RESTART SUNSET Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill requires every federal agency to review all of its existing rules within 10 years and any new rules within 10 years of when they are finalized. This replaces the old one-time planning requirement with an ongoing, mandatory review cycle.
• Agencies must publish a yearly list in the Federal Register identifying which of their rules do not significantly affect small businesses, along with their reasoning. This new transparency requirement is designed to hold agencies accountable for how their regulations impact small companies.
• The bill gives courts the power to block enforcement of any rule if an agency fails to complete the required review. This creates a strong sunset-like mechanism where outdated, unreviewed regulations could be struck down by a judge.
• The overall goal is to reduce the accumulation of outdated federal regulations that have not been examined in years or decades. By tying enforcement to mandatory review, the bill aims to force agencies to regularly justify whether their rules are still necessary and effective.