[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7922 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7922

   To minimize increases in the cost of complying with Federal rules 
        during the coronavirus pandemic, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 2020

 Mr. Comer (for himself, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. 
Cloud, Ms. Foxx of North Carolina, Mr. Norman, Mr. Green of Tennessee, 
 and Mr. Keller) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee 
  on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To minimize increases in the cost of complying with Federal rules 
        during the coronavirus pandemic, 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 ``Pandemic Regulatory Cost Relief Act 
of 2020''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST INCREASING REGULATORY COMPLIANCE COSTS 
              DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.

    (a) In General.--A Federal rule for which an agency has estimated 
the costs of compliance may not be promulgated during the covered 
period if such rule increases the total Federal regulatory compliance 
costs for the class of entities to be subject to the rule, unless--
            (1) such increase is offset by a corresponding rescission 
        of rules that reduces the total Federal regulatory compliance 
        cost for that class of entities by an equal or greater amount; 
        or
            (2) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget--
                    (A) determines--
                            (i) that no such corresponding rescission 
                        of rules is available to be made; or
                            (ii) the rule is necessary for the 
                        protection of--
                                    (I) public health against the 
                                coronavirus pandemic; or
                                    (II) national security; and
                    (B) publishes a notice to that effect in the 
                Federal Register at the time the rule is promulgated.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Coronavirus pandemic.--The term ``coronavirus 
        pandemic'' means the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2019-2020.
            (2) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means the 
        period that--
                    (A) begins on the date of the enactment of this 
                section; and
                    (B) ends on the date that is 1 year after the date 
                on which the public health emergency declared under 
                section 319 of the Public Health Services Act (42 
                U.S.C. 247d) as a result of the coronavirus pandemic 
                expires, or any renewal thereof.
            (3) Regulatory compliance cost.--The term ``regulatory 
        compliance cost'' means any direct cost, and any reasonably 
        foreseeable indirect cost (including revenue lost), of 
        complying with a Federal rule.
            (4) Rule.--The term ``rule'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
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