IB 
Union Calendar No. 446 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4078 
[Report No. 112–461, Parts I and II] 
To provide that no agency may take any significant regulatory action until 
the unemployment rate is equal to or less than 6.0 percent. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 17, 2012 
Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. COBLE, Mr. 
GALLEGLY, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. POE of Texas, 
Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. MARINO, Mr. GOWDY, Mr. ROSS of Florida, Mrs. 
ADAMS, Mr. QUAYLE, Mr. AMODEI, and Mr. CARTER) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Gov-
ernment 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 com-
mittee concerned 
APRIL 27, 2012 
Reported from the Committee on the Judiciary with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
JULY 20, 2012 
Additional sponsors: Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. FORBES, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Mr. 
DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. MILLER of Florida, and Mrs. BLACK 
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JULY 20, 2012 
Reported from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with 
amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in boldface roman] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 17, 2012] 
A BILL 
To provide that no agency may take any significant regu-
latory action until the unemployment rate is equal to 
or less than 6.0 percent. 
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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 ‘‘Regulatory Freeze for 
Jobs Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the terms ‘‘agency’’ and ‘‘rule’’ have the 
meanings given such terms under section 551 of title 
5, United States Code; 
(2) the term ‘‘regulatory action’’ means any sub-
stantive action by an agency that promulgates or is 
expected to lead to the promulgation of a final rule 
or regulation, including notices of inquiry, advance 
notices of proposed rulemaking, and notices of pro-
posed rulemaking, but not including any substantive 
action by an agency for repealing a rule; 
(3) the term ‘‘significant regulatory action’’ 
means any regulatory action that is likely to result 
in a rule or guidance that may— 
(A) have an annual cost to the economy of 
$100,000,000 or more or adversely affect in a 
material way the economy, a sector of the econ-
omy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environ-
ment, public health or safety, small entities, or 
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State, local, or tribal governments or commu-
nities; 
(B) create a serious inconsistency or other-
wise interfere with an action taken or planned 
by another agency; 
(C) materially alter the budgetary impact of 
entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan programs 
or the rights and obligations of recipients thereof; 
or 
(D) raise novel legal or policy issues; and 
(4) the term ‘‘small entities’’ has the meaning 
given such term under section 601(6) of title 5, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 3. SIGNIFICANT REGULATORY ACTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—No agency may take any signifi-
cant regulatory action during the period beginning on the 
date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date that 
the Secretary of Labor submits the report under subsection 
(b). 
(b) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary of Labor shall 
submit a report to the Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget whenever the Secretary determines that the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics average of monthly unemployment 
rates for any quarter beginning after the date of enactment 
of this Act is equal to or less than 6.0 percent. 
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SEC. 4. WAIVERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of this Act, an agency may take a significant regu-
latory action only in accordance with either subsection (b) 
or subsection (c) during the period described in section 3(a). 
(b) PRESIDENTIAL WAIVER.—An agency may take a 
significant regulatory action if the President determines by 
Executive order that the significant regulatory action is— 
(1) necessary because of an imminent threat to 
health or safety or other emergency; 
(2) necessary for the enforcement of criminal 
laws; 
(3) necessary for the national security of the 
United States; or 
(4) issued pursuant to any statute implementing 
an international trade agreement. 
(c) CONGRESSIONAL WAIVERS.— 
(1) SUBMISSION.—For any significant regu-
latory action not eligible for a Presidential waiver 
pursuant to subsection (b), the President may submit 
a written request to Congress for a waiver of the ap-
plication of section 3 to the significant regulatory ac-
tion. 
(2) CONTENTS.—A submission by the President 
under this subsection shall— 
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