Bill · H.R. 3525· House(119-HR-3525)
Regulatory Accountability Act
- Introduced
- 5/20/2025
- Last activity
- 5/20/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Beth Van Duyne
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Regulatory Accountability Act aims to improve the way government agencies create rules. It introduces new definitions for "guidance," "major guidance," and "major rules" to provide clearer oversight. The bill requires agencies to consider specific legal authorities, the nature of problems, and various alternatives before making a rule. It also mandates stricter review processes, including cost-benefit analyses for major rules and specific public comment timelines. Additionally, it establishes frameworks for assessing the effectiveness of major rules after they are implemented.
Yes· 3 of 7
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+5
The bill significantly increases transparency by requiring public dockets for all studies and scientific literature used in rulemaking.
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+3
New requirements for public comments and consideration of alternatives provide more structured due process for interested parties during rulemaking.
Would business owners be better off under this?+3
The emphasis on cost-benefit analysis and considering non-mandated alternatives is generally favorable to business owners.
The opposite
Does this give the federal government more power?-2
By increasing oversight of agency rulemaking, the bill effectively limits the independent regulatory power of federal agencies.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?-1
The stricter and more lengthy rulemaking processes could delay the implementation of environmental protections.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Transparency and Access to Information: The bill requires that all studies, models, and scientific literature used by an agency be placed in a public docket (Section 3(c)(2)). This ensures that the public has access to the same information the agency is using to make decisions.
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Greater Consideration of Alternatives: Agencies must consider multiple alternatives when creating a rule, including those that do not mandate specific conduct (Section s3(b)(4)). This could lead to more flexible solutions like economic incentives or disclosure requirements rather than strict mandates.
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Stronger Economic Oversight for Major Rules: For "major rules," agencies are required to perform quantitative and qualitative analyses of costs and benefits (Section 3(b)(5)). This ensures that the economic impact on consumers, industries, and government agencies is clearly understood before a rule is finalized.
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Enhanced Accountability Through Post-Rule Assessments: The bill requires agencies to create a framework to assess major rules to see if they actually achieved their intended objectives (Section 3(k)). This helps determine if a rule is working or if it has become unnecessary or should be modified.
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Improved Information Quality: Agencies are directed to base their rules on the "best publicly available scientific, technical, or economic information" (Section 3(c)(3)). This promotes a higher standard for the data used to drive government policy.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Regulatory Burdens and Delays: The new requirements for advanced notice of rulemaking, specific timetables, and mandatory cost-benefit analyses for major rules could slow down the agency process (Section 3(d) and 3(e)).
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Potential for Increased Costs for Agencies: The requirement to conduct detailed assessments of major rules, including gathering data on a regular basis, may impose additional administrative burdens on agencies (Section 3(k)).
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Constraints on Agency Flexibility: While providing more structure, the strict requirements for considering alternatives and performing specific analyses might limit an agency's ability to respond quickly to certain issues (Section 3(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+5Improves Due Process+3Increases Federal Power-2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+2Improves Consumer Protection+1Improves Economic Growth+1Improves Fiscal Responsibility+1
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections-1
- 5/20/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.