RED TAPE Act
Rep. Sessions Introduces RED TAPE Act to Ban Non-Financial Factors in Federal Rulemaking
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would stop federal agencies from using factors they cannot put a specific dollar amount on when deciding to create new rules. Right now, agencies might consider things like "better health" or "fairness" even if they cannot calculate an exact price. This bill says those factors can no longer be used to justify a regulation.
- Agencies would be required to focus only on clear, measurable money benefits to people and businesses. The goal is to make sure every new government rule provides a clear financial win and does not create hidden costs or burdens that are hard to measure with math.
- If this bill becomes law, it would apply to any regulation made since November 9, 2023. This means many existing rules could be challenged in court. If a judge finds that an agency used non-money factors to justify a rule, that rule would be thrown out immediately.
- The bill also demands more transparency from the government. Agencies would have to publish their full math, the methods they used, and their reasoning in the Federal Register. This would let the public see exactly how the government decided a rule was worth the cost.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Federal regulations affecting tribal communities often consider cultural preservation, treaty obligations, sacred site protection, and environmental justice — all factors that are extremely difficult to express in precise dollar amounts. This bill could make it nearly impossible for agencies to justify rules that protect tribal interests when those protections rest on non-monetized values.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
RED TAPE Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.