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Regulation Decimation Act

To require agencies to repeal ten existing regulations before issuing a new regulation, and for other purposes.

Introduced Feb 25, 2025

Latest action (Feb 25, 2025) Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summary

  • Requires federal agencies to repeal at least 10 existing related rules before issuing a new rule that imposes costs or responsibilities on nongovernmental entities or state and local governments.
  • Requires federal agencies to repeal at least 10 related rules before issuing a major rule and requires that the cost of the new major rule be less than or equal to the cost of the repealed rules.
  • Requires the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to certify that the cost of any new major rule is equal to or less than the cost of the repealed rules.
  • Requires repealed rules to be published in the Federal Register.
  • Requires each federal agency head to submit a report within 90 days identifying existing rules that are costly, ineffective, duplicative, or outdated.
  • Requires the President to submit a report five years after enactment on the number of rules in effect and the status of rule reduction over the previous five years.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

2 cosponsors

Actions (2)

  1. Feb 25, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
  2. Feb 25, 2025 Introduced in Senate

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 25, 2025

Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Johnson) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To require agencies to repeal ten existing regulations before issuing a new regulation, 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 “Regulation Decimation Act”.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF REGULATIONS REQUIRED BEFORE ISSUANCE OF A NEW RULE.

(a) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) Agency.—The term “agency” has the meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.

(2) Major rule.—The term “major rule” has the meaning given that term in section 804 of title 5, United States Code.

(3) Rule.—The term “rule” has the meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.

(4) State.—The term “State” means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, each territory or possession of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.

(b) Requirement for Rule.—An agency may not issue a rule unless such agency has repealed 10 or more rules described in subsection (e) that, to the extent practicable, are related to the rule.

(c) Requirement for Major Rule.—

(1) Repeal required.—An agency may not issue a major rule unless—

(A) such agency has repealed 10 or more rules described in subsection (e) that, to the extent practicable, are related to the major rule; and

(B) the cost of the new major rule is less than or equal to the cost of the rules repealed.

(2) Certified cost.—For any rule issued in accordance with paragraph (1), the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget must have certified that the cost of the new major rule is equal to or less than the cost of the rules repealed.

(d) Publication Required.—Any rule repealed under subsection (b) or (c) shall be published in the Federal Register.

(e) Applicability.—This section—

(1) applies to any rule or major rule that imposes a cost or responsibility on a nongovernmental person or a State or local government; and

(2) shall not apply to any rule or major rule—

(A) that relates to the internal policy or practice of an agency or procurement by the agency; or

(B) that is being revised to be less burdensome to decrease requirements imposed by the rule or cost of compliance.

(f) Review of Agency Rules.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit to Congress and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a report that includes a review of each rule of the agency that identifies whether that rule is costly, ineffective, duplicative, or outdated, including a list of any other unnecessary regulatory restriction of the agency that is costly, ineffective, duplicative, or outdated.

(g) Report on Rules.—Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress a report on the number of rules in effect and the status of the reduction of rules over the previous 5 years. <all>

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