S. 164: Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2025

119th Congress · introduced 2025-01-21 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 564.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2025

Plain summary

Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2025 This bill allows Congress to disapprove multiple regulations under one joint resolution of disapproval if the regulations were submitted for review during a portion of the final year of a President's term. Under current law, the Congressional Review Act generally provides for a period of additional review during the succeeding Congress for regulations that were submitted during the last 60 legislative days of the prior Congress. However, each joint resolution may disapprove of only one regulation.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2025

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 164, Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2025 (2026-09-15)

Cosponsors on this site

Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), James Lankford (R-OK), Rick Scott (R-FL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Joint resolution: In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119s164.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/s>

Record fed-us-cong119-s164 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills