Coronavirus Regulatory Repeal Act of 2021
Bill: S.969 | Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand (R-KY)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Coronavirus Regulatory Repeal Act of 2021  This bill repeals or modifies any agency rule that is temporarily waived or modified during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency, subject to a review process.  The bill specifies procedures for Congress and the heads of agencies to analyze, review, and recommend whether the waiver or modification of a rule should continue and such waiver or modification expires only if a law is enacted in accordance with a recommendation that the rule be reinstated when the emergency period ends.

To establish Federal Regulatory Review Commissions, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coronavirus Regulatory Repeal Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OR MODIFICATION OF REGULATIONS DURING THE EMERGENCY 
              PERIOD.

    Any regulation waived or modified during the emergency period shall 
be repealed or modified, as applicable, the day after the expiration of 
the emergency period and thereafter, unless a Federal Regulatory Review 
Commission recommends the regulation should not be repealed or 
modified, as applicable, and a law is enacted confirming the 
recommendation.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL REGULATORY REVIEW COMMISSIONS.

    (a) Establishment.--There are established Commissions to be known 
as the ``Federal Regulatory Review Commissions''.
    (b) Members.--Each Commission shall be composed of members of the 
congressional committee of each jurisdiction and the head of each 
agency under the jurisdiction of that committee (in this Act referred 
to as the ``members'').
    (c) Information.--Members may obtain information from individuals 
with expertise in the operations and regulations of government 
programs.
    (d) Duties of the Commissions.--
            (1) Review of federal regulations.--Not later than 2 months 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Commission 
        shall submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
        the majority leader of the Senate an official recommendation, 
        on the repeal or modification of each regulation waived or 
        modified during the emergency period. Each regulation waived or 
        modified during the emergency period shall remain waived or 
        modified, as applicable, during the review period by the 
        Commission.
            (2) Extension.--The deadline in paragraph (1) may be 
        extended for an additional month if the Congress enacts 
        legislation extending such deadline by a vote of a majority of 
        the House of Representatives and the Senate.
    (e) Report to Congress.--
            (1) Agency report on regulations.--Not later than 1 month 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each 
        agency shall submit to each congressional committee of 
        jurisdiction a report that includes--
                    (A) an analysis of whether or not the agency can 
                function without the regulation or with the modified 
                regulation, as applicable; and
                    (B) an analysis of whether the regulation should be 
                restored to its original state before the emergency 
                period or should remain repealed or modified, as 
                applicable.
            (2) Public comment period required.--The head of an agency 
        shall provide a public comment period before submitting a 
        report pursuant to paragraph (1).
    (f) Congressional Recommendation.--Not later than 1 month after 
receiving a report from the head of each agency pursuant to subsection 
(e), each committee shall submit to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the majority leader of the Senate an official 
recommendation on whether or not the repealed or modified regulation 
should be re-established.
    (g) Sunset of Commissions.--The Commissions established in this 
section shall terminate on the final day of the final recommendation by 
each committee.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Emergency period.--The term ``emergency period'' means 
        the duration of a public health emergency declared pursuant to 
        section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) 
        as a result of confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus 
        (COVID-19), including any renewal thereof.
            (3) Regulation.--The term ``regulation'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``rule'' under section 551 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
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