The Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act of 2026 strengthens oversight of federal regulations by requiring agencies to choose the regulatory approach that produces the greatest net benefits when issuing major rules, unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs grants an exception. Agencies can only deviate from this requirement if they identify and justify unquantifiable factors—such as constitutional rights impacts—or demonstrate that their chosen alternative provides greater benefits or cost savings. The new requirements take effect 120 days after the bill becomes law, giving agencies and the public four months to prepare for the changes. This legislation affects all federal agencies that issue regulations and aims to increase transparency and accountability in the regulatory process.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.