Bill · S. 4404· Senate(119-S-4404)
No Passes for Polluters Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 4/27/2026
- Last activity
- 4/27/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Sponsored by
- Sheldon Whitehouse
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "No Passes for Polluters Act of 2026" aims to amend the Clean Air Act to increase congressional oversight of executive exemptions. It requires the President or federal agencies to obtain approval through a joint resolution before using or extending certain "covered exemptions." The bill establishes a process for transmitting special messages to Congress, including required details and analysis of the proposed exemptions. It also mandates a review process by the Comptroller General to ensure compliance with statutory authority. Additionally, the act repeals a specific exemption related to compliance schedules for hazardous air pollutants.
Yes· 3 of 8
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+8
The act mandates that proposed exemptions be published in the Federal Register and transmitted as special messages to Congress.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+7
The bill subjects executive environmental exemptions to strict congressional oversight and a two-thirds vote requirement.
Would people in cities be better off under this?+4
Increased oversight of industrial pollution exemptions can lead to better air quality in densely populated urban areas.
The opposite
Does this give the federal government more power?-5
The bill limits executive branch authority by requiring legislative approval for various environmental exemptions.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-2
The bill focuses on increasing congressional oversight rather than transferring authority to individual states.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Congressional Oversight: The bill requires that the President and federal agencies obtain approval via a joint resolution before using or extending "covered exemptions" under sections 118(b), 248(e), and 604(f) of the Clean Air Act (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Enhanced Transparency: The President must transmit a "special message" to Congress that includes the reasons for the exemption, the proposed time period, and an analysis of the estimated effect of the proposed use (Section 2(c)(1)).
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Expert Verification: The Comptroller General is tasked with reviewing special messages to notify Congress whether the proposed use of an exemption is in accordance with existing statutory authority (Section 2(d)(2)).
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Public Access to Information: Special messages must be printed in the Federal Register, ensuring that the details of proposed exemptions are made public (Section 2(d)(4)).
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Accountability Through Litigation: The bill allows individuals to commence civil actions against any person or entity, including the United States or the President, if a covered exemption is used without a required joint resolution (Section 2(g)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Bureaucratic Process: The use of a covered exemption or its extension will not have any force or effect until a joint resolution is enacted, which may add time to the implementation of executive decisions (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Complexity in Legislative Procedures: The bill establishes specific, rigorous procedures for the House and Senate regarding the introduction, debate, and voting on joint resolutions, such as requiring a two-thirds vote for approval in both chambers (Section 2(f)(3) and (4)).
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Repeal of Existing Exemptions: The act strikes an existing exemption regarding the schedule for compliance for hazardous air pollutants (Section 3(a)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Urban Residents+4Good For Low Income Households+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+7
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+8Improves Due Process+4Increases Federal Power-5Increase States Rights-2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+3
- Healthcare
- Improves Opioid Crisis Response+1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1
- 5/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/27/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 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.
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California