No Passes for Polluters Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill amends the Clean Air Act so Congress must approve, by a joint resolution, before the President or any federal agency can use certain pollution exemptions, including waivers for military property, federal vehicle fleets, and ozone-depleting substance rules.
• Before using an exemption, the President must send Congress a detailed 'special message' explaining what exemption is being used, for how long, why it's needed, and its expected effects.
• Both the House and Senate would have to approve the exemption with a two-thirds vote, a very high bar that makes it much harder for any agency to get a pollution waiver approved.
• The bill also repeals a separate Clean Air Act provision that let certain facilities delay their hazardous air pollutant compliance schedule if they had made early emission cuts.
• It creates a new citizen lawsuit right, letting any person sue the federal government, the President, or an agency head if they use a covered exemption without the required congressional approval.