IB 
Union Calendar No. 483 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4768 
[Report No. 114–622] 
To amend title 5, United States Code, with respect to the judicial review 
of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory provisions. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 16, 2016 
Mr. RATCLIFFE (for himself, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. MARINO, Mr. CHAFFETZ, 
Mr. BUCK, Mr. YOHO, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. BRAT, Mrs. 
LOVE, Mr. BROOKS of Alabama, Mr. BABIN, Mr. SALMON, Mr. HEN-
SARLING, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. BISHOP of Michigan, Mr. PALMER, Mr. 
MESSER, Mr. MULVANEY, Mr. LABRADOR, Mr. TROTT, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. 
SCHWEIKERT, Mr. DESANTIS, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Mr. ISSA, Mr. 
WESTERMAN, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. CULBERSON, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. WALK-
ER, Mr. OLSON, Mr. SMITH of Missouri, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
RENACCI, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. GOSAR, Mrs. 
MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, 
Mr. CHABOT, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. GRIFFITH, 
and Mr. SMITH of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
JUNE 14, 2016 
Additional sponsors: Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia, Mr. MILLER of Florida, 
Mr. AMODEI, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. ROSS, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, 
Mr. KNIGHT, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. HARDY, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. FORBES, Mr. 
BRADY of Texas, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. STEWART, Mr. TOM PRICE of Geor-
gia, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. LAMBORN, 
Mr. POSEY, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California, 
Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. RIBBLE, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SAM 
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MARCH-
ANT, Mr. RIGELL, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. 
GUINTA, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. FINCHER, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. 
GOHMERT, Mr. BARR, Mr. GARRETT, Mr. BRIDENSTINE, Mrs. BLACK, 
Mr. FLORES, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. YODER, Mr. 
WILLIAMS, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. HOLDING, Mr. GOWDY, Mr. SHIMKUS, 
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Mr. CARTER of Texas, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. TIPTON, Mr. HILL, 
Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. EMMER of Minnesota, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. 
LAHOOD, 
Mr. 
HUIZENGA
of 
Michigan, 
Mr. 
HUELSKAMP, 
Mr. 
PITTENGER, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT 
of Georgia, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. ROTHFUS, and Mr. HUDSON 
JUNE 14, 2016 
Reported 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 italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 16, 2016] 
A BILL 
To amend title 5, United States Code, with respect to the 
judicial review of agency interpretations of statutory and 
regulatory provisions. 
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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 ‘‘Separation of Powers 
Restoration Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. JUDICIAL REVIEW OF STATUTORY AND REGU-
LATORY INTERPRETATIONS. 
Section 706 of title 5, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking ‘‘To the extent necessary’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(a) To the extent necessary’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘decide all relevant questions of 
law, interpret constitutional and statutory provisions, 
and’’; 
(3) by inserting after ‘‘of the terms of an agency 
action’’ the following ‘‘and decide de novo all relevant 
questions of law, including the interpretation of con-
stitutional and statutory provisions, and rules made 
by agencies. Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, this subsection shall apply in any action for ju-
dicial review of agency action authorized under any 
provision of law. No law may exempt any such civil 
action from the application of this section except by 
specific reference to this section’’; and 
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