Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator, Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, on Thursday introduced the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, along with 18 of his GOP colleagues acting as co-sponsors, to help put power back in the people’s hands instead of the administrative state.
Under the REINS Act, once major rules are drafted, they must then be affirmatively approved by both chambers of Congress and then signed by the President, satisfying the bicameralism and presentment requirements of the Constitution. Currently, regulations ultimately take effect unless Congress specifically disapproves.
The bill defines a “major” rule as one that the Office of Management and Budget determines may result in an economic impact of $100 million or greater each year; “a major increase in costs or prices” for American consumers, government agencies, regions, or industries; or “significant adverse effects” on the economy.
The REINS Act also includes the following changes from the original bill which has been introduced every Congress since Paul has been in office:
--New Defense for Individuals: Individuals can argue that the average person would not have known their actions violated federal law if the statute did not clearly state it.
--Right to Sue: People can sue to stop enforcement if an agency implements a major rule without getting congressional approval.
--LIBERTY Act: Agency guidance with an economic impact of $100 million or more needs congressional approval just like major rules.
--Deregulatory Actions Exempted: Agencies do not need congressional approval to withdraw costly or burdensome rules
“The whims of an unaccountable administrative state should never rule our lives,” Paul said. “For too long, an ever-growing federal bureaucracy has piled regulations and red tape on the backs of the American people without any approval by Americans’ elected representatives. By making Congress more accountable for the most costly and intrusive federal rules, our REINS Act would give Kentuckians and all Americans a greater voice in determining whether these major rules are truly in America’s best interests.”
File photo courtesy of Kentucky Today
