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Transparency and Honesty in Energy Regulations Act of 2025

Introduced May 1, 2025 · Last action May 1, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

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Summary

This legislation is called the Transparency and Honesty in Energy Regulations Act of 2025. It is being reviewed by a committee.

Full bill text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1584 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1584

 To prohibit Federal agencies from considering, in taking any action,
the social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, the social cost
 of nitrous oxide, or the social cost of any other greenhouse gas, and
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 1, 2025

 Mr. Lankford introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To prohibit Federal agencies from considering, in taking any action,
the social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, the social cost
 of nitrous oxide, or the social cost of any other greenhouse gas, and
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Transparency and Honesty in Energy
Regulations Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the
        meaning given the term ``agency'' in section 551 of title 5,
        United States Code.
            (2) Social cost of carbon.--The term ``social cost of
        carbon'' means--
                    (A) the estimate of the social cost of carbon
                described in--
                            (i) the document of the Interagency Working
                        Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United States
                        Government, entitled ``Technical Support
                        Document: Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory
                        Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866''
                        and dated February 2010;
                            (ii) the document of the Interagency
                        Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse
                        Gases, United States Government, entitled
                        ``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of
                        Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim
                        Estimates under Executive Order 13990'' and
                        dated February 2021;
                            (iii) the document of the Interagency
                        Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse
                        Gases, United States Government, entitled
                        ``Technical Support Document: Technical Update
                        of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory
                        Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866'',
                        dated May 2013, revised in November 2013 and
                        July 2015, and published and revised in August
                        2016;
                            (iv) the document of the Environmental
                        Protection Agency entitled ``Regulatory Impact
                        Analysis for the New Source Performance
                        Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from
                        New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-
                        Fired Electric Generating Units; Emission
                        Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from
                        Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating
                        Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean
                        Energy Rule'' and dated April 2024;
                            (v) the document of the Environmental
                        Protection Agency entitled ``Regulatory Impact
                        Analysis for the Final Federal Good Neighbor
                        Plan Addressing Regional Ozone Transport for
                        the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality
                        Standard'' and dated March 2023;
                            (vi) the document of the Environmental
                        Protection Agency entitled ``Regulatory Impact
                        Analysis for the Final National Emission
                        Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal-
                        and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating
                        Units Review of the Residual Risk and
                        Technology Review'' and dated April 2024;
                            (vii) the document of the Environmental
                        Protection Agency entitled ``Benefit and Cost
                        Analysis for Supplemental Effluent Limitations
                        Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric
                        Power Generating Point Source Category'' and
                        dated April 18, 2024; or
                            (viii) any successor or substantially
                        related document; and
                    (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages
                associated with an incremental increase in carbon
                dioxide emissions in a given year.
            (3) Social cost of greenhouse gases.--The term ``social
        cost of greenhouse gases'' means--
                    (A) the estimate of the social cost of any
                greenhouse gas that is described in--
                            (i) the document of the Interagency Working
                        Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United States
                        Government, entitled ``Technical Support
                        Document: Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory
                        Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866''
                        and dated February 2010;
                            (ii) the document of the Interagency
                        Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse
                        Gases, United States Government, entitled
                        ``Technical Support Document: Technical Update
                        of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory
                        Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866'',
                        dated May 2013, revised in November 2013 and
                        July 2015, and published and revised in August
                        2016;
                            (iii) the document of the Interagency
                        Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse
                        Gases, United States Government, entitled
                        ``Addendum to Technical Support Document on
                        Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact
                        Analysis under Executive Order 12866:
                        Application of the Methodology to Estimate the
                        Social Cost of Methane and the Social Cost of
                        Nitrous Oxide'' and dated August 2016;
                            (iv) the document of the Interagency
                        Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse
                        Gases, United States Government, entitled
                        ``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of
                        Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim
                        Estimates under Executive Order 13990'' and
                        dated February 2021; or
                            (v) any successor or substantially related
                        document; and
                    (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages
                associated with an incremental increase in greenhouse
                gas emissions in a given year.
            (4) Social cost of methane.--The term ``social cost of
        methane'' means--
                    (A) the estimate of the social cost of methane
                described in--
                            (i) the document of the Interagency Working
                        Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases,
                        United States Government, entitled ``Addendum
                        to Technical Support Document on Social Cost of
                        Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis under
                        Executive Order 12866: Application of the
                        Methodology to Estimate the Social Cost of
                        Methane and the Social Cost of Nitrous Oxide''
                        and dated August 2016;
                            (ii) the document of the Interagency
                        Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse
                        Gases, United States Government, entitled
                        ``Technical Support Document: Social Cost of
                        Carbon, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Interim
                        Estimates under Executive Order 13990'' and
                        dated February 2021;
                            (iii) the document of the Environmental
                        Protection Agency entitled ``Benefit and Cost
                        Analysis for Supplemental Effluent Limitations
                        Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric
                        Power Generating Point Source Category'' and
                        dated April 18, 2024; or
                            (iv) any successor or substantially related
                        document; and
                    (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages
                associated with an incremental increase in methane
                emissions in a given year.
            (5) Social cost of nitrous oxide.--The term ``social cost
        of nitrous oxide'' means--
                    (A) the estimate of the social cost of nitrous
                oxide described in--
                            (i) the document of the Interagency Working
                        Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United States
                        Government, entitled ``Addendum to Technical
                        Support Document on Social Cost of Carbon for
                        Regulatory Impact Analysis under Executive
                        Order 12866: Application of the Methodology to
                        Estimate the Social Cost of Methane and the
                        Social Cost of Nitrous Oxide'' and dated August
                        2016;
                            (ii) the document of the Interagency
                        Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon, United
                        States Government, entitled ``Technical Support
                        Document: Social Cost of Carbon, Methane, and
                        Nitrous Oxide Interim Estimates under Executive
                        Order 13990'' and dated February 2021; or
                            (iii) any other successor or substantially
                        related document; and
                    (B) any other estimate of the monetized damages
                associated with an incremental increase in nitrous
                oxide emissions in a given year.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON CONSIDERING THE SOCIAL COST OF GREENHOUSE GASES,
              INCLUDING THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON, THE SOCIAL COST OF
              METHANE, AND THE SOCIAL COST OF NITROUS OXIDE.

    The head of a Federal agency may not consider the social cost of
carbon, the social cost of methane, the social cost of nitrous oxide,
or the social cost of greenhouse gases--
            (1) as part of any cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness
        analysis required under--
                    (A) any law;
                    (B) Executive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note;
                relating to regulatory planning and review); or
                    (C) Executive Order 13563 (5 U.S.C. 601 note;
                relating to improving regulation and regulatory
                review);
            (2) in any rulemaking;
            (3) in the issuance of any guidance;
            (4) in taking any other agency action; or
            (5) as a justification for any rulemaking, guidance
        document, or agency action.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the head of each Federal agency shall submit to the Committees on
Environment and Public Works and Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate and the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives a report describing the number of
proposed and final rulemakings, guidance documents, and agency actions
that, since January 2009, have used the social cost of carbon, the
social cost of greenhouse gases, the social cost of methane, or the
social cost of nitrous oxide, including the use of the social cost of
carbon, the social cost of greenhouse gases, the social cost of
methane, or the social cost of nitrous oxide as part of any cost-
benefit analysis required under Executive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601
note; relating to regulatory planning and review) or other relevant
authority.

SEC. 5. PRIORITIZING ACCURACY IN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES.

    (a) Limitation on Permitting and Regulation.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out any permitting
        adjudication or regulatory process--
                    (A) the head of each Federal agency shall, in
                taking into account any environmental considerations,
                only use such environmental considerations as are
                explicitly required under an Act of Congress; and
                    (B) the use of any environmental consideration not
                described in subparagraph (A) is prohibited.
            (2) Use of robust methodologies.--In carrying out paragraph
        (1), the head of a Federal agency, in the determination of the
        head of that Federal agency--
                    (A) shall strictly use the most robust methodology
                of assessment available; and
                    (B) shall not use any methodology that is arbitrary
                or ideologically motivated.
    (b) Regulatory Analysis.--The head of each Federal agency shall--
            (1) ensure that any estimates to assess the value of
        changes in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the actions
        of that Federal agency, including with respect to the
        consideration of domestic versus international effects and
        evaluating appropriate discount rates, are, to the extent
        permitted by law, consistent with the guidance contained in
        Office of Management and Budget Circular A-4, dated September
        17, 2003; and
            (2) as appropriate and consistent with applicable law,
        initiate a process to make such changes to any rule,
        regulation, policy, or action of the Federal agency as may be
        necessary to ensure consistency with Office of Management and
        Budget Circular A-4, dated September 17, 2003.
                                 <all>

Official legislative text sourced from the public record (cached on CivicsHQ).

Official source

View the original bill, actions, and full legislative record on Congress.gov.

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Status

In Committee

  1. 1Introduced
  2. 2Committee
  3. 3Floor
  4. 4Passed
  5. 5Signed

Timeline reflects current normalized status only. Full action history is not yet stored in the API.

Cosponsors

No cosponsors on record.

Votes

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