[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 288 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>





                                                  Union Calendar No. 60
118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 288

                          [Report No. 118-83]

To amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify the nature of judicial 
     review of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory 
                              provisions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 11, 2023

 Mr. Fitzgerald (for himself, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Duncan, Mr. 
  McClintock, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Buck, Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Bishop of North 
Carolina, Mr. Jackson of Texas, and Mr. Cline) introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

                              June 1, 2023

    Additional sponsors: Mr. Johnson of Louisiana, Ms. Hageman, Mr. 
                         Brecheen, and Mr. Fry

                              June 1, 2023

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 
                               11, 2023]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify the nature of judicial 
     review of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory 
                              provisions.


 


    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 ``Separation of Powers Restoration Act 
of 2023'' or ``SOPRA''.

SEC. 2. JUDICIAL REVIEW OF STATUTORY AND REGULATORY INTERPRETATIONS.

    Section 706 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``To the extent necessary'' and inserting 
        ``(a) To the extent necessary'';
            (2) by striking ``decide all relevant questions of law, 
        interpret constitutional and statutory provisions, and'';
            (3) by inserting after ``of the terms of an agency action'' 
        the following ``and decide de novo all relevant questions of 
        law, including the interpretation of constitutional and 
        statutory provisions, and rules made by agencies. 
        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this subsection 
        shall apply in any action for judicial review of agency action 
        authorized under any provision of law. No law may exempt any 
        such civil action from the application of this section except 
        by specific reference to this section''; and
            (4) by striking ``The reviewing court shall--'' and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(b) The reviewing court shall--''.
                                                  Union Calendar No. 60

118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 288

                          [Report No. 118-83]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify the nature of judicial 
     review of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory 
                              provisions.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              June 1, 2023

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed