[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 973 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 973
To establish a task force for regulatory oversight and review.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 12, 2025
Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a task force for regulatory oversight and review.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Locating the Inefficiencies of
Bureaucratic Edicts to Reform And Transform the Economy Act'' or the
``LIBERATE Act''.
SEC. 2. REGULATORY OVERSIGHT AND REVIEW TASK FORCE.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a task force to be known
as the ``Regulatory Oversight and Review Task Force'' (referred to in
this section as the ``Task Force'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Task Force shall be composed of--
(A) the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, who shall serve as the Chairperson of the Task
Force;
(B) 1 representative of the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs; and
(C) 16 individuals from the private sector, of
whom--
(i) 4 shall be appointed by the majority
leader of the Senate;
(ii) 4 shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate;
(iii) 4 shall be appointed by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives; and
(iv) 4 shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives.
(2) Qualifications of private sector members.--
(A) Expertise.--Each member of the Task Force
appointed under paragraph (1)(C) shall be an individual
with expertise in Federal regulatory policy, Federal
regulatory compliance, economics, law, or business
management.
(B) Small business concerns.--Not fewer than 2 of
the members of the Task Force appointed under each
clause of paragraph (1)(C) shall be representatives of
a small business concern, as defined in section 3 of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
(C) Political affiliation.--Not more than 2 of the
members of the Task Force appointed under each clause
of paragraph (1)(C) may be affiliated with the same
political party.
(3) Appointment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint each member
of the Task Force under paragraph (1)(C).
(c) Consultation With GAO.--In carrying out its functions under
this section, the Task Force shall consult with the Government
Accountability Office.
(d) No Compensation.--A member of the Task Force may not receive
any compensation for serving on the Task Force.
(e) Evaluation of Regulations.--The Task Force shall evaluate, and
provide recommendations for modification, consolidation, harmonization,
or repeal of, Federal regulations that--
(1) exclude or otherwise inhibit competition, causing
industries of the United States to be less competitive with
global competitors;
(2) create barriers to entry for United States businesses,
including entrepreneurs and startups;
(3) increase the operating costs for domestic
manufacturing;
(4) impose substantial compliance costs and other burdens
on industries of the United States, making those industries
less competitive with global competitors;
(5) impose burdensome and lengthy permitting processes and
requirements;
(6) impact energy production by United States businesses
and make the United States dependent on foreign countries for
energy supply;
(7) restrict domestic mining, including the mining of
critical minerals; or
(8) inhibit capital formation in the economy of the United
States.
(f) Website.--The Task Force shall establish and maintain a user-
friendly, public-facing website to be--
(1) a portal for the submission of written recommendations
under subsection (h); and
(2) a gateway for reports and key information.
(g) Duty of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Task Force, a
Federal agency shall provide applicable documents and information to
help the Task Force carry out its functions under this section.
(h) Written Recommendations.--
(1) In general.-- Not later than 15 days after the first
meeting of the Task Force, the Task Force shall initiate a
process to solicit and collect written recommendations
regarding regulations described in subsection (e) from the
general public, interested parties, Federal agencies, and other
relevant entities.
(2) Manner of submission.--The Task Force shall allow
written recommendations under paragraph (1) to be submitted
through--
(A) the website of the Task Force;
(B) regulations.gov;
(C) the mail; or
(D) other appropriate written means.
(3) Publication.--The Task Force shall publish each
recommendation submitted under paragraph (1)--
(A) in the Federal Register;
(B) on the website of the Task Force; and
(C) on regulations.gov.
(4) Public outreach.--In addition to soliciting and
collecting written recommendations under paragraph (1), the
Task Force shall conduct public outreach and convene focus
groups in geographically diverse areas throughout the United
States to solicit feedback and public comments regarding
regulations described in subsection (e).
(5) Review and consideration.--The Task Force shall review
the information received under paragraphs (1) and (4) and
consider including that information in the reports and special
message required under subsections (i) and (j), respectively.
(i) Reports.--
(1) In general.--The Task Force shall submit quarterly and
annual reports to Congress on the findings of the Task Force
under this section.
(2) Contents.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) analyze the Federal regulations identified in
accordance with subsection (e); and
(B) provide recommendations for modifications,
consolidation, harmonization, and repeal of the
regulations described in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph.
(j) Special Message to Congress.--
(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``covered
resolution'' means a joint resolution--
(A) the matter after the resolving clause of which
contains only--
(i) a list of some or all of the
regulations that were recommended for repeal in
a special message submitted to Congress under
paragraph (2); and
(ii) a provision that immediately repeals
the listed regulations upon enactment of the
joint resolution; and
(B) upon which Congress completes action before the
end of the first period of 60 calendar days after the
date on which the special message described in
subparagraph (A)(i) of this paragraph is received by
Congress.
(2) Submission.--
(A) In general.--Not later than the first day on
which both Houses of Congress are in session after May
1 of each year, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall submit to Congress, on
behalf of the Task Force, a special message that--
(i) details each regulation that the Task
Force recommends for repeal; and
(ii) explains why each regulation should be
repealed.
(B) Delivery to house and senate; printing.--Each
special message submitted under subparagraph (A) shall
be--
(i) delivered to the Clerk of the House of
Representatives and the Secretary of the
Senate; and
(ii) printed in the Congressional Record.
(3) Procedure in house and senate.--
(A) Referral.--A covered resolution shall be
referred to the appropriate committee of the House of
Representatives or the Senate, as the case may be.
(B) Discharge of committee.--If the committee to
which a covered resolution has been referred has not
reported the resolution at the end of 25 calendar days
after the introduction of the resolution--
(i) the committee shall be discharged from
further consideration of the resolution; and
(ii) the resolution shall be placed on the
appropriate calendar.
(4) Floor consideration in the house.--
(A) Motion to proceed.--
(i) In general.--When the committee of the
House of Representatives has reported, or has
been discharged from further consideration of,
a covered resolution, it shall at any time
thereafter be in order (even though a previous
motion to the same effect has been disagreed
to) to move to proceed to the consideration of
the resolution.
(ii) Privilege.--A motion described in
clause (i) shall be highly privileged and not
debatable.
(iii) No amendment or motion to
reconsider.--An amendment to a motion described
in clause (i) shall not be in order, nor shall
it be in order to move to reconsider the vote
by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed
to.
(B) Debate.--
(i) In general.--Debate in the House of
Representatives on a covered resolution shall
be limited to not more than 2 hours, which
shall be divided equally between those favoring
and those opposing the resolution.
(ii) No motion to reconsider.--It shall not
be in order in the House of Representatives to
move to reconsider the vote by which a covered
resolution is agreed to or disagreed to.
(C) No motion to postpone consideration or proceed
to consideration of other business.--In the House of
Representatives, motions to postpone, made with respect
to the consideration of a covered resolution, and
motions to proceed to the consideration of other
business, shall not be in order.
(D) Appeals from decisions of chair.--An appeal
from the decision of the Chair relating to the
application of the Rules of the House of
Representatives to the procedure relating to a covered
resolution shall be decided without debate.
(5) Floor consideration in the senate.--
(A) Motion to proceed.--
(i) In general.--Notwithstanding Rule XXII
of the Standing Rules of the Senate, when the
committee of the Senate to which a covered
resolution is referred has reported, or has
been discharged from further consideration of,
a covered resolution, it shall at any time
thereafter be in order (even though a previous
motion to the same effect has been disagreed
to) to move to proceed to the consideration of
the resolution and all points of order against
the covered resolution are waived.
(ii) Division of time.--A motion to proceed
described in clause (i) is subject to 4 hours
of debate divided equally between those
favoring and those opposing the covered
resolution.
(iii) No amendment or motion to postpone or
proceed to other business.--A motion to proceed
described in clause (i) is not subject to--
(I) amendment;
(II) a motion to postpone; or
(III) a motion to proceed to the
consideration of other business.
(B) Floor consideration.--
(i) General.--In the Senate, a covered
resolution shall be subject to 10 hours of
debate divided equally between those favoring
and those opposing the covered resolution.
(ii) Amendments.--In the Senate, no
amendment to a covered resolution shall be in
order, except an amendment that strikes from or
adds to the list required under paragraph
(1)(A)(i) a regulation recommended for repeal
by the Task Force.
(iii) Motions and appeals.--In the Senate,
a motion to reconsider a vote on final passage
of a covered resolution shall not be in order,
and points of order, including questions of
relevancy, and appeals from the decision of the
Presiding Officer, shall be decided without
debate.
(6) Receipt of resolution from other house.--If, before
passing a covered resolution, one House receives from the other
a covered resolution--
(A) the covered resolution of the other House shall
not be referred to a committee and shall be deemed to
have been discharged from committee on the day on which
it is received; and
(B) the procedures set forth in paragraph (4) or
(5), as applicable, shall apply in the receiving House
to the covered resolution received from the other House
to the same extent as those procedures apply to a
covered resolution of the receiving House.
(7) Rules of the house of representatives and the senate.--
Paragraphs (2) through (6) are enacted by Congress--
(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the
House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively,
and as such are deemed a part of the rules of each
House, respectively, but applicable only with respect
to the procedures to be followed in the House in the
case of covered resolutions, and supersede other rules
only to the extent that they are inconsistent with such
other rules; and
(B) with full recognition of the constitutional
right of either House to change the rules (so far as
relating to the procedure of that House) at any time,
in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the
case of any other rule of that House.
(k) Funding.--
(1) No additional amounts authorized.--No additional
amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section.
(2) Other funding.--The Task Force shall use amounts
otherwise available to the Office of Management and Budget to
carry out this section.
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