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The Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act

OUR POSITION: CSS opposes the bill and urges lawmakers to vote against it.

Capitol hillThe Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act, also known as “Sue and Settle,” would empower the opponents of new safeguards and standards to perpetuate unlawful agency inaction.

Even though Congress sets deadlines for agencies to complete new rules and establish new public safeguards, agencies often fail to meet these legally binding deadlines. When an agency misses a deadline, often the only available recourse is to obtain a court order forcing the agency to take action.

Despite claims to the contrary, court-ordered settlements and decrees have no bearing on the substance of agency rules. But settlements and decrees are necessary to ensure that our laws are enforced in a timely manner.

This bill would create a gauntlet of duplicative, burdensome and time-consuming hurdles that apply to settlements and decrees — slowing down the rulemaking process and preventing federal law from being implemented.

 


 

CSS Resources

CSS Opposes the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2023 (H.R. 3446)
Letter to Members: June 28, 2023

CSS Opposes the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2017 (H.R. 469)
Letter to Members: October 23, 2017

Groups Oppose the Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2017 (H.R. 469)
Letter to Members: October 23, 2017

CSS Opposes the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act (H.R. 712)
Letter to Members: January 7, 2016

Congress Kicks Off New Year With Same Old Deregulatory Agenda
Press Release: January 5, 2016

CSS Opposes the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015, H.R. 712
Letter to Members: March 20, 2015

Groups Oppose the Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act (H.R. 2804) and the Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4)
Letter to Members: September 18, 2014

CSS Supports Amendments to the Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act, H.R. 2804
Letter to Members: February 26, 2014

Groups Oppose Package of Flawed Anti-Regulatory Bills
Letter to Members: February 25, 2014

CSS Opposes Package of Anti-Regulatory Bills
Letter to Members: July 23, 2013

Coalition Sign-On Letter Against the “Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act” (H.R. 4078)
Letter to Members: July 23, 2012

 


 

Resources from Members and Allies

House Tees Up VW Bailout and Other Attacks on Public Protections, Consumer Rights
U.S. PIRG: January 6, 2016

Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 712
White House: January 5, 2016

CPR Opposes the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act
Center for Progressive Reform: January 5, 2016

But Wait, There’s Less! The GOP Has a ‘Sue and Settle’ Bill They Would Like to Sell You
Center for Progressive Reform: February 17, 2015

GAO Debunks Republicans’ ‘Sue and Settle’ Myth
Center for Progressive Reform: January 14, 2015

Bills in House Judiciary Committee Would Block Public Protections, Increase Abusive Litigation
Public Citizen: July 25, 2013

 


 

Press Coverage

Rep. Hank Johnson: ‘Free Market Way of Thinking Doesn’t Work’
Breitbart: January 8, 2016

House Passes Regulatory Reform Bills
The Hill: January 7, 2016

White House Threatens to Veto Reg Reform Bills
The Hill: January 6, 2016

New Regs on Tap in the New Year
Politico: January 4, 2016

New “Sue-and-Settle” Bill is Much Ado About Nothing
RegBlog: March 24, 2015

Bill Aims to Stop Sue-and-Settle Regulation
The Hill: February 5, 2015

Government Report Refutes ‘Sue-and-Settle’ Claims
The Hill: January 16, 2015