S 15 · 113th Congress 2013–2015, ended

REINS Act

Fact sheet

Latest action · Feb 26, 2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedFeb 26, 2013
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013 or the REINS Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to increase accountability for and transparency in the federal regulatory process.

Revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking to require a federal agency promulgating a rule to include in its report to Congress and to the Comptroller General (GAO) a classification of the rule as a major or nonmajor rule.

Requires a joint resolution of approval of major rules to be enacted before such rules may take effect. Provides that if a joint resolution of approval is not enacted by the end of 70 session days or legislative days, as applicable, after the agency proposing the rule submits its report on such rule to Congress, the major rule shall be deemed not to be approved and shall not take effect. Permits a major rule to take effect for one 90-calendar day period without such approval if the President determines it is necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, for the enforcement of criminal laws, for national security, or to implement an international trade agreement.

Sets forth the congressional approval procedure for major rules and the congressional disapproval procedure for nonmajor rules.

Requires the introduction of a joint resolution addressing a report classifying a rule as a major rule within three legislative days in the House of Representative and three session days in the Senate. Prohibits any amendments to such a joint resolution at any stage of the legislative process. Provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution of approval and requires a vote on such resolution in the Senate within 15 session days after it is reported by the committee to which it was referred, or after such committee has been discharged from further consideration of the resolution.

Allows a court to review whether an agency has completed the necessary requirements under this Act for a rule to take effect. Limits the effect of a joint resolution of approval of a major rule.

Prohibits an agency from allowing a major rule to take effect without the congressional review procedures set forth in this Act.

Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to provide that any congressional approval procedure set forth in this Act affecting budget authority, outlays, or receipts shall be assumed to be effective unless it is not approved in accordance with this Act.

Cosponsors 29

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 26, 2013 to Jul 22, 2014, with 20 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-IAChuck GrassleyOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-LADavid VitterOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-NEDeb FischerOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-OKJames M. InhofeOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-AZJeff FlakeOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-ALJeff SessionsOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-KSJerry MoranOriginalFeb 26, 2013
I-WVJoe Manchin IIIOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-WYJohn BarrassoOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-TXJohn CornynOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-GAJohnny IsaksonOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-NHKelly AyotteOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-FLMarco RubioOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-WYMichael B. EnziOriginalFeb 26, 2013
R-IDMike CrapoOriginalFeb 26, 2013

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Feb 26, 2013Introduced in Senate
  2. Feb 26, 2013Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 367Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013Related billSep 9, 2013

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Feb 26, 2013Introduced in Senate

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.