The House Judiciary Committee will vote on legislation Thursday that would increase public input on federal settlement agreements that can lead to rulemaking.
The “Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act,” H.R. 6622, would require public notice and comment for proposed settlements. It would also mandate new reporting to Congress, among other provisions.
“For too long, activist-driven lawsuits have been used to force sweeping policy changes without public input or congressional oversight,” Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) said in a statement when he introduced the legislation last year.
The legislation is part of a long-running Republican effort to crack down on agencies settling with environmental and other groups to pursue certain regulatory actions.
