# Plain Language Summary: The REINS Act of 2023

This bill would fundamentally change how federal regulations get created and implemented. Right now, government agencies can write and enforce new rules without explicit approval from Congress—they just have to follow certain procedures and notify lawmakers. This bill flips that system on its head for major rules, requiring Congress to actively vote and approve them before they can take effect.

Here's what counts as a "major rule" that would need congressional approval: regulations that cost the economy $100 million or more annually, significantly affect competition or employment, or impose substantial new requirements on businesses or individuals. When an agency creates such a rule, it would have to submit detailed information to Congress, including cost-benefit analyses, studies backing up the rule, and explanations of how it was developed. Congress would then have 70 days to vote on whether to approve it. If lawmakers don't pass an approval resolution within that timeframe, the rule automatically dies and never takes effect. Smaller, non-major rules would still go through the current process where Congress can vote to disapprove them if it wants to block them.

The bill includes a narrow emergency exception: the President could temporarily allow a major rule to take effect for 90 days if there's an imminent health threat, criminal enforcement need, national security issue, or international trade requirement. But even then, Congress would still need to approve it afterward for it to stay in effect permanently.

Supporters argue this gives Congress back its constitutional power to make laws and prevents unelected bureaucrats from imposing expensive regulations without elected representatives weighing in. Critics worry it could paralyze the regulatory system, since Congress rarely passes anything quickly, and major rules addressing pollution, workplace safety, or financial fraud could get stuck in limbo indefinitely while lawmakers debate them.

Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023

Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3]

Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023 This bill revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking. Specifically, the bill establishes a&nbsp;congressional approval&nbsp;process for a major rule.&nbsp;A major rule may only take effect if Congress approves of the rule. A major rule is a rule that has resulted in or is likely to result in (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (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, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises. The bill generally preserves the current congressional review process for a nonmajor rule.