
in subsection (a) of the House receiving the joint 
resolution— 
‘‘(A) the procedure in that House shall be 
the same as if no joint resolution had been re-
ceived from the other House; but 
‘‘(B) the vote on final passage shall be on 
the joint resolution of the other House. 
‘‘§ 804. Definitions 
‘‘For purposes of this chapter: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘Federal agency’ means any 
agency as that term is defined in section 551(1). 
‘‘(2) The term ‘major rule’ means any rule, in-
cluding an interim final rule, that the Administrator 
of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs 
of the Office of Management and Budget or the 
Federal agency promulgating such rule finds has re-
sulted in or is likely to result in—
‘‘(A) an annual effect on the economy of 
$100 million or more; 
‘‘(B) a major increase in costs or prices for 
consumers, 
individual 
industries, 
Federal, 
State, or local government agencies, or geo-
graphic regions; 
‘‘(C) significant adverse effects on competi-
tion, employment, investment, productivity, in-
novation, or the ability of United States-based 
enterprises to compete with foreign-based enter-
prises in domestic and export markets; or 
‘‘(D) in an increase in mandatory vaccina-
tions. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘nonmajor rule’ means any rule 
that is not a major rule. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘rule’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 551, except that such term— 
‘‘(A) includes interpretative rules, general 
statements of policy, and all other agency guid-
ance documents; and 
‘‘(B) does not include— 
‘‘(i) any rule of particular applica-
bility, including a rule that approves or 
prescribes for the future rates, wages, 
prices, services, or allowances therefore,
corporate or financial structures, reorga-
nizations, mergers, or acquisitions thereof, 
or accounting practices or disclosures bear-
ing on any of the foregoing; 
‘‘(ii) any rule relating to agency man-
agement or personnel; or 
‘‘(iii) any rule of agency organization, 
procedure, or practice that does not sub-
stantially affect the rights or obligations of 
non-agency parties. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘submission or publication date’, 
except as otherwise provided in this chapter, 
means— 
‘‘(A) in the case of a major rule, the date 
on which the Congress receives the report sub-
mitted under section 801(a)(1); and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a nonmajor rule, the 
later of— 
‘‘(i) the date on which the Congress 
receives the report submitted under section 
801(a)(1); and 
‘‘(ii) the date on which the nonmajor 
rule is published in the Federal Register, if 
so published.
‘‘§ 805. Judicial review 
‘‘(a) No determination, finding, action, or omission 
under this chapter shall be subject to judicial review. 
‘‘(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a court may de-
termine whether a Federal agency has completed the nec-
essary requirements under this chapter for a rule to take 
effect. 
‘‘(c) The enactment of a joint resolution of approval 
under section 802 shall not be interpreted to serve as a 
grant or modification of statutory authority by Congress 
for the promulgation of a rule, shall not extinguish or af-
fect any claim, whether substantive or procedural, against 
any alleged defect in a rule, and shall not form part of 
the record before the court in any judicial proceeding con-
cerning a rule except for purposes of determining whether 
or not the rule is in effect. 
‘‘§ 806. Exemption for monetary policy 
‘‘Nothing in this chapter shall apply to rules that con-
cern monetary policy proposed or implemented by the 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the 
Federal Open Market Committee. 
‘‘§ 807. Effective date of certain rules 
‘‘Notwithstanding section 801— 
‘‘(1) any rule that establishes, modifies, opens, 
closes, or conducts a regulatory program for a com-
mercial, recreational, or subsistence activity related 
to hunting, fishing, or camping; or 
‘‘(2) any rule other than a major rule which an 
agency for good cause finds (and incorporates the 
finding and a brief statement of reasons therefore in 
the rule issued) that notice and public procedure 
thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary 
to the public interest, 
shall take effect at such time as the Federal agency pro-
mulgating the rule determines. 
‘‘§ 808. Review of rules currently in effect 
‘‘(a) ANNUAL REVIEW.—Beginning on the date that 
is 6 months after the date of enactment of this section 
and annually thereafter for the 4 years following, each 
agency shall designate not less than 20 percent of eligible 
rules made by that agency for review, and shall submit 
a report including each such eligible rule in the same man-
ner as a report under section 801(a)(1). Section 801, sec-
tion 802, and section 803 shall apply to each such rule, 
subject to subsection (c) of this section. No eligible rule 
previously designated may be designated again. 
‘‘(b) SUNSET
FOR
ELIGIBLE
RULES
NOT
EX-
TENDED.—Beginning after the date that is 5 years after 
the date of enactment of this section, if Congress has not