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Salem Times Register

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., that would require greater transparency in federal regulatory settlements advanced to the House floor this week.

The House Judiciary Committee voted Jan. 8 to advance the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2025, which aims to increase public oversight of consent decrees and settlement agreements entered into by federal agencies.

Cline said the bill is intended to prevent major regulatory changes from being made through lawsuits negotiated behind closed doors, without public participation.

“The American people should never be shut out of decisions that reshape federal policy,” Cline said in a statement. “This legislation ensures these agreements are opened to public notice, comment, and meaningful judicial review, giving taxpayers, workers, and small businesses the opportunity to be heard.”

According to Cline’s office, the measure would require federal agencies to provide public notice and allow comment on proposed settlements, strengthen judicial review of consent decrees, require certification by agency heads that agreements serve the public interest, and mandate detailed reporting to Congress.

Supporters of the legislation argue that activist groups have used litigation to pressure agencies into broad regulatory changes without going through the traditional rulemaking process, limiting input from affected industries and the public.

Cline represents Virginia’s 6th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Roanoke Valley, Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia.