SJRES 46 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concerning California's vehicle emission standards. The rule, submitted in 2023, relates to California's pollution control requirements for motor vehicles, including advanced clean trucks, zero-emission airport shuttles, and heavy-duty engine emissions. This resolution would block the rule from taking effect using a specific federal disapproval process under Title 5 of the U.S. Code. If passed, the rule would have no legal force, meaning California's current standards would remain without the EPA's formal approval for these specific provisions.
This joint resolution seeks to block an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would have regulated the chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The rule, published in December 2024, aimed to establish new safety standards for TCE - a chemical used in industrial cleaning and manufacturing that can pose health risks. Congress would disapprove the rule through a specific federal process, preventing it from taking effect. If passed, this resolution would maintain current regulations for TCE without the proposed EPA requirements.
This joint resolution (SJRES 9) seeks congressional disapproval of a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rule issued in October 2024. The rule provided guidance for listing "voluntary carbon credit derivative contracts" on exchanges, which would have governed how these carbon credit trading contracts could be traded. If passed, the resolution would block this guidance from taking effect, meaning the CFTC's rule would have no legal force. This action directly affects the CFTC and market participants involved in carbon credit derivative contracts, preventing the new regulatory framework from being implemented.
HRES 354 is a procedural resolution that sets rules for the House to vote on five separate disapproval resolutions (H.J. Res. 60, 78, 87-89). These disapproval resolutions aim to block specific federal agency rules: one from the National Park Service regarding motor vehicles in Glen Canyon, another from Fish & Wildlife on endangered smelt protections, and three from the EPA targeting California's vehicle emissions standards. The resolution streamlines debate and voting on these disapproval measures, waiving most procedural objections to allow direct consideration. If passed, the disapproval resolutions would cancel the agency rules, directly affecting how California implements vehicle pollution controls and wildlife protections. The bill itself does not change policy but enables Congress to block these specific regulations.
HJRES 79 is a congressional resolution seeking to disapprove an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would have reclassified certain large industrial facilities emitting hazardous air pollutants as "area sources" under the Clean Air Act. The rule, published in the Federal Register on September 10, 2024, aimed to shift these facilities from stricter regulatory requirements for "major sources" to less stringent standards for "area sources." If approved, the resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preserving current regulatory obligations for affected industrial facilities. This bill directly impacts the EPA's authority to regulate air pollution and the specific facilities subject to the proposed reclassification.
HJRES 76 is a congressional resolution seeking to block an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that updated regulations for reviewing new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The bill targets the specific rule published in the Federal Register on December 18, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 102773), which would have modified how the EPA evaluates new chemical substances for safety. If passed, this resolution would use the statutory process under Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code, to formally disapprove the EPA rule, preventing it from taking effect. This resolution directly affects the EPA’s authority to regulate new chemical submissions and does not create new regulations itself.
HJRES 43 is a procedural resolution seeking congressional disapproval of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule. It targets the EPA's "New Source Performance Standards Review for Volatile Organic Liquid Storage Vessels" rule (published in the Federal Register on October 15, 2024), which established emissions standards for storage tanks at oil and chemical facilities. The resolution, if passed, would nullify this EPA rule, preventing it from taking effect and directly affecting petroleum and chemical storage facilities required to comply with the emissions standards. This is a formal disapproval action under federal law, not a new policy.
This joint resolution (SJRES 29) seeks congressional disapproval of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule related to Ohio's air quality regulations. Specifically, it targets the EPA's "Air Plan Approval; Ohio; Withdrawal of Technical Amendment" rule published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 6811). If approved, the resolution would block this EPA rule from taking effect, directly affecting Ohio's implementation of its state air quality plan. The mechanism uses Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code, which establishes procedures for Congress to reject federal agency rules.
This bill amends Section 401 of the Clean Water Act to clarify and streamline water quality certifications for energy infrastructure projects. It requires states and the EPA to publish certification requirements within 30 days of enactment, set strict 90-day deadlines for requesting missing information, and base decisions solely on specific Clean Water Act sections (301, 302, 303, 306, 307). The changes replace vague terms like "water quality requirements" with precise references to these sections and mandate written explanations for certification decisions. It directly affects states, interstate agencies, and the EPA as they process certification requests for projects like pipelines or power plants.
This bill requires the U.S. Senate to provide advice and consent for any international climate agreement that involves legally binding domestic emissions reductions (like the Paris Agreement), treating such agreements as treaties under the Constitution. It directly affects the executive branch and federal agencies by blocking the use of federal funds to implement or comply with these agreements unless Senate approval is first obtained. The key mechanism is changing the process for entering climate agreements from executive action to a formal treaty ratification process. This would prevent the U.S. government from joining or rejoining international climate deals without Senate confirmation. The bill does not alter the content of climate agreements but changes how they are approved and funded.
