United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 24 R cosponsors

S 485 — Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2025

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 06, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 24 sponsors

    1 primary, 23 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (24 R).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

This bill requires Congressional approval for major federal agency rules.

The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2025 mandates that major federal agency rules cannot take effect without a joint resolution from Congress. Major rules are defined based on their economic impact and must be reviewed for approval periodically.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This means that rules affecting jobs and workplace regulations will need Congressional approval.

Summary

Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2025This bill expands congressional review of federal agency rules and establishes additional procedures for major rules and agency guidance.Specifically, the bill requires the enactment of a joint resolution for a major rule to take effect. A major rule is a rule that has resulted in or is likely to result in (1) an annual economic effect of at least $100 million; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, government agencies, or geographic regions; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, or innovation.Additionally, major rules approved by a joint resolution under the bill expire, and are no longer effective, 10 years after the enactment of such joint resolution. Further, each agency must annually designate at least 10% of the agency’s major rules that are currently in effect for review and approval by a joint resolution of Congress. Such rules that are not approved shall no longer be in effect.Under the bill, agency guidance documents are considered rules and certain significant guidance documents are considered major rules. Significant guidance documents include guidance anticipated to lead to an annual effect of at least $100 million, or adversely affect in a material way the economy, the environment, public health, or state or local government.The Office of Management and Budget must establish an federal regulatory budget specifying the net amount of incremental regulatory costs allowed by the federal government for the next fiscal year.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

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Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes that major rules of the executive branch will not take effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted, changing the current process for the implementation of such rules.

  • 2 U.S.C. § 1532

    (a) In generalUnless otherwise prohibited by law, before promulgating any general notice of proposed rulemaking that is likely to result in promulgation of any rule that includes any Federal mandate that may result in the expenditure by State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100,000,000 or more (adjusted annually for inflation) in any 1 year, and before promulgating any final rule for which a general notice of proposed rulemaking was published, the agency shall prepare a written statement containing— → Chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "CHAPTER 8--CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF AGENCY RULEMAKING"

    The bill eliminates the existing requirements under 2 U.S.C. § 1532 and replaces them with a new framework for Congressional review of agency rulemaking.

  • 2 U.S.C. § 1532

    In promulgating a general notice of proposed rulemaking or a final rule for which a statement under subsection (a) is required, the agency shall include in the promulgation a summary of the information contained in the statement. → In the section on Congressional approval procedure for major rules, a major rule shall not take effect unless the Congress enacts a joint resolution of approval described under section 802.

    The bill stipulates that major rules will not take effect without Congressional approval through a joint resolution.

  • Section 802 of title 5, United States Code, details the Congressional approval procedure for major rules.

    It introduces structured procedures for Congress to approve major rules proposed by Federal agencies.

  • Section 801 establishes the requirements for Congressional review and reporting of agency rules.

    It mandates more transparency and accountability in the rulemaking process by Federal agencies.

  • Section 803 provides the procedure for Congressional disapproval of nonmajor rules.

    It establishes a mechanism for Congress to disapprove rules classified as nonmajor.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 23 co-sponsors · 523 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (23)

Not signed on (523)

523 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 523 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety finance technology
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Frequently asked questions

What does S 485 do?
Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2025This bill expands congressional review of federal agency rules and establishes additional procedures for major rules and agency guidance.Specifically, the bill requires the enactment of a joint resolution for a major rule to take effect. A major rule is a rule that has resulted in or is likely to result in (1) an annual economic effect of at least $100 million; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, government agencies, or geographic regions; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, or innovation.Additionally, major rules approved by a joint resolution under the bill expire, and are no longer effective, 10 years after the enactment of such joint resolution. Further, each agency must annually designate at least 10% of the agency’s major rules that are currently in effect for review and approval by a joint resolution of Congress. Such rules that are not approved shall no longer be in effect.Under the bill, agency guidance documents are considered rules and certain significant guidance documents are considered major rules. Significant guidance documents include guidance anticipated to lead to an annual effect of at least $100 million, or adversely affect in a material way the economy, the environment, public health, or state or local government.The Office of Management and Budget must establish an federal regulatory budget specifying the net amount of incremental regulatory costs allowed by the federal government for the next fiscal year.
Who sponsors S 485?
S 485 is sponsored by Paul, Rand (Republican), Blackburn, Marsha (Republican), Britt, Katie Boyd (Republican), Budd, Ted (Republican), Cramer, Kevin (Republican), Crapo, Mike (Republican), Lankford, James (Republican), Lee, Mike (Republican), Lummis, Cynthia M. (Republican), Marshall, Roger (Republican), Moreno, Bernie (Republican), Risch, James E. (Republican), Scott, Rick (Republican), Rounds, Mike (Republican), Schmitt, Eric (Republican), Sheehy, Tim (Republican), Tuberville, Tommy (Republican), Grassley, Chuck (Republican), Daines, Steve (Republican), Curtis, John R. (Republican), Young, Todd (Republican), Husted, Jon (Republican), Barrasso, John (Republican), and Sullivan, Dan (Republican).
What is the current status of S 485?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 06, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 485?
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