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Congress·In Committee·7 months ago

Senator Risch Proposes Bill Requiring Federal Energy Rules to Expire Unless Regularly Renewed

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill would require agencies like the Department of Energy and the Bureau of Land Management to put "expiration dates" on their rules. Instead of lasting forever, these regulations would automatically end unless the government takes specific steps to keep them active.
  • For rules that are already in place, agencies would have only one year to review them before they expire. For new rules created in the future, the limit would generally be five years. This is designed to force the government to regularly "clean house" and remove old or unhelpful requirements.
  • To keep a rule active, an agency would have to ask the public for input on whether the rule's benefits are worth the cost. They could then extend the rule for another five years. However, rules that are specifically meant to cut down on regulation could be exempt from these strict deadlines.
  • If an agency fails to renew a rule by its deadline, that rule would become void and could no longer be enforced. This would apply to rules regarding nuclear energy, public lands, offshore drilling, and natural gas pipelines.
  • The goal of the policy is to reduce the total number of federal regulations to help increase American energy production. A potential trade-off is that if an agency is too busy to complete a review, important safety or environmental rules could accidentally disappear.
Energy EnvironmentEconomy Finance

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jul 24, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Jul 24, 2025

Introduced in Senate

Related News

3 articles
The Hill·14 days ago

GOP Lawmakers Push to Codify Energy Sunset Clauses

House Republicans introduced a companion to Senator Jim Risch's bill to force federal energy agencies to adopt 'zero-based' budgeting. The legislation would set a one-year clock on existing rules for oil, gas, and mining, potentially leading to a significant regulatory cliff.

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Politico·11 months ago

Trump orders energy agencies to add 'sunset' provisions to regulations

President Trump signed an executive order, 'Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy,' directing agencies like the DOE and EPA to include expiration dates in their rules. The move aims to force a periodic reexamination of every energy regulation to ensure they serve the public.

CL~
Brownwood News·9 days ago

Pfluger Fly-By: Feb. 20, 2026

Congressman August Pfluger announced his co-sponsorship of the Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy Act. The bill codifies President Trump’s executive order requiring sunset clauses on energy regulations to reduce 'burdensome red tape' and lower energy costs.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy Act of 2025

Bill NumberS 2427
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.