HRES 122119th CongressIntroduced

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 77) to amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide for en bloc consideration in resolutions of disapproval for "midnight rules", and for other purposes.

Introduced: Feb 10, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H.Res. 122 is a House rule that would make it in order for the House to consider H.R. 77, a bill that would amend 5 U.S.C. Chapter 8 (the regulatory review framework) to authorize en bloc (bundled) consideration of resolutions disapproving “midnight rules”—rules issued toward the end of a presidential term. The resolution waives all points of order against the bill’s consideration and against its provisions, effectively speeding its path through the floor. It also sets a limited debate window (one hour, split equally between the chair and the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee or their designees) and permits only one motion to recommit. In short, H.Res. 122 advances rapid, streamlined consideration of H.R. 77.

Key Points

1En bloc consideration: H.R. 77 would establish a process to consider multiple resolutions of disapproval for “midnight rules” as a single package, rather than voting on each disapproval individually.
2Subject matter of H.R. 77: The bill would amend chapter 8 of title 5, U.S.C., to create or expand en bloc disapproval procedures for late-term (midnight) regulatory actions and for other purposes.
3House procedural rule: H.Res. 122 waives points of order against the bill and its provisions, makes the bill read, and allows the “previous question” (to end debate) to apply to final passage with only two exceptions (one hour of debate and one motion to recommit).
4Limited debate and amendments: The rule allows only a concise, controlled debate and a single opportunity to recommit, limiting opportunities to amend.
5Legislative status/process: H.Res. 122 is a procedural rule governing the floor consideration of H.R. 77; it does not itself enact policy but enables expedited consideration of the underlying bill.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Members of the House and congressional staff involved in legislative procedure and oversight of federal regulation, particularly those focused on the timing and control of disapproval resolutions for late-term rules.Secondary group/area affected- Federal agencies and rulemaking bodies subject to resolutions of disapproval, since en bloc disapproval could affect multiple rules in one vote.- Stakeholders and industries affected by federal regulations, who may experience faster, broader disapproval of rules issued near the end of a presidency.Additional impacts- Strategic dynamics in regulatory policy: bundling disapproval votes could shift incentives for agencies to finalize rules earlier or for the outgoing administration to push rules knowing Congress can disapprove them en bloc.- Consideration of minority rights and deliberation: the expedited, en bloc approach may reduce targeted debate on individual rules and limit opportunities for amendments, which some critics may view as diminishing deliberative scrutiny.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 31, 2025