Bill · S. 148· Senate(119-S-148)
RED TAPE Act
- Introduced
- 1/17/2025
- Last activity
- 11/19/2025 — Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
- Sponsored by
- Joni Ernst
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "RED TAPE Act" aims to prohibit federal agencies from using factors that are not monetized or quantified during regulatory analyses. It requires agencies to prioritize tangible and immediately quantifiable monetary benefits when making decisions. The bill establishes specific definitions for benefit-cost and regulatory impact analyses to align with OMB guidance. It also mandates that agencies publish detailed summaries and the full text of their economic impact analyses in the Federal Register. Additionally, the Act provides for judicial review, allowing affected parties to challenge rules that rely on non-monetized factors.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
The act aims to reduce regulatory burdens by focusing on strictly quantifiable financial impacts.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+5
The bill requires agencies to publish full economic impact analyses and their methodologies in the Federal Register.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+4
By limiting non-monetized regulatory factors, the bill seeks to minimize regulatory costs that often burden small businesses.
The opposite
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?-6
The prohibition on non-monetized factors prevents agencies from considering qualitative environmental protections like biodiversity or air quality unless they are quantified in dollars.
Does this give the federal government more power?-3
The bill restricts the discretionary authority of federal agencies to consider qualitative factors in their rulemaking.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Focus on Measurable Benefits: Agencies must prioritize "tangible, immediately quantifiable monetary benefits" to ensure regulatory actions provide clear financial benefits to the public and private sectors (Section 2).
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Increased Transparency: Agencies are required to publish a summary of analyses, the full text of those analyses, and the specific methodology used to estimate economic impacts in the Federal Register (Section 3(c)).
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Accountability through Judicial Review: Any party affected by a rule can bring a civil action in a district court if an agency uses non-monetized or unquantified factors in violation of the Act (Section 3(e)(1)).
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Clearer Decision-Making: The bill requires agencies to disclose their decision-making processes and the rationale behind economic impact analyses (Section 3(c)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limitation of Analytical Factors: Agencies are prohibited from considering any "non-monetized or unquantified factor" when conducting regulatory impact or benefit-cost analyses (Section 3(a)).
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Restriction on OMB Oversight: The Office of Management and Budget is prohibited from issuing guidance or directives that permit or endorse the use of non-monetized or unquantified factors (Section 3(b)).
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Mandatory Invalidation of Rules: If a court finds that an agency used non-monetized or unquantified factors to evaluate a final or interim final rule, the court must declare that rule invalid (Section 3(e)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+4Improves Economic Growth+3Improves Fiscal Responsibility+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections-6
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+5Increases Federal Power-3
- 11/19/2025
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
- 1/17/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
James LankfordRepublican · Oklahoma