[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9653 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9653

 To establish special rules for certain agency adjudications, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 2026

  Mr. Knott introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish special rules for certain agency adjudications, 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 ``Limiting Excessive Government 
Obstruction Act''.

SEC. 2. AGENCY ADJUDICATIONS.

    (a) Adjudications.--Chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 706 the following:
``Sec. 706A. Special rules for certain agency adjudications
    ``(a) Agency Adjudication.--
            ``(1) Demurrer.--Except as provided in subsection (c), a 
        party against whom an agency adjudication is initiated may file 
        with the adjudicator a demurrer.
            ``(2) Final order of dismissal.--If the party makes a 
        filing described in paragraph (1), the adjudicator shall issue 
        a final order of dismissal with prejudice.
    ``(b) Civil Action.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after an agency 
        adjudication is dismissed with respect to a party under 
        subsection (a), the agency may commence a civil action against 
        such party in the district court for the district in which the 
        alleged violation occurred setting forth the violations alleged 
        in such agency adjudication. No such action may be commenced 
        after the expiration of such 90-day period.
            ``(2) Jury trial.--A defendant in an action described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be entitled to a trial by jury.
            ``(3) Defense.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
        it shall be a defense to an action described in paragraph (1) 
        that an alleged violation of an agency rule, order, or consent 
        decree was reasonable under the circumstances.
    ``(c) Exceptions.--
            ``(1) In general.--This section does not apply with respect 
        to any matter pertaining to--
                    ``(A) the immigration laws (as such term is defined 
                in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act);
                    ``(B) national security;
                    ``(C) the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
                    ``(D) bankruptcy;
                    ``(E) patent; or
                    ``(F) a Federal benefit.
            ``(2) Federal benefit defined.--In this section, the term 
        `Federal benefit' means any retirement, welfare, health, 
        disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary 
        education, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other 
        similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided 
        to an individual, household, or family eligibility unit by an 
        agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the 
        United States.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 701(b)(2) of title 5, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ```relief', and `agency action''' and inserting 
```relief', `party', `adjudication', and `agency action'''.
    (c) Table of Sections.--The table of sections for chapter 7 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 706 the following:

``706A. Special rules for certain agency adjudications.''.
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